Five Essential Ways to Save the BlackBerry
BlackBerry smartphones are not considered “cool” anymore. They are not the phones you would want to be seen with, nor are they the phones that give you access to the latest trends that are emerging on other platforms.
According to NPD, only 11 percent of smartphones sold in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2011 were BlackBerry phones, down from more than 30 percent two years ago, and down from 16 percent in the first quarter of 2011. The pace of the decline is amplified by the rise of Android, which now commands 52 percent of the market, as well as by the iPhone, which currently stands at 29 percent. Is the BlackBerry fading away?
The market share decline is a strong indicator that the BlackBerry has outlived its popularity. There is a good chance that the BlackBerry is going to experience the fate of the Palm, even if HP or any other potential competitor may not be willing to burn its hands anymore. RIM will have to resurrect the BlackBerry itself, which still has all the options needed to compete at a high level. Here are some ideas.
1. A Legacy Isn’t Bad As Long As It Evolves
In the smartphone space, the BlackBerry is the best defined hardware and software combination next to the iPhone. There is no need to describe a BlackBerry phone; one just knows what it is. In terms of how a smartphone should look, the BlackBerry leads the field of smartphones with the best keyboard along with the perception that it is the best phone for messaging and other means of text communication, such as email. BlackBerry’s Curve and Bold models exemplify the type of smartphones that could leave a legacy for the past, present and future.
There will always be a need to write on a smartphone, at least until someone devises a way to input data that preserves the privacy of a keyboard and the convenience of advanced audio or gesture input. The BlackBerry was the first device that alleviated the pain of writing emails on a phone and inputting text via a physical medium. This is a legacy feature that retains value and will be useful for years to come. However, RIM needs to explore options that will replace the keyboard down the road – options that are beyond the touch screen and audio input.
2. Branding and Perception
Branding is critical in the consumer and lifestyle market. The BlackBerry brand has suffered and needs some polishing. Brands carry the power to influence perception, and sometimes, perception is everything in this market. RIM needs to pay much closer attention to this factor by dropping silly names such as “Torch,” which is literally going down in flames. Branding needs to reflect the vision and direction of a company, the technology and the future. The entire BlackBerry smartphone brand currently rests on the Curve and the Bold. Therefore, RIM should use those two brands to stabilize its perception and build upon it.
3. The iPhone Isn’t the Holy Grail
Seriously, when will we stop the trial and error run of offering the best iPhone copycat? RIM does not need the Torch 9850/9860 as a BlackBerry interpretation of the iPhone, minus the benefits of the iOS ecosystem that makes the iPhone a compelling product. It is an almost surreal scenario to see an entire industry trying to survive in the tailwind of Apple, with products that essentially reflect the original iPhone idea on different platforms. While Android dominates as a platform, there is no other phone manufacturer that is nearly as successful and profitable in this market as Apple (with the exception of Samsung, perhaps, which seems to be running into legal problems with its most successful phones).
It is time for the smartphone industry to think about the next big idea and to take risks that will change the phone again, possibly moving it into the superphone category. RIM is one of the few companies that could take such a risk.
4. USP Apps Versus Mee-too Apps
I have been discussing the importance of platforms for smartphones for quite a while, but RIM is a special case and quite different from WebOS, for example. RIM has a working platform that consists of the BlackBerry phone as well as the Playbook, which have both been sold in sizeable numbers and come closer to the iPhone-iPad model than any other platform on the market today. With Apple, it shares the proprietary OS idea as well as some feature limitations that apply to these two devices. These limitations, in fact, may have been the reason why the Playbook – even if it was chastised – has sold in high numbers and has provided value to BlackBerry users.
What the BlackBerry platform lacks are unique applications that are tailored to the platform, as well as an OS that interfaces with those apps in a much more intuitive way than the BlackBerry OS does today. Android has grown with the help of Google apps that deliver unique value to Android phones. BlackBerry phones will not be able to gain market share simply because they offer a Facebook or a Twitter app as well. They could grow with the help of trendsetting apps that are truly unique and serve as leverage for the legacy of BlackBerry devices.
5. Improve Quality
I am among those phone users who cherished their BlackBerry in the past but moved on to another platform that provides greater value. One of the key problems I had with every BlackBerry phone was that I was perfectly happy with the device for the first six months, after which I tried to figure out ways to prevent the phone from falling apart until I qualified for the discount upgrade price from my carrier. Whether it was the Pearl, the Curve or the Bold, all of my phones had quality issues that ranged from inferior material choices, to shoddy assembly and the worst customer service in the industry – at least in my experience. The trackball housing consistently failed after a few months, keys conveniently stopped working after the warranty period had expired, and there always seemed to be a problem with the latch that kept the battery cover in place. Perhaps I just had bad luck.
However, while browsing through BlackBerry support forums, I sensed that there may be the overall impression that RIM could make much better material choices and focus more on quality manufacturing. Poor workmanship can destroy your entire reputation in a heartbeat.
I still believe that RIM has not lost the smartphone race. However, the company needs to return to its roots and remember why people once loved their BlackBerry phones.
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If they can't keep up with the pace, then why try to save them? Just delaying the inevitable.
Man i've had two blackberry's (a curve and a tour) and both of them still work ive never had a problem in terms of build quality (and im a carpenter which says A LOT). Altough i have since moved to an optimus t from Lg (i hate this phone) i DO miss my blackberry. Well guess i have to wait 6 months to switch phones again. Hell i might even get a galaxy S i heard those were pretty great.
i was going to go for the optimus t
but all i heard were horror stories
in the end i went for the orange san fransisco, its a rebranded zte blade (£107)
there are custom roms for it if you like that kind of thing
there is an app called blade unlocker that can take away the sim lock in a matter of minutes
If they can't keep up with the pace, then why try to save them? Just delaying the inevitable.
Because more competition is better, especially for the consumer but also for business in general, it also creates more jobs, which the US desperately needs.
BB has the ability to make a comeback, now all it needs to do is get the competent active leaders that actually believe in the products .
What becomes rare can easily become niche and then popular all over again. Gees see how apple nearly fell !
Blackberry should be dead. I'm irritated it's not, to be perfectly honest.
Blackberry uses 3DES encryption
ActiveSync uses SSL V2 port 443
In the real world, the security difference is minimal. Licence costs of running BES are about twice that of ActiveSync. Phones that support ActiveSync are more feature rich and user friendly. ActiveSync is also easier to administer by IT.
I'm drawing a blank as to why a company would support blackberries. And... I guess that's why I've seen several IT departments drop them in my travels.
I want competition and all, but if RIM can't keep up, then maybe they should at least have the most cost efficient solution. As is, I just want them to go away.
I have a BB Curve 8530. It does the job. I love the keyboard. I like how durable it is. I like that, much like Apple, BB are fairly closed systems, that have a lot of give when it comes to popular hardware specific optimization.
I wish it was faster, particularly when booting up and multitasking.
I wish it had more applications.
I wish some standard features (like adding to existing contacts, and a sound-profile scheduler, and a send calendar entry feature) were not omitted.
I wish the BB had some simple little conveniences to make the experience better... Like an application killer...
Sure, a nicer screen would be nice too...
But it just boggles my mind why some apps are missing...
Is it so hard to program for BB OS 5,6,7 that nobody wastes time to make that 3rd app?
I want a Mint app, dang it!
"BlackBerry smartphones are not considered “cool” anymore. They are not the phones you would want to be seen with, nor are they the phones that give you access to the latest trends that are emerging on other platforms."
This comment is biased, inaccurate and flat out WRONG. Blackberry phones are VERY popular, extremely desirable and many people believe that they are cool. They also connect to the core services offered in many verticals and some that the other platforms do not. That quote from this article is COMPLETE RUBBISH.
I'm with RustyTrombone here. When you talk about a Blackberry is usually when you are serious about getting a smartphone. When you what something to work with and do business with. Usually iPhones and most Android phones are looked as "grown men toys", nothing more. BB's now take the place Nokia left in the "serious business" crowd.
It might not be a very big crowd, but still a very important one.
And who says they're not popular? For the average joe, a Blackberry is for business men. Period.
Cheers!
not where i live. half the people i see have blackberry phones. the other half are the apple sheep
all blackberry has to do is stop trying to get some of the apple sheep and concentrate on keeping the phone tailored for businesses. with the news now they are going to allow you to use android apps with the new OS the that should be enough to keep the mainstream happy
[citation][nom]legacy7955[/nom]Because more competition is better, especially for the consumer but also for business in general, it also creates more jobs, which the US desperately needs.
i guess so but blackberry is a Canadian company
"BlackBerry smartphones are not considered “cool” anymore. They are not the phones you would want to be seen with, nor are they the phones that give you access to the latest trends that are emerging on other platforms."This comment is biased, inaccurate and flat out WRONG. Blackberry phones are VERY popular, extremely desirable and many people believe that they are cool. They also connect to the core services offered in many verticals and some that the other platforms do not. That quote from this article is COMPLETE RUBBISH.
Umm, sorry man, but he isn't. Blackberries are flat out miserable, ugly paper weighs. Them being popular with the silver-haired professionals that use them due to an inability to adapt with the times, does not count. "connect to the core services offered in many verticals and some that the other platforms do not"? What? Examples. Also, as Android and iOS are still growing, and blackberry(thankfully) is dying... More options, and connectivity will present themselves in time.
Umm, sorry man, but he isn't. Blackberries are flat out miserable, ugly paper weighs. Them being popular with the silver-haired professionals that use them due to an inability to adapt with the times, does not count. "connect to the core services offered in many verticals and some that the other platforms do not"? What? Examples. Also, as Android and iOS are still growing, and blackberry(thankfully) is dying... More options, and connectivity will present themselves in time.
Dying?..lol My company won't allow anything with the name Apple or Android in it touch our servers. Most people I see with berries are younger than me and I'm 38. If you want a toy with "gameboy level security" (love that quote..lol) get an iPhone or Android device. There are reasons why RIM devices are the only ones certified for use by government employees. Enjoy playing Angry Birds...lol
There are hard-core Apple people. Guys with multiple iPads, Mac Pros and iPods who wouldn't let you pry their BlackBerrys away from their cold dead hands...
There has got to be something to them if they have such a devoted niche fanbase...
Blackberry being certified doesn't mean anything. You can easily use something like Good Technology's software to secure/manage iOS and Android devices.....which is also FIPS certified.
Blackberry should be dead. I'm irritated it's not, to be perfectly honest.Blackberry uses 3DES encryptionActiveSync uses SSL V2 port 443In the real world, the security difference is minimal. Licence costs of running BES are about twice that of ActiveSync. Phones that support ActiveSync are more feature rich and user friendly. ActiveSync is also easier to administer by IT.I'm drawing a blank as to why a company would support blackberries. And... I guess that's why I've seen several IT departments drop them in my travels.I want competition and all, but if RIM can't keep up, then maybe they should at least have the most cost efficient solution. As is, I just want them to go away.
In the real world, you can run BES Express for free. Also, it doesn't get much easier than inputing your company email address to get synchronized with the BES server.
Dying?..lol My company won't allow anything with the name Apple or Android in it touch our servers. Most people I see with berries are younger than me and I'm 38. If you want a toy with "gameboy level security" (love that quote..lol) get an iPhone or Android device. There are reasons why RIM devices are the only ones certified for use by government employees. Enjoy playing Angry Birds...lol
Yes, dying. The numbers consistently show that. And whether your company allows android or apple(lol), is of no real significance, nor your "sight-experience" as I can't recall seeing anyone in the last few years, of an age close to mine(28), or below, with a blackberry. They simply are not wanted, as far as I can tell. And as for their "security".. The extra security it might have, is hardly worth the cost, especially as how you can't use blackberries for "secret" level communications anyway. Also, blackberries are not the only ones certified for government employees.. I have several none blackberries that I can issue out to people at my command, as I am the resident VTC-A/V-Phone Support technician. Perhaps you are going based on outdated information? And also, as I did say before.. iOS, and Android, are growing. RIM, number wise, might as well be in a nose dive. Soon enough(government wise), a total shift will be complete. It just takes time, and maturity as a platform.
RIM deserves what they get... They were slow to adapt as a company. Instead of innovating and capitalizing on the consumer market when they already had the enterprise market in their firm clutches, they chose to stand pat... Keeping their OS kind of difficult to use, with no emphasis on useability and media functionality... Their foray into the 'touch' area with the Storm was a reaction to the iPhone, not an innovation. It put them along the path of slow, but inevitable obsolescence... They shouldn't have banked on their Enterprise IT advantage, and should have made every effort to make the BlackBerry a user friendly experience... At least to the developers...
i want something fun to use outside of the office.
Dying?..lol My company won't allow anything with the name Apple or Android in it touch our servers. Most people I see with berries are younger than me and I'm 38. If you want a toy with "gameboy level security" (love that quote..lol) get an iPhone or Android device. There are reasons why RIM devices are the only ones certified for use by government employees. Enjoy playing Angry Birds...lol
This!^
Yes, for the overwhelming majority of folks that produce and have serious work to accomplish, BB is the way to go. It still is even if the media pundits wants it to be otherwise.
If you're a trendy hipster living off mommy and daddy's dime by all means buy those Apple toys. When you start working it will be different.
How many times has Rim said "This version of BB OS is sooo much faster!"? Browsing is still nasty and it takes a full 5 min to reboot their phones.
Also the Playbook was the little tablet that couldn't.
Let the companies try to save the blackberry,after all they do buy their employees these non essential devices,don't they.
In the real world, you can run BES Express for free. Also, it doesn't get much easier than inputing your company email address to get synchronized with the BES server.
*sigh* If you go the BES Express route, it defeats the supposed purpose of having a blackberry to begin with, that being security. Also, you can't do OTA activation using a BIS plan the same way you can if you had an overpriced BES server requiring users to be on overpriced Enterprise Data plans.... so.....
No. IRL companies that want to do Blackberry properly pay out the ass in licensing fees, and extra data fees, so that they can have an extra point of failure for IT to deal with and minimal security benefit.
Blackberry sucks man.
# 1 should be drop BES and adopt ActiveSync.
Well, I have a BB and and am happy with it. My phone is for ease of communication, not to say "look, I have angry birds on it". A pocket full of internet isn't what I bought my phone for and it's not for playing video games like some punk eighth grader who's waiting for his mommy to pick him up from the mall. "Cool factor" is for those people who are trying to fit in with those who can't make their own decisions. Most the people who say they want BB to go under are no better than high school cliques that want the "other guy" to be put down. There's nothing wrong with BB or those who use their products. I find it funny when some of you compare BB users to "silver haired" executives, as if that's some kind of insult. The whole android touchscreen trend bores me. People line up in droves for the next smartphone that can do less than a cheap netbook and costs twice the price. If BB is so old and outdated, why does Motorola PRO and Samsung Pro M do such a wonderful job copying the BB form factor? There is a place for BB in the smartphone world.
I am a BB fan and love my Curve.
The BB does exactly what you need for a business phone - phone, secure e-mail, appoinment calendar that works well, web access, and documents to go etc ... plus the media player is good.
It is tough and reliable.
The keypad is just big enough to type functional e-mails and even write a basic letter.
I use my BB a lot for work and would be lost without it.
Keypads on touch phones / tablets have come a long way but I am more comfortable typing on the curve.
BB will not die as I have seen other managers try the current alternatives and then go back ... even the Nokia copy of the BB (flattering) does not quite do the job well enough as the keyboard buttons are too wide.
BB4Life ... i-phone4Wife !!!
I can see Apple All I....stuff will soon will be gone. No new IOS come out, this IOS is 30 year old stoperating system. For Jobs is a good marketing guy. Samsung will kil Apple in time to come.
I can see Apple All I....stuff will soon will be gone. No new IOS come out, this IOS is 30 year old stoperating system. For Jobs is a good marketing guy. Samsung will kil Apple in time to come.
Physical keyboard? That's so 20th century. Also BBs have tiny screens, are too heavy, too thick and too expensive (for what they are). Good luck catching up to Samsung Galaxy S II.
the bold 9000 was the first ever real smartphone they just need to do that again.
I use mine and its still primo, trackball is simple and just plain better
simply wash your hands
Let it die. If a product / line fails, it is the company behind its fault.