[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Why ignore 99% of the market. Enterprise wants all touch too.

Because they can blame a keyboard or slider costing more. With an all touch, they wouldn't be able to hide that they just aren't able to be competitive. Keyboards are BlackBerry's niche, sadly the market willing to give up screen real estate in favor of a PKB device is almost non-existent these days.

I expect the Vienna, as there would be very little cost associated with it. But I also expect "development" on BlackBerry's version of Android to come to a end pretty quickly. Don't think they'll really announce it, just release the Vienna... and see how long it takes for anyone to notice that they are out of the hardware business after that.

[nt300]

The Priv is a transition to BB10. Not the other way around. People don't want to buy a BlackBerry with a foreign OS. They want something home grown, productive, intuitive and secure.
That s only BB10. You won't gain that with Android, no matter how hard they try.

Skin BB10 100% on a Android, and I'll think about buying it. If it ain't BB10, it ain't going to be worth it.

Rocking a Z30

[DrBoomBotz]

The Priv is a transition to BB10. Not the other way around. People don't want to buy a BlackBerry with a foreign OS. They want something home grown, productive, intuitive and secure.
That s only BB10. You won't gain that with Android, no matter how hard they try.

Skin BB10 100% on a Android, and I'll think about buying it. If it ain't BB10, it ain't going to be worth it.

Rocking a Z30

So when you talk about BB10 you just mean the User Interface?

[Bbnivende]

Because they can blame a keyboard or slider costing more. With an all touch, they wouldn't be able to hide that they just aren't able to be competitive. Keyboards are BlackBerry's niche, sadly the market willing to give up screen real estate in favor of a PKB device is almost non-existent these days.

I expect the Vienna, as there would be very little cost associated with it. But I also expect "development" on BlackBerry's version of Android to come to a end pretty quickly. Don't think they'll really announce it, just release the Vienna... and see how long it takes for anyone to notice that they are out of the hardware business after that.

Perhaps a Priv owner could tell us whether the only advantage of the Priv over a comparable Samsung is the PKB. Does the BlackBerry skin add value over the stock Nexus OS ?

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Perhaps a Priv owner could tell us whether the only advantage of the Priv over a comparable Samsung is the PKB. Does the BlackBerry skin add value over the stock Nexus OS ?

I'm sure most BlackBerry users will say yes.....

The question is do enough non BlackBerry users find it of use. Back at the launch, over at Android Central at lot of people were confused about the HUB.... many were recommending to disable it. Or those reporting bad battery life were being told to disable most all of the BlackBerry features - Launcher, Hub, BBM. Think there have been some updates to address some of those issues.

But it's clear if you read the Android Centeral post.... that it's the keyboard that most find of value. Most being the very few posting there.....

[mnns]

anything? I feel like BB is dead. Waiting for a BB high-end Android device (Passport like), not the plastic Priv, battery draining, low quality speaker and ****ty microphone overheating phone.

[Bbnivende]

If BlackBerry sold its Android launcher on the Google Play Store, I would buy it. (Assuming that I did not have to root my Samsung. Only interested in OEM software not a work around.)

[axe50]

If BlackBerry sold its Android launcher on the Google Play Store, I would buy it. (Assuming that I did not have to root my Samsung. Only interested in OEM software not a work around.)

Exactly.

If I could install the BlackBerry apps on a s6 edge, I'd buy it today . My z30 us reaching it's limit and I need something new. I'm not overly convinced on the Priv - it felt cheap

Posted via CB10

[cgangoli]

I don't see the need of a Priv-full touch. The priv is not that thick and can be used without the physical keyboard; as well as I don't think there's the need to implement the 'force-touch' over a Priv.
An Android-Passport has been tested by BlackBerry,but I still don't see how it can work on Android. Almost all the apps are intended to be displayed on a 16:9 or 4:3 screen..
The Priv will do for the next year,year and a half. The Vienna is an interesting project and I'm looking forward to get more news about it.


Posted via CB10

A slider is likely to be significantly more expensive to make than an all touch phone. With a captive audience of the Z series waiting for an upgrade path, it's daft of BlackBerry to limit themselves to physical keyboards. They could easily make a mid-high range phone that could sell decent numbers and make them a good margin. But alas, BlackBerry's legendary arrogance won't quit till the company is dead.

Posted via CB10

[ronfc]

Chen's willingness to exit the smartphone business is something I always think about when considering getting a Priv as a replacement for my Z30.

[crazigee]

A slider is likely to be significantly more expensive to make than an all touch phone. With a captive audience of the Z series waiting for an upgrade path, it's daft of BlackBerry to limit themselves to physical keyboards. They could easily make a mid-high range phone that could sell decent numbers and make them a good margin. But alas, BlackBerry's legendary arrogance won't quit till the company is dead.

Posted via CB10

Not to mention that a slider isn't going to be as resilient as a slab counterpart.

I also personally want a really solid case that covers the entire phone. Wouldn't be able to get any that's nearly as protective for a slider.

 Posted using my Z30 via CB10 

[Ed YANG]

...The priv is not that thick and can be used without the physical keyboard; as well as I don't think there's the need to implement the 'force-touch' over a Priv...

When i try to visualize that kind of PRIV lookalike handset the way you described... i see a potential candidate business device that, doesn't slide out a keyboard, but the slide out bottom totally with bigger and fatter battery sticks to the main unit for business travelers.
Wouldn't it be more better if the sliding bottom part of the phone gets re-engineered as an module like LG G5 that can be fixed to the phone for power...