[h20work]

Of course this wouldn't be your pre-existing bias would it?

How about the theory that all tech journals, media outlets + the nsa are all out to get blackberry. Is that a pre-existing bias?

If you actually read the press release you'll see its all pretty much fixes and enhancements, only of interest to existing owners. The only standout feature is the fm radio. And remember there is No mention of apk download support.

Trust me, unless you completely agree with omni tech, he or she will completely twist anything you say and completely ignore any point you are trying to make. It's quite funny to watch

Back to the op, it was a complaint about Engadget. If anyone read the review/overview/blurb, nothing derogatory was said about bb. "But he skipped the direct android install stuff", so did BlackBerry. Of course let's not let the facts get in the way.

It was a .x.x release, be thankful anyone even mentioned it in the first place. Lots of tweaks as mentioned, but take away the apk part and it's hardly newsworthy or groundbreaking. Just more adding things that were in bb7.1 and some wifi features that z10 owners won't be able to use.

I swear certain people here just like to play the victim card over and over, and look for trouble where it doesn't exist.

[Omnitech]

Back to the op, it was a complaint about Engadget. If anyone read the review/overview/blurb, nothing derogatory was said about bb.

See previous comment about being blinded by pre-existing biases.

If people can't see the sarcasm dripping from the following - which was posted alongside a clip of Hall and Oates called "Portable Radio", then I am fairly sure that something is wrong with their sarcasm sensor or perhaps they've been living in a cave somewhere and don't know why Hall and Oates are not favorites of the tech hipster crowd out there, or why usage of terms like "fancy-dans" is not the kind of thing they normally write about products they actually like:


"If you own a BlackBerry Z30, Q10 or Q5, then your smartphone can suddenly do a neat little trick. The company's latest software update enables those devices to become FM radios, letting you stage an impromptu dance party without a data connection. Version 10.2.1 also brings a series of minor, but welcome, tweaks to the platform, including a new screen for answering calls, SMS groups, offline reading mode and picture passwords. The update is making its way to all BlackBerry 10 handsets from today, including the Porsche P'9982, for all you fancy-dans out there."

It was a .x.x release

Which means nothing these days. Firefox went from version "17" to version "25" in a year. Yawn.

I'd be inclined to suggest that the shift from 10.1 to 10.2.1 is at least as significant as the shift from legacy BBOS 5 to 6 was, or 6 to 7 for that matter.

[Superfly_FR]

In my opinion BBRY are idiots for not widely advertising the Android apk installation benefit. The ability to install tons and tons of better apps on a quality QWERTY-handset should net them thousands of new customers.

just.be.patient.
count in weeks.

[crackberry_geek]

In their defense.. BlackBerry hasn't conjured up any kind of fan fare advertising their new features or promoting this update, so why should anyone else?

Good point. Another example of BlackBerry's non existing marketing...shameful.

Posted with Z10 via CB10

[Superfly_FR]

Good point. Another example of BlackBerry's non existing marketing...shameful.

Posted with Z10 via CB10

I respectfully disagree. APKs support isn't polished enough to advertise it.
Until something that will make the search/dl user friendly, not confusing (i.e filter known non working apps) and not breaking by any means IP or access rules to APKs repository ("stores"), they'd be fool to advert.
count in ... oh, I did write that already.

[Tre Lawrence]

I respectfully disagree. APKs support isn't polished enough to advertise it.
Until something that will make the search/dl user friendly, not confusing (i.e filter known non working apps) and not breaking by any means IP or access rules to APKs repository ("stores"), they'de be fool to advert.
count in ... oh, I did write that already.

Mostly agree.

[crackberry_geek]

Mostly agree.

I'm not talking about advertising APK ability... just the update in general.

I travel the world on business and everywhere I turn I see advertisements for iPhone and Samsung, while most people don't even know what BlackBerry phones currently exist. Worse... even if they did, they wouldn't know where to buy one.

BlackBerry's lack of marketing is shameful (especially when they have funds to do so) and I'm getting tired of the faithful users being the only ones telling the news.

Posted with Z10 via CB10

[Omnitech]

BlackBerry's lack of marketing is shameful (especially when they have funds to do so)

And if they don't have the funds, what do you call it?

[Superfly_FR]

I'm not talking about advertising APK ability... just the update in general.

I travel the world on business and everywhere I turn I see advertisements for iPhone and Samsung, while most people don't even know what BlackBerry phones currently exist. Worse... even if they did, they wouldn't know where to buy one.

BlackBerry's lack of marketing is shameful (especially when they have funds to do so) and I'm getting tired of the faithful users being the only ones telling the news.

Posted with Z10 via CB10

Sorry, it seems I misread it. But as many mentionned it, APKs direct install is on of the game changing feature.
I'm not surprised they don't advertise much the update until they found a way to maket it flawless.

[RubberChicken76]

I respectfully disagree. APKs support isn't polished enough to advertise it.
Until something that will make the search/dl user friendly, not confusing (i.e filter known non working apps) and not breaking by any means IP or access rules to APKs repository ("stores"), they'd be fool to advert.
count in ... oh, I did write that already.

I'm surprised BlackBerry (as a start) didn't do a deal with Amazon to simply load the Amazon app store in. This gets more of the missing apps (though not all, nor the latest versions) but circumvents a lot of the other things out there that are more 'suspect'. Amazon is trusted and curates their store.

[Omnitech]

I'm surprised BlackBerry (as a start) didn't do a deal with Amazon to simply load the Amazon app store in. This gets more of the missing apps (though not all, nor the latest versions) but circumvents a lot of the other things out there that are more 'suspect'. Amazon is trusted and curates their store.

I'm not surprised.

Remember that the Android subsystem in BB10 is not a standard Android OS. As such, there are a variety of compatibility and performance issues with it, even though it is steadily improving.

If I were Amazon I wouldn't want to be an officially sanctioned app store on a platform where perhaps 15% or more of the apps I distribute would run into showstopper compatibility or performance issues and have customers screaming at me for refunds and so on.

Regardless of what BlackBerry's take on it would be.

Right now the Android subsystem (and it's direct APK install capability, along with a great utility such as Snap) is a very nice alternative way to run apps on BB10 devices for people who are willing to do a little fiddling around, and who don't mind occasional glitches and compatibility issues.

Pushing it as a fully mature and stable Android environment is still a little premature at this point, as far as I'm concerned.

[kordog1]

They knew what they were doing. Like BGR, they are trying to insult BBRY fans. Ignore their sites. Don't give them the clicks.

The other one is Post Media (national post and financial post); for some unknown reason their ownership has clearly told the editors to run negative articles on BBRY. I think the national post may also have not made native BB10 app despite their audience being a prime blackberry demographic.

Posted via CB10

[lnichols]

And who exactly helped tarnish the brand name? And why is the brand still being mocked more than a year since they released a new competitive platform? I agree with everything you said about OS5-7 and maybe the Z10's launch, but that was 12 months ago. Why haven't sales picked up? Why is the media still on a mission to destroy BlackBerry? You can't possibly believe this isn't affecting their sales.

Zero marketing. Horrendous sales numbers. Pricing of the Z30 and Q10 are still too high. 10.2.1 was just released and will probably not be advertised at all.

BlackBerry has to put in the effort to change how they are viewed. I saw a great commercial tonight on the Super Bowl for Radio Shack. They made fun of themselves and said the 80s called and wanted their store back then had a bunch of popular TV characters from the 80s tear up the store and then showed a new modern store at the end. BlackBerry needs to do some image rehab like this where they acknowledge that they're products were outdated with BBOS, and show that the new products are different and can do things.

Posted via CB10

[crackberry_geek]

Zero marketing. Horrendous sales numbers. Pricing of the Z30 and Q10 are still too high. 10.2.1 was just released and will probably not be advertised at all.

BlackBerry has to put in the effort to change how they are viewed. I saw a great commercial tonight on the Super Bowl for Radio Shack. They made fun of themselves and said the 80s called and wanted their store back then had a bunch of popular TV characters from the 80s tear up the store and then showed a new modern store at the end. BlackBerry needs to do some image rehab like this where they acknowledge that they're products were outdated with BBOS, and show that the new products are different and can do things.

Posted via CB10

Couldn't agree more.

Great platform, great hardware, great OS... with awesome current update...

...and the only people that know about it are the faithful.

Well guess what BlackBerry Marketing? That isn't going to help.

When in the h377 are you, BlackBerry Marketing, going to start spreading the word?

I'm tired of feeling like it's up to the faithful to do it for you.

Come on...!!!

I really don't want to change platforms after you're gone.

Posted with Z10 via CB10

[Admorris]

Blackberry needs to contact Domino's marketing team asap.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I respectfully disagree. APKs support isn't polished enough to advertise it.
Until something that will make the search/dl user friendly, not confusing (i.e filter known non working apps) and not breaking by any means IP or access rules to APKs repository ("stores"), they'd be fool to advert.
count in ... oh, I did write that already.

I'm confused, you have said to be patient and wait "weeks"... not sure what you know???

That said, if we (some of us are still waiting officially) just received a major update..... Do you think that carriers are going to push out another major update in a few weeks??

Maybe that explains Verizon pulling the update - they plan to skip 10.1 and 10.2 and straight for 10.3 in a few weeks????


Filter non working apps?? I'm sure BlackBerry has the ability to test all the Andorid Apps out there and filter out the 20% or so that don't work.

Full Google or Amazon Store is the only way this is going to work and be a marketable feature. I've shown my Z10 to a number of people and explained what it can do, and most really like the HUB. But I also explain that "some" apps don't work and that in-app purchases don't work. That is usually all it takes to turn them away from the crippled platform. I have no desire for a friend to blame me for a device that is limited in it's capabilities.

[Omnitech]

Maybe that explains Verizon pulling the update - they plan to skip 10.1 and 10.2 and straight for 10.3 in a few weeks????

Verizon didn't pull the update, that's what people assumed at the beginning when they "paused" the update, because many of us were surprised that they released as official the same exact OS that was leaked December 18 and which is an earlier build than the Gold SDK developer release with a mismatched radio version.

It's now available to pretty much all Verizon Z10 customers OTA, Q10 and Z30 will get it in a week or two. (Officially that is. There have always been ways to install it yourself.)

[red_devil_fan_1999]

And if they don't have the funds, what do you call it?

their fault, and their problem to deal with