Open Letter to BlackBerry

Open letter to BlackBerry

I would like start this letter by stating that I am deeply hurt by the recent results of BlackBerry and BlackBerry 10 performance. I have a few concerns going forward, which are, Marketing, OS and Hardware, Apps, and Credibility. As a shareholder, my main goal is to see BlackBerry succeed in the US. We all know it will be a bumpy road, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Let's talk about Marketing. BlackBerry what is your marketing strategy for the US? You guys have missed key events to expose BB10 to millions of Americans. The Super Bowl commercial was a good starting point, but the commercial itself didn't show ANY features of BB10. You guys also missed the NBA Finals. HUGE opportunity to show BB10, on the other hand, Samsung was all over the place with its cool S4 commercials. I know the business men is the focus audience for BlackBerry, but regular consumers is what's going to take us to the next level. Why don't you roll out a commercial comparing BB10 to the competition? Do you guys feel that BB10 is not there yet? Just a couple of questions that I can't find an answer for. Furthermore, what happened to the in store experience and carrier support? The day I purchased my Z10, I was giving a demo to the store rep. They didn't even have the phone on display, the stores that did have it on display, the phone was all the way at the back. On the other hand, S3 and iPhone5 were the first devices as soon as you walked in. Is that what you guys call carrier support? That's pathetic!

Why was BB10 released with so many missing features? Why are we having email synchronization issues? BlackBerry has a reputation of offering the best email experience, clearly you guys didn't delivered that with BB10. Aside from email, let's talk about regular consumers. Here is a personal story. I recently purchased a Q10 and gave the Z10 to my girlfriend (former Android user). Overall, she thinks the phone is really cool, but she keeps bugging me about customization. "Why can't I have a theme and cool emogies for my SMS?" the only answer (excuse) I can come up with is to tell her that it is a new OS. Regular consumers want to have fun with their devices, not everything is about work.

In addition, why didn't you guys release the Z10 with better spects? I believe that the rumored A10 would have been a better device to launch BB10 with. Here is another personal story. My program director (former BlackBerry 9930 user) moved to a GS3 a few months ago and now carries a GS4. This is a guy that is checking his email 24/7. I showed him my Q10 and his first comment was, "The screen is too small". After that, he had a suggestion. "Why don't they take a phone of the size of the GS4 and add a QWERTY keyboard to it?". To me, that's a pretty cool idea. I think it is time to leave the Bold 9000/9900/9930 and Q10 form factor behind.

Here we go again... Apps. We all know as a new OS not every single app is going to be available, but I believe key apps shouldn't be missing. You guys did a great job bringing Skype, WhatsApp on board as well as revamping BBM, but what happened to Instagram and Banking Apps? If you want to gain US customers you need to offer an unparalleled experience. Want to hear another personal story? Here it goes. Every time I showed my phone to friend or coworker they all had a comment and a question. This happened with the Z10. "It looks like an iPhone" and "Does it have Instagram?" I know there people out there that don't really care about Instagram or any other specific app, but to some consumers or allow me to say THE MAYORITY of US consumers care about Instagram and Banking Apps. I just hope that you guys spend some cash to bring key apps to the platform. I'm sure it will pay off.

You guys have serious credibility issues. Why don't you guys provide a straight up answer? Every time your management team get asked about a certain app or feature. There is never a concrete answer from you guys. Most of the time, the answer never addresses the question. Let's not talk about the most recent PlayBook fiasco. What a shame! Why didn't you guys provide specific BB10 sells number? What are you guys afraid of? Stop giving us lame excuses about Venezuela and Q10 not being on sale. Tell us what's really going on. The Q10 was on sale for over a month in Canada and the UK (huge BlackBerry markets). I'll just wait and see what are you going to say September 27.

Well, those are my thoughts based of what I have seen in recent months since the launch of BB10. I really want to see BlackBerry flourish here in the US and gain some market share. Please fix the Marketing team. Maybe get a US marketing company? OS and Hardware is a must if we want to stay alive. I really hope 10.2 bring some guns to the table and the A10 some spects to out perform the completion. The apps issue, well it is time to spend some of those 3.1 billion dollars to bring them over. As credibility goes, hmm... I'm skeptical about that.

Posted via CB10

"Why don't they take a phone of the size of the GS4 and add a QWERTY keyboard to it?"

I've thought the same thing. They need to start thinking American and being the biggest bad *** on the block.

Originally Posted by Real Estate Appraiser

I've thought the same thing. They need to start thinking American and being the biggest bad *** on the block.

I think it has to do with the balance in hand. Imagine trying to type on a keyboard with a 5" inch screen hanging above it. It would feel weird (IMO). Just my thought.

Originally Posted by eldricho

I think it has to do with the balance in hand. Imagine trying to type on a keyboard with a 5" inch screen hanging above it. It would feel weird (IMO). Just my thought.

No that big, just reduce some of the screen size to add the QWERTY keyboard.

Posted via CB10

Originally Posted by eldricho

I think it has to do with the balance in hand. Imagine trying to type on a keyboard with a 5" inch screen hanging above it. It would feel weird (IMO). Just my thought.

The simple answer to that problem is to make a landscape slider, not a portrait slider.

BTW, here's a link to post I made yesterday in a Q10-oriented thread made on this board. My comments echo what was said above about the Q10:

http://forums.crackberry.com/general...0/#post8732136

Originally Posted by CHIP72

The simple answer to that problem is to make a landscape slider, not a portrait slider.

BTW, here's a link to post I made yesterday in a Q10-oriented thread made on this board. My comments echo what was said above about the Q10:

http://forums.crackberry.com/general...0/#post8732136

All valid points to me. I hope 10.2 bring some significant UI optimization.

Posted via CB10

So did you actually email/snailmail that to BlackBerry? If not well than as much as they check here, I'm sure that'll be missed.

Posted via my Q10 SQN100-1

I implied this in the linked post, but I think Blackberry should have manufactured BOTH a portrait slider and a landscape slider and had both available at launch, along with an all-touch device somewhat larger than the Z10. (If I were in charge at Blackberry, I would have NOT manufactured the Q10, though I would have manufactured the Q5 as a low-cost device. I also would have tried to release the Q5 and the other devices I mentioned in all markets, including First World markets.) I personally believe landscape sliders are superior to portrait sliders, but if you manufacture both you can let the market decide and manufacture only the more popular one in the future (or both if both are roughly equal in popularity).

Originally Posted by Kris Simundson

So did you actually email/snailmail that to BlackBerry? If not well than as much as they check here, I'm sure that'll be missed.

Posted via my Q10 SQN100-1

I actually did.

Posted via CB10

Good points!

Posted via CB10

Well written post bro. You should represent us at the AGM.

Posted via CB10

Perhaps, with the proper grammar & spelling. :(

Meh, I think it's nice that not all of the cell phone innovations are driven by companies that are all in one country. Oh sure, it can be said that Samsung is in South Korea and Nokia somewhere in Europe, but the drivers behind those manufacturers are Google and Microsoft, US companies both, like Apple.

If there's one cell phone company that doesn't take its cues from the one country where all the others do (regardless of which country that is, I am not US bashing here, though in this case the one country happens to be the US), I think it's a good thing for the whole world. Granted, that one country may not get the best experience with the one company not from it, but that's one country out of a whole big broad world. And finally, it's not like that one country is getting an awful / bad experience, it's just not quite as good as that of the countries with better presence for the one company that stands apart from all the others.

what the heck is this?

Originally Posted by RP Singh

Meh, I think it's nice that not all of the cell phone innovations are driven by companies that are all in one country. Oh sure, it can be said that Samsung is in South Korea and Nokia somewhere in Europe, but the drivers behind those manufacturers are Google and Microsoft, US companies both, like Apple.

If there's one cell phone company that doesn't take its cues from the one country where all the others do (regardless of which country that is, I am not US bashing here, though in this case the one country happens to be the US), I think it's a good thing for the whole world. Granted, that one country may not get the best experience with the one company not from it, but that's one country out of a whole big broad world. And finally, it's not like that one country is getting an awful / bad experience, it's just not quite as good as that of the countries with better presence for the one company that stands apart from all the others.

Sadly, the US happens to be the #1 consumer market.

Posted via CB10

Originally Posted by bbrylonger

what the heck is this?

My thoughts?

Posted via CB10