It might be too late for BlackBerry to recover from its painful decline, but their only chance is to get back to basics. When Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, the consumer market shifted. BlackBerry had dominated the enterprise market for years and was afraid Apple would eat into their market. They panicked. They tried to build devices that would compete head to head with the iPhone, and although that may have seemed like a wise decision at the time, it was a mistake.
BlackBerry fans loved the BlackBerry for its keyboard, secure push email, and BBM. The company should have focused on those features instead of chasing Apple.
There is something about a tactile keyboard that simply cannot be replaced by a soft keyboard. I have used an iPhone for 6 years now, and I still make many more mistakes while typing than I did on my BlackBerry. For some people, the tactile keyboard is a must and BlackBerry should serve those customers with the best keyboard on the market.
BBM was a secure way for BlackBerry users to communicate quickly. It was iMessage before iMessage, and it was more reliable than iMessage. BlackBerry should have made BBM cross platform so iOS and Android users could experience a fantastic mobile messaging platform. Unfortunately, there are so many mobile messaging apps now it seems like BlackBerry is too late. They are releasing BBM on Android and iOS, but it’s really too late at this point.
By chasing Apple and focusing on touchscreen BlackBerrys like the Storm and Z10, BlackBerry got distracted. They tried to crank out devices that were similar to the iPhone, but not better than the iPhone. The only differentiator between BlackBerrys touchscreen only devices was they weren’t as good as the iPhone. BlackBerry should have spent their time focusing on the BlackBerry Bold and Curve lines, and simply added touchscreen displays to these phones.
The company has admitted defeat and is looking to be acquired. At this point, the only hope they have is to get back to basics. Focus on the devices with the best mobile keyboard on the planet and stop trying to be Apple. Serve the base that already loves BlackBerry and try to grow from there. Dump the BlackBerry Z10 because nobody wants it. At the same time, continue plans to offer BBM on Android and iOS. It is better late than never. BlackBerry will have to play to the countries where they still have decent marketshare, but they can grow it from there. They will never dominate the smartphone market again, but they can be a niche company that makes fantastic hardware. Stop trying to be Apple and get back to your roots!
BlackBerry fans loved the BlackBerry for its keyboard, secure push email, and BBM. The company should have focused on those features instead of chasing Apple.
There is something about a tactile keyboard that simply cannot be replaced by a soft keyboard. I have used an iPhone for 6 years now, and I still make many more mistakes while typing than I did on my BlackBerry. For some people, the tactile keyboard is a must and BlackBerry should serve those customers with the best keyboard on the market.
BBM was a secure way for BlackBerry users to communicate quickly. It was iMessage before iMessage, and it was more reliable than iMessage. BlackBerry should have made BBM cross platform so iOS and Android users could experience a fantastic mobile messaging platform. Unfortunately, there are so many mobile messaging apps now it seems like BlackBerry is too late. They are releasing BBM on Android and iOS, but it’s really too late at this point.
By chasing Apple and focusing on touchscreen BlackBerrys like the Storm and Z10, BlackBerry got distracted. They tried to crank out devices that were similar to the iPhone, but not better than the iPhone. The only differentiator between BlackBerrys touchscreen only devices was they weren’t as good as the iPhone. BlackBerry should have spent their time focusing on the BlackBerry Bold and Curve lines, and simply added touchscreen displays to these phones.
The company has admitted defeat and is looking to be acquired. At this point, the only hope they have is to get back to basics. Focus on the devices with the best mobile keyboard on the planet and stop trying to be Apple. Serve the base that already loves BlackBerry and try to grow from there. Dump the BlackBerry Z10 because nobody wants it. At the same time, continue plans to offer BBM on Android and iOS. It is better late than never. BlackBerry will have to play to the countries where they still have decent marketshare, but they can grow it from there. They will never dominate the smartphone market again, but they can be a niche company that makes fantastic hardware. Stop trying to be Apple and get back to your roots!