Slashdot Mirror
BlackBerry 10 Unveiled
arcite writes "Research in Motion Ltd's new CEO, Thorsten Heins, unveiled BlackBerry 10 in Florida today. Will new features such as a virtual keyboard that learns from typing behavior and a camera that easily focuses on faces be enough to scrape back precious market share (which could possibly fall to 5%) from the likes of Apple and Android? With no physical device yet revealed and a release date ranging anywhere from August to October, it will be an uphill battle."
Engadget had some brief hands-on time with a dev Alpha. It seems RIM is trying to jumpstart app development through its App Generator and financial incentives.
You must have missed all the news about users opting out of outdated business devices to purchase their own devices and how business is are going nuts over bring your own device initiatives thinking it saves them money.
Also the latest RIM devices are no-longer monochrome devices that last days on a charge, their touch screen units are barely on part with others in the market for battery life.
EA David Gardner -"... but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun."
You could have said the same thing to the Apple shareholder when Mr. Pepsi ran it to the ground.
The PB is not a disaster; it is the most business-friendly tablet out. That might change if Samsung does a really good job on ICS for the Note, but at this point they are behind RIM, even though they are ahead on consumer tablets.
One key thing for Blackberry is that, if they go for a touchscreen keyboard, they must do it better than anybody else (or I will stay on my 9810 till it dies...) My belief, having seen the report, is that they get this. Six months ago I too had written them off. Now, I'm not nearly so sure.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Both the iPhone and Android can just as easily be integrated into an existing business environment.
Both can be forced to follow corporate policies.
Both can be remotely wiped if lost or stolen.
Both can connect to Exchange - and I mean a full connection, syncing email, calendar and contacts - without having to buy extra software or hardware (which for years was a pre-requisite to get the best out of Blackberries; I don't know if it still is).
Essentially, RIM's unique selling points were on borrowed time the day ActiveSync was made available for licensing. The only amazing thing is the length of time it took for any handset developer to actually integrate it properly.
1. Be the BEST and most integrated social networking tool.
2. Be a WALLET by leveraging their existing encryption infrastructure.
Humans are social creatures. Making a product directly targeted at these two areas will be a winner. Humans are fed up with carrying around a ton of credit cards, bank card, coins and bills.
RIM needs to get away from feature-itis and gimmicks. There are no legs to this approach. Leveraging the existing social and commercial ecosystem is the way to go.
*** Don't be dull.***
I'm thinking of cashing out my bitcoins to buy RIM stock, RIM seems like a good bet.
Problem is, RIM thinks they're in the mobile phone business. They're not. They think they're in the handset business. They're not.
They're in the communications business.
The value behind the BlackBerry phone system is BlackBerry Messenger, not yet another new handset that in itself offers little over its competition. BBM, and the backend services, are what make the platform valuable. Without it, a BlackBerry is just a so-so phone with a decent keyboard.
To survive, RIM needs to roll out a secure, cross-platform messaging system for use on existing smartphones and tablets. That's iOS. That's Android. And that's Window's Phone.
See http://www.isights.org/2012/04/rim-would-prefer-to-license-blackberry-os-wrong.html
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
The value behind RIM isn't BBM, it is BES. RIM does exchange integration very well, and that is from BES.