The Priv is to be released next week but rather to an excited Blackberry audience, a nervous, lackluster company that for the most part has definitely lost their way. Or should I say the CEO, John Chen. He’s not use to loosing it would seem by all accounts. He’s categorized the phone as a do or die moment as he’s tired of introducing phones that are flops. Maybe the flop in the room is John Chen who presents himself with no technology skills other than saving Sybase and who knows what that took.
A Year Ago I would have thought this a Joke
If it were a year ago and they were introducing the Priv, another of many, many and oh so many Android phones I would have thought this a joke. BB 10 has no problem running Android. Quoting John Chen it run 98% of Android software. BB10 though made the phone distinctive thus standing out in the crowd. Not another run of the mill Android phone that we so desperately need, we had a phone that could run BB 10 apps and all the Android apps you wanted.
So where’s the problem in this picture. Now we have an Android phone amongst the cast of 1000s that can run 100% of Android software instead of 98%. Or can it. Android is known for its murky waters.
Blackberry has Successfully Nailed its own Coffin Shut
Now we wait and see. However, if you were buying an Android would you want to buy one whose fate has been sealed by its own fatalistic decisions. If the phone is a success, then Blackberry will continue on in the handset business. If the phone fails for whatever reason, rather than Blackberry going back to the drawing board and saying let’s look at how BB 10 accomplishes what we want in a differentiated fashion they give up.
Whilst back at the drawing board its time Blackberry gets with the times. People like large, visual screens now to work on. The days of the keyboard are over. Technology has made them irrelevant. Their relevancy existed because that is the way it had to be done. No longer is that the case and yes it was hard for some of us to make the switch but now that I have I am perfectly happy in a virtual keyboard world.
Timing
The company has said it will not take them too long to determine whether this approach gains any traction. It sounds like six months max will determine if the strategy will have paid off or not.
Does this have to be It for Blackberry
I think it close to foolish to put your eggs into the Android basket directly like this. Android apps, hosted by BB 10 is a very smart idea. It immediately differentiates the product. I found Android apps basically ran perfectly fine on BB 10 except for the odd minor glitch probably as a result of non-company hacks to extend BB 10 with Android.
The problem, I feel, rests with the design of the handsets. The Passport, no matter how you looked at it, was a very odd design and thus treated as such.
A well designed handset, differentiated by BB 10 yet fully capable of running Android apps holds promise. If yet further, there was something unique about this technology, then there might be a buying decision. I would think it unfortunate that Blackberry would vest all its eggs in the Android basket where long standing players are having difficulties in the Android space. I feel there’s a place for the Blackberry handset, the company has just failed to find it with its focus on the past and its inability to ascertain what the consumer wants.