[Exedorable]

Very, very different thing.

Just like a manual transmission car, or faster horses. I was making people that had an iPhone X gawk at my pic w/ in pic on a KEYᵒⁿᵉ for crying out loud (lol).

[jmorgan456]

Did it ever occur to anyone that production issues might be totally out of OM's hands? There is a worldwide shortage of microchips. Huge customers like auto manufacturers cannot get chips. If massive companies cannot get product, what chance has a little startup?

I suspect even if they have a workable design, they will not be able to manufacture until after all the big players' pent up demand has been fulfilled.

Assuming that is true - and who really knows? - there is nothing for OM to say. If they criticize the supply chain they could go to the bottom of the list.

[endiadi77]

No new blackberry on the horizon. period.

[conite]

Did it ever occur to anyone that production issues might be totally out of OM's hands? There is a worldwide shortage of microchips. Huge customers like auto manufacturers cannot get chips. If massive companies cannot get product, what chance has a little startup?

I suspect even if they have a workable design, they will not be able to manufacture until after all the big players' pent up demand has been fulfilled.

Assuming that is true - and who really knows? - there is nothing for OM to say. If they criticize the supply chain they could go to the bottom of the list.

I think this is highly unlikely.

And it certainly wouldn't be a reason for the secrecy.

[bh7171]

No new blackberry on the horizon. period.

Sounds like what the tech pundits were saying about a Pixel 5a and then Google announced within a few days. Honestly nobody knows here or elsewhere. Whatever OM is doing is tight lipped. Someone is definitely doing something somewhere keeping the NA Key2 patched up. That's not for no reason.

[conite]

Sounds like what the tech pundits were saying about a Pixel 5a and then Google announced within a few days. Honestly nobody knows here or elsewhere. Whatever OM is doing is tight lipped. Someone is definitely doing something somewhere keeping the NA Key2 patched up. That's not for no reason.

If OM was behind that, which is theoretically possible if they had a pile of extra money to burn, why wouldn't they say so? This would be great PR.

[bh7171]

If OM was behind that, which is theoretically possible if they had a pile of extra money to burn, why wouldn't they say so? This would be great PR.

Certainly in time and when someone or some entity wants us to know we will be made aware.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Thing is even the folks "running" Onward are getting tired of waiting around.... and are taking on new jobs.

One of their last Blog's mentioned Matthew McFee being added back in Nov for Gov sales... but in Feb he got a new position with Uniden Cellular and most his personal post are about what he is doing with them. He is still with OM.... but like most of them it seems to only be as some part time figure head.

[conite]

Certainly in time and when someone or some entity wants us to know we will be made aware.

And waste 6 months worth of goodwill while people are growing more hostile towards OM on each passing day? Seems insane.

[endiadi77]

Sounds like what the tech pundits were saying about a Pixel 5a and then Google announced within a few days. Honestly nobody knows here or elsewhere. Whatever OM is doing is tight lipped. Someone is definitely doing something somewhere keeping the NA Key2 patched up. That's not for no reason.

Google is not Onwardmobility. About the possibility of a new BlackBerry device, I say a little prayer every night...but I highly doubt that, at least in 2021, they will put something on the market.

[joshualebowitz]

I'll make this short and sweet

it's May 2021 and they touted release by June 2021. This is a dud, time to move on

Even with release, won't trust a company with my hard earned money + information, that kept quiet since August 2020... 9 months of silence should be more than enough to tell you the integrity of this company

It is shocking to see them already do such a spectacularly poor job.

[endiadi77]

why doesn't the editor in chief of Crackberry send a formal request of information about the current situation to OM's ceo?

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

why doesn't the editor in chief of Crackberry send a formal request of information about the current situation to OM's ceo?

@Bla1ze

[Chuck Finley69]

why doesn't the editor in chief of Crackberry send a formal request of information about the current situation to OM's ceo?

As Dunt posted to Bla1ze,

I’ll post where he’s addressed in the past

Not Peter directly, no. I don't understand the silence either but then again, it's pretty much the same scenario as it always has been. BlackBerry proper was pretty dreadful with progress updates as well, as were the other licensees with the exception of Punkt, they historically have no problem sharing their progress.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

As Dunt posted to Bla1ze,

I’ll post where he’s addressed in the past

I actually think Melody Russell might be a better contact... marketing is her job and she's been their the longest and came from BBMo.

But in the end no one is going to say anything till they are ready to make an announcement.

[RLeeSimon]

Wondering...

I have a Titan. I have a physical challenge and propped on my lap the Titan hurts to use. I have lowering vision and the large bright display is a big help. The pKB layout is strangely non-standard meaning I need to look to type. the dim maxed backlight of the PKB makes me keep a room light on. it's a pain...

I have a Passport sitting unused. I believe the ancient Android 4 Runtime will allow me to make SIP calls via the free client supplied by my MVNO.

I wonder if I should turn away from Unihertz (Pocket model to come will sport only a 3.1" display) and go to using the Passport for daily surfing, messaging, and sundries while my KEY² is would be for calls until the deluge??

I am afraid hopes for a really good OM offering may ne in vain...

[RLeeSimon]

Did it ever occur to anyone that production issues might be totally out of OM's hands? There is a worldwide shortage of microchips. Huge customers like auto manufacturers cannot get chips. If massive companies cannot get product, what chance has a little startup?

I suspect even if they have a workable design, they will not be able to manufacture until after all the big players' pent up demand has been fulfilled.

Assuming that is true - and who really knows? - there is nothing for OM to say. If they criticize the supply chain they could go to the bottom of the list.

Does that mean it's to be assembled in a maquiladora and the OM or BlackBerry sticker applied in Texas ??

[kkoo]

Did it ever occur to anyone that production issues might be totally out of OM's hands? There is a worldwide shortage of microchips. Huge customers like auto manufacturers cannot get chips. If massive companies cannot get product, what chance has a little startup?

I suspect even if they have a workable design, they will not be able to manufacture until after all the big players' pent up demand has been fulfilled.

Assuming that is true - and who really knows? - there is nothing for OM to say. If they criticize the supply chain they could go to the bottom of the list.

I design electronics and can attest to the shortages personally. Recently I was using Infineon motor drivers (they are frequently used for car windows and wipers and other things) and they went out of stock so hard. All the TI microcontroller variants I was using went out of stock too. Connectors, out of stock for some popular families. Some diodes and even passive components like capacitors too.

Blaming supply chain is an easy cop-out right now if you're running behind schedule, but it's also the reality of the situation.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I design electronics and can attest to the shortages personally. Recently I was using Infineon motor drivers (they are frequently used for car windows and wipers and other things) and they went out of stock so hard. All the TI microcontroller variants I was using went out of stock too. Connectors, out of stock for some popular families. Some diodes and even passive components like capacitors too.

Blaming supply chain is an easy cop-out right now if you're running behind schedule, but it's also the reality of the situation.

maybe so... but they aren't saying anything

[joshualebowitz]

maybe so... but they aren't saying anything

Now that OnwardMobility has, seemingly, failed in such a dramatic way, is there any chance at all that another licensee might appear and try to actually release a BlackBerry-branded device?

[conite]

Now that OnwardMobility has, seemingly, failed in such a dramatic way, is there any chance at all that another licensee might appear and try to actually release a BlackBerry-branded device?

I was surprised that OM wanted to take a shot. I still don't count them out though.

By almost any measure I can come up with, a BlackBerry-branded device license is the kiss of death.

[joshualebowitz]

I was surprised that OM wanted to take a shot. I still don't count them out though.

By almost any measure I can come up with, a BlackBerry-branded device license is the kiss of death.

Still believe that, with proper marketing, a new BlackBerry device can be a success.

[conite]

Still believe that, with proper marketing, a new BlackBerry device can be a success.

Marketing is a follow-up to a compelling, well-received product - not the driver.

[joshualebowitz]

Marketing is a follow-up to a compelling, well-received product - not the driver.

A product can't be compelling or well-received if people don't even know that it exists.

[conite]

A product can't be compelling or well-received if people don't even know that it exists.

This is a fallacy.

Marketing can only entrench a good thing, it can't create it.

There aren't enough advertising dollars on Earth to push a product no one wants.

And again, OM's product is NOT for the average consumer - it's for a specific enterprise application.