[conite]

Interesting. I wonder what little OM can do that is so unlike anything else that Apple, Google or Samsung can't do?

Since BlackBerry doesn't seem to be involved in any way except the sticker, I'm skeptical that OM has this capability.

I guess we wait and see.

A mystery wrapped in an enigma.

[phuoc]

A mystery wrapped in an enigma.

You forgot the "riddle" part ;-)

[the_boon]

Well, I guess if a sticker makes people feel better.... That's certainly what OM is banking on, as they've made it clear they were designing the keyboard from the ground up (although whether they are using any BlackBerry IP is a mystery).

But by your logic, if they don't have/use any BB IP, then it wouldn't be any better than the Titan's keyboard..

[the_boon]

Was titan pkb a poorly designed mess or 'good enogh' because if it sucked id be worried on what om is bringing.

It's okay for a kickstarter company's first keyboard, especially because it's water resistant. But it could use much improvement.

[conite]

But by your logic, if they don't have/use any BB IP, then it wouldn't be any better than the Titan's keyboard..

Depends on how much financing OM gets and how much of it they will direct at the keyboard.

I highly doubt Unihertz even spent $10,000 on its development.

[crispbanking]

But this device is not being designed for consumers. It's being specifically designed around an application for Bank of America.

And which application would that be?

[Hydde]

This is the way I see it too. I can't imagine a purely PKB device succeeding in this market.

I had a PRIV and it was terrible because of the bad battery life, overheating, and bad PKB.

If a PRIV-type device was released that fixed these issues, I'd give it a go. But I'm not sure I could go back to a pure PKB device anymore. Just don't want to give up the screen real estate.

Exactly. On my priv i was able to type with the pkb and had nossie with it. It was good for peeps who prefer to pkb. If not, like the guy whobquotwd ne in the kast page, tou can use your vkb

Right now im typing on a cheap blu device because my priv busted, but i hope that a great slider bb phone is released because i DONT want to compromise sctyeen size in this day and age because of a pkb.

That why it must be a slider.

Heck i hate writing on glass so much

[conite]

And which application would that be?

We don't know.

[crispbanking]

We don't know.

Indeed.

[conite]

Indeed.

I'm not sure what you mean.

PCMag: "Franklin appeared on a BlackBerry-themed podcast in November, where he said the device will be enterprise-first, and is designed for an application used by Bank of America."

This confirms information we had dating back to August.

[app_Developer]

Interesting. I wonder what little OM can do that is so unlike anything else that Apple, Google or Samsung can't do?

Since BlackBerry doesn't seem to be involved in any way except the sticker, I'm skeptical that OM has this capability.

I guess we wait and see.

It may not be about what other can’t do, but rather what they won’t. We always tell our Apple and Samsung reps that we want this, that, and the other thing. But even a company our size is a drop in their overall ocean. So I can imagine what BofA might want from a bespoke device. Will be very interesting to see what they asked for.

[the_boon]

Exactly. On my priv i was able to type with the pkb and had nossie with it. It was good for peeps who prefer to pkb. If not, like the guy whobquotwd ne in the kast page, tou can use your vkb

Right now im typing on a cheap blu device because my priv busted, but i hope that a great slider bb phone is released because i DONT want to compromise sctyeen size in this day and age because of a pkb.

That why it must be a slider.

Heck i hate writing on glass so much

If you hate typing on glass more than you hate not having a full screen, maybe try a KEY2 or LE ?

[bh7171]

I'm not sure what you mean.

PCMag: "Franklin appeared on a BlackBerry-themed podcast in November, where he said the device will be enterprise-first, and is designed for an application used by Bank of America."

This confirms information we had dating back to August.

Was it not John Chen of Blackberry Ltd. who first mentioned about the possibility of a device in a town hall meeting with his friend and CEO of BofA? How did OM get lumped into this if Blackberry Ltd has nothing to do with the device??

[conite]

Was it not John Chen of Blackberry Ltd. who first mentioned about the possibility of a device in a town hall meeting with his friend and CEO of BofA? How did OM get lumped into this if Blackberry Ltd has nothing to do with the device??

You mean the dumbphone+ device that Chen joked about a couple of years back? Well, I sure as hell hope they're completely unrelated events.

That said, I see no reason why BlackBerry would not introduce the two parties if they thought it could generate some licensing revenues.

Otherwise what involvement would BlackBerry have when OM explicitly stated that another company would be providing the cybersecurity?

[eshropshire]

It's a 400 unit pilot project afaik - likely leading to significantly higher sales if successful, and then perhaps leading to like applications in other companies.

The fact that it addresses something SO specific that traditional (more secure and supported) devices from Samsung and Apple can't, leads to the obvious conclusion that this device is probably unlike anything we are expecting.

I am not convinced BoA is paying for the Pilot. Paid POCs are very rare. I also have a hard time believing BoA is going to find 400 employees willing to use a PKB device.

[conite]

I am not convinced BoA is paying for the Pilot. Paid POCs are very rare. I also have a hard time believing BoA is going to find 400 employees willing to use a PKB device.

I don't think BoA would be paying for it either.

[manny2]

I am not convinced BoA is paying for the Pilot. Paid POCs are very rare. I also have a hard time believing BoA is going to find 400 employees willing to use a PKB device.

A device designed not by bb is a good idea, they have been misstepping for a longtime, bankers are pretty high on the foodchain so we should get something competent at worst. I fear the price though.

[Chuck Finley69]

A device designed not by bb is a good idea, they have been misstepping for a longtime, bankers are pretty high on the foodchain so we should get something competent at worst. I fear the price though.

BlackBerry made the mistake of being the small guy when the big guys Apple, Google and Microsoft began fighting. Later, Microsoft left the fight except for some Android device.

[crispbanking]

I also have a hard time believing BoA is going to find 400 employees willing to use a PKB device.

It's amazing how quickly bad facts can turn into bad jokes.

[bh7171]

BlackBerry made the mistake of being the small guy when the big guys Apple, Google and Microsoft began fighting. Later, Microsoft left the fight except for some Android device.

I don't believe Microsoft has ever really left the fight. They have certainly pivoted but they are vastly intertwined with Android/Linux in so many different ways. And they own cloud computing

[bh7171]

You mean the dumbphone+ device that Chen joked about a couple of years back? Well, I sure as hell hope they're completely unrelated events.

That said, I see no reason why BlackBerry would not introduce the two parties if they thought it could generate some licensing revenues.

Otherwise what involvement would BlackBerry have when OM explicitly stated that another company would be providing the cybersecurity?

How could they be unrelated when so many keep referencing this new 5G QWERTY BlackBerry and BofA?

[conite]

It's amazing how quickly bad facts can turn into bad jokes.

How are the facts bad? The CEO said so. It's specific information, not his usual stuff of infomercials.

[conite]

How could they be unrelated when so many keep referencing this new 5G QWERTY BlackBerry and BofA?

So the BlackBerry-branded 5G smartphone from OM that is secured by another (not BlackBerry) company is related to the Bold-style dumbphone+ device that Chen joked about a couple of years back?

If it is, then boy have the plans changed.

[bh7171]

So the BlackBerry-branded 5G smartphone from OM that is secured by another (not BlackBerry) company is related to the Bold-style dumbphone+ device that Chen joked about a couple of years back?

If it is, then boy have the plans changed.

Chen off the cuff mentioned "maybe I should get back in devices" @ town hall meeting with his friend and CEO of BofA and somehow this enterprise focused (but for consumers too) 5G QWERTY Blackberry with upper end specs by OM is going to be specifically designed for BofA? (BUT Blackberry has no involvement but a sticker?) How does anyone know Cylance owned by Blackberry is not going to be the software used to secure the device? I did not recall seeing any specific name)

There has been so much unnecessary conjecture surrounding this device to be but I guess that's always going to be the situation when information is scare or the world is in the midst of a pandemic. The differing thoughts reminds me of following the development of Microsoft Duo on Windows Central.

It is at least good coffee Sunday AM kinda stuff and as Chuck noted in another post/thread not much else specific regarding the possible device so oh well.

[crispbanking]

There has been so much unnecessary conjecture surrounding this device to be but I guess that's always going to be the situation when information is scare or the world is in the midst of a pandemic. The differing thoughts reminds me of following the development of Microsoft Duo on Windows Central.

It all reads like a BlackBerry branch of QAnon. Must be a 5G thing.