1. Ithasbegun's Avatar
    That's fine for you, but many people are switching from BB to iPhone/Android despite them not having a keyboard or the better e-mail setup. So for them to switch back to a BB, they have to blow everyone out of the water with something the competition doesn't have, QNX has to be amazing, there has to be a ton of apps and all this has to happen VERY soon. Do you honestly see that happening?
    In a word, "no".

    Yes, Verizon 4G is really that fast!
    08-12-11 05:41 PM
  2. anon3396357's Avatar
    No one knows for sure. You can bet if the OS7 phones sell lot hotcakes you'll see an uptick in the new apps.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I doubt so. Part of the reason why the BB platform has so little apps in comparison is because of the chunky development process and higher cost as compared to other platforms. I believe right now there are about 200 million iOS(iPhone, iPod and iPad) users, and according to RIM there are at least 68 million BIS subscribers. Let's throw in WP7 for comparison's sake, and at the moment there are around 3 million WP7 users.

    iOS users: ~200 million (April 2011)
    iOS apps: ~400k (April 2011)

    BB users: ~68 million (July 2011)
    BB apps: ~30k (August 2011)

    WP7 users: ~3 million (August 2011)
    WP7 apps: ~29k (August 2011)

    Sources:
    Number of BB users
    Number of apps comparison by platform
    Number of WP7 phones sold in 2011
    Number of WP7 apps
    Last edited by Derwent Graphite; 08-12-11 at 08:34 PM.
    08-12-11 08:25 PM
  3. mmcpher's Avatar
    I'm in for the 7.0 Blackberry, but I'd never left the fold. FWIW, I was talking to two people this week who left old Curves for Droids, and who were pining for a return to Blackberry. Had the new devices been to market a few months earlier, they definitely would have bought them. I expect they will anyway once they see them in operation.

    Most of the Berry fans I know are not app crazy anyway, so they aren't hung up on the developers preferences. Berry fans generally like the way the devices look and feel and how simple they are to use and incorporate into day-by-day life. Of course its a generalization, but if you're not aggressively trying to assimilate the majority of your waking moments and thoughts into a small electronic device, the bulging plethora of apps has always seemed faintly absurd. If you canvass various threads here you see a lot of requests for apps, but those requests are usually specific, limited and tending toward utility, rather than amusement (a good ereader, gps, billing, adobe, etc). I sometimes wonder if all of this commentary about the lack of BB apps and the soft support from developers is misguided anyway. I have a bunch of apps on my phone and Playbook, but over time, I always return to a few key apps and allow the impulse buys to cobweb over and often delete them. A flashy new app will catch my attention and wallet, so there's a market, but I wonder if there aren't other factors besides the developers' resistance to BB OS that explains the divide between Apple, Droid and BB apps?
    Last edited by mmcpher; 08-13-11 at 01:08 AM.
    08-13-11 01:05 AM
  4. inicophone's Avatar
    I agree. QNX has to be in a word - amazing. And the apps have to be there, as judging by the stats above - iOS has the apps!!! (they could perfect over time I imagine)

    But I do not see a sudden swing to the BB. iOS will remain dominant, but only as the iPad runs it. I think the iPhone is soon going to fall. Over here in the UK, the market share has fallen. And from what I've heard from networks (granted, this is just the words of a sales rep at an Orange store here in London) the iPhone 5 is going to be even more expensive than the 4. But most networks carry the Galaxy S2 too, which is cheaper. I think if the BB can come up with someone truly fantastic, they'll overtake the iPhone and stop WP7 in it's tracks.

    I think the low end Android users, and maybe some of the mid users will consider a switch. But those with the high end Droid's, I am not sure if they will come back.

    I unfortunately don't see the PlayBook overtaking anything else, but I think it could sell very well and keep a strong 3rd position.

    Overall, I think BB is doing the right things and if they can get it right there is no reason why it couldn't become the number 2 smartphone and the number 1 smartphone out there.
    08-13-11 05:13 AM
  5. flapadlr's Avatar
    Problem solved. Why wouldn't it? We know Playbook will in a few months.

    It's not an app thing, it's a "it's not an iPhone thing." Android is the alternative to Iphone. What's Blackberry's niche?
    08-20-11 03:25 PM
  6. qbnkelt's Avatar
    Problem solved. Why wouldn't it? We know Playbook will in a few months.

    It's not an app thing, it's a "it's not an iPhone thing." Android is the alternative to Iphone. What's Blackberry's niche?
    Blackberry is the only platform that can be used in the federal government. Corporations who value the security, monitoring and accountability that BES gives them also go with BB instead of relying on solutions that do a fine job of syncing emails but not fully secure their environments. For as long as jailbreaking and rooting are touted as the solution to "customising" phones they will not enter behind secure firewalls.

    So...what's Blackberry's niche? Government and secure environments who cannot muddle about with platforms which have well publicised hacks and which promote or turn a blind eye to customer hacks. Blackberry is also the platform of preference to consumers who are equally interested in those security features.

    There are also consumers who have tried other platforms and return to Blackberry because they simply *prefer* the Blackberry experience....count me as one. This may sound like late breaking news, but not every consumer is interested in the biggest, most badass set of specs. There are those of us who simply want to pick up a device out the the box and have it function as desired within a couple of seconds of booting it up. I don't want a relationship with a phone...there are humans for that.
    Last edited by Qbnkelt; 08-22-11 at 09:34 AM.
    sleepngbear likes this.
    08-22-11 09:31 AM
  7. sleepngbear's Avatar
    Blackberry is the only platform that can be used in the federal government. Corporations who value the security, monitoring and accountability that BES gives them also go with BB instead of relying on solutions that do a fine job of syncing emails but not fully secure their environments. For as long as jailbreaking and rooting are touted as the solution to "customising" phones they will not enter behind secure firewalls.

    So...what's Blackberry's niche? Government and secure environments who cannot muddle about with platforms which have well publicised hacks and which promote or turn a blind eye to customer hacks. Blackberry is also the platform of preference to consumers who are equally interested in those security features.

    There are also consumers who have tried other platforms and return to Blackberry because they simply *prefer* the Blackberry experience....count me as one.
    This may sound like late breaking news, but not every consumer is interested in the biggest, most badass set of specs. There are those of us who simply want to pick up a device out the the box and have it function as desired within a couple of seconds of booting it up. I don't want a relationship with a phone...there are humans for that.
    Count me among those as well.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-22-11 03:15 PM
  8. jebulls's Avatar
    Blackberry is the only platform that can be used in the federal government. Corporations who value the security, monitoring and accountability that BES gives them also go with BB instead of relying on solutions that do a fine job of syncing emails but not fully secure their environments. For as long as jailbreaking and rooting are touted as the solution to "customising" phones they will not enter behind secure firewalls.

    So...what's Blackberry's niche? Government and secure environments who cannot muddle about with platforms which have well publicised hacks and which promote or turn a blind eye to customer hacks. Blackberry is also the platform of preference to consumers who are equally interested in those security features.

    There are also consumers who have tried other platforms and return to Blackberry because they simply *prefer* the Blackberry experience....count me as one. This may sound like late breaking news, but not every consumer is interested in the biggest, most badass set of specs. There are those of us who simply want to pick up a device out the the box and have it function as desired within a couple of seconds of booting it up. I don't want a relationship with a phone...there are humans for that.
    Imagine a great selection of quality apps with BB! Would be tough to beat imo!!
    08-22-11 06:47 PM
  9. runnersdelight's Avatar
    Yep, I totally agree. I went from bold to iphone 4 and desperately missed my crackberry. I get my phone tomorrow and I am so excited!!
    08-22-11 08:54 PM
  10. anon3396357's Avatar
    I believe a large number of apps also serve as a good breeding ground for quality ones. It's incredibly hard to get into the top 100 in the App Store, which is where all the money is made. And because of this competition, developers keep having to up their antes and design better, more functional and creative apps to compete.

    Regarding the BB fanboy/apologist attitude of dissing the app selection on iOS/Android as fart apps - there are many who develop apps not for a living, but as a hobby. Even those who are not experienced or even not knowing a programming language or two try their hand and it and enjoy the challenge it poses, as well as the satisfaction of having developed an app which can be downloaded and shared with family and friends.
    08-22-11 10:04 PM
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