The Latest News and Reviews of BlackBerry 10
Last November I wrote an article about Research In Motion Limited (RIM) and all the company had invested in its new release of BlackBerry 10. At the time no one gave RIM much of a chance for survival.
News of new mobile devices are important to IT professionals because of the way we now communicate with each other. In today’s IT industry we are married to our phones and laptops; our homes have become our second offices. With this in mind, let’s see what the reviewers have to say about BlackBerry 10 and its initial iteration.
NBC News starts us off with the article “Five Reasons BlackBerry 10 Bashers are Wrong.” The piece acknowledges the clunky, uncool, and uninspiring BlackBerries of old, but that’s where the criticism ends. The writers praise a list of features, including the keyboard, camera, enhanced video-chat capabilities, and how well the device can be used for multitasking.
At techradar.com the reviewer goes function-by-function and screen-by-screen to introduce you to the new BlackBerry. I noticed that the theme of “Is it too little, too late?” seems to be coursing through all of the reviewers’ minds.
This story wouldn’t be complete without at least one comparison to Apple. For that we turn to financialpost.com, which says “In short, it looks grim for BlackBerry.” It’s safe to say that BlackBerry has a long way to go in stealing customers from Apple.
On May 15 RIM announced that the company is releasing a cheaper version of the BlackBerry called Q5. This product is aimed at emerging markets, and it is an attempt to take customers away from Apple and the companies using the Android OS.
This strategy seems to contradict RIM’s announcement in March, in which the company said its focus will be on business users. It appears we have two competing strategies, which may be a strategy in and of itself. The question becomes “What option is best for business usage?" The answer depends on the user’s preference for a physical keyboard or a touch screen.
Back at your office you are going to have to ask some serious questions: Do you stick it out with BlackBerry or do you go with the Apple or Android options? This will directly affect your communication methods and strategy with everyone at your workplace.
