In a recent interview at an event hosted by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, BlackBerry CEO John Chen shared some excellent information and insights into the company’s past, present, and future. It’s a great interview and I recommend watching it.
One of the things Chen talked about is how BlackBerry is struggling with their reputation and brand perception right now. He acknowledged that improvement in reputation starts from within the company itself, and that change has long been underway. But he also appealed to those listening to the conversation to help. Loyal BlackBerry fans and customers know how the company is doing today, but it’s important to spread the word.
So here are 10 common myths about BlackBerry that we can bust right out of the gate.
Myth: BlackBerry is dead or dying
Fact: BlackBerry is alive, well, and improving.
When John Chen was put in as CEO about 18 months ago, the company was struggling and doing very poorly financially. Chen was frank about what it would take to right the ship – selling assets, laying off employees, scaling back in key areas, focusing on software, and targeting business and enterprise markets were all part of his strategy.
Chen quickly surrounded himself with an executive team that he knew would buy into and execute this strategy well – and they have. Chen stopped the bleeding and the company was cash-flow neutral ahead of his original time frame. Though the company is certainly smaller and leaner than in its heyday, BlackBerry is now cash-flow positive and continues to be open for business around the world.
Myth: BlackBerry only makes phones
Fact: BlackBerry does so much more than make phones.
They create software for mobile devices, servers, embedded systems, automobiles, nuclear plants, the health industry, and are an active player in the burgeoning Internet of Things. They make MDM (Mobile Device Management) systems that businesses can use to securely and seamlessly manage their mobile devices across all of the major platforms (BlackBerry, iOS, Android, and Windows). They specialize in encrypted voice calls and instant messaging, virtual SIM cards, and secure file sharing and collaboration. They provide a full suite of productivity software and solutions for businesses and individuals, all built from the ground up with BlackBerry’s best-in-class security and privacy in mind.
Oh, and they still make phones.
Myth: BlackBerry is exiting the handset business
Fact: BlackBerry is still making and will continue to make handsets.
They slated 4 devices for release this fiscal year. One of them, a mid-range all-touch phone aimed at small business professionals called the Leap, has already hit the market. A highly-anticipated phone with a slide-out keyboard and rumored monster specs will be released later this year, and there will be 2 others before the fiscal year is done.
John Chen has been very transparent about BlackBerry’s handset business. It is currently not profitable, but it is a good business, as it is a critical part of their end-to-end security model that starts with their BES server and ends with the handset. He also said handsets are iconic for BlackBerry as a company, and they are diligently working to make them profitable for the company. That doesn’t sound like a CEO looking to exit the business right now.
Myth: Nobody uses a BlackBerry anymore
Fact: there are still millions of current BlackBerry users around the world.
The naysayers love to shove market share statistics in the face of BlackBerry fans. But the sheer number of smarphone users around the world today means even a small percentage of market share still translates into millions of users. Millions != nobody.
The phones are still selling and good reviews are still being written. There are still people out there who do indeed use a BlackBerry by choice.
Myth: iPhones and Androids are just as secure as BlackBerrys
Fact: BlackBerry phones are still the most secure handsets on the market.
Android and iOS are just now getting around to implementing features that BlackBerry phones have enjoyed for years like advanced app permissions and full-device encryption. Even then, they leave much to be desired because their security and privacy features have been afterthoughts. They are appendages and add-ons to systems that were not designed with privacy and security in mind from the beginning.
From day one – from the first line of code and the first hardware blueprints – BlackBerry phones are designed with privacy and security as their primary functions (followed very closely by communication and productivity).
You cannot root or jailbreak a BlackBerry. You cannot brute-force unlock a BlackBerry. You cannot send malicious text messages to render a BlackBerry useless. On almost a weekly basis we hear about some vulnerability, some exploit discovered with Androids or iPhones. Not so with BlackBerry.
Apple has recently stepped up their rhetoric on privacy and security, trying to distance themselves from Google which openly and gladly collects as much personal data as it can from its customers for the purpose of targeted advertising. But even Apple has its own ad service called iAd, and they are trying desperately to make everyone forget about the infamous iCloud hack that exposed scandalous photos of celebrities.
BlackBerry’s actions and words have been consistent on privacy and security for decades.
Myth: BlackBerry phones have dated designs and poor specs
Fact: BlackBerry phones continue to win design awards and their line of BB10 phones devices range from mid-level to flagship specs.
Popularity is not necessarily an indication of quality design or performance. BlackBerry is designing some excellent hardware, these days. The Passport, Z3, Z30, Q10, and Q5 have all won coveted Red Dot Product Design Awards.
On the matter of specs, people look at the latest Android phones and then ask why we don’t see octo-core BlackBerry phones with 4+ GB of RAM and 8k screens (yet). Android and iOS need increasingly beefy hardware specs as they add more features and bloat just to be able to maintain the speed and functionality people have come to expect. But when it comes to real-world performance, the latest version of BB10 still runs very well on even the oldest BB10 phones. For those who absolutely must have the best specs, the Passport is no slouch. And the forthcoming slider is rumored to boast some high-end specs, as well.
Myth: BlackBerry is being acquired by Microsoft (or Samsung, Apple, etc.)
Fact: There is no substantial evidence of any other company acquiring or even making a legitimate offer for BlackBerry at this time.
It seems the rumor mill has been working overtime with BlackBerry buyout stories. We’ve heard rumors Samsung, Microsoft, Xiaomi, and half a dozen other companies buying BlackBerry over the past 2 years, but the rumors have eventually died and BlackBerry continues to push forward with its strategy
Actually, it’s BlackBerry who has been making some excellent strategic acquisitions over the past year or so. Among their acquisitions are:
Secusmart, the German company known for its voice encryption technology
Movirtu, specializing in virtual SIM technology that allows you to have multiple phone numbers associated with a single SIM card
WatchDox, leading the way in secure file sharing and collaboration
Myth: BlackBerry is trying to compete directly with Apple, Google, and Microsoft in the consumer smartphone market
Fact: BlackBerry gave up direct competition with Apple, Google, and others in the smartphone market nearly 2 years ago.
They are still making phones, which is important for them to be able to offer a true end-to-end security solution. But their focus is and has been on software and enterprise/business markets.
They have also given special attention to a cross-platform software strategy – meaning their software can run on all the major mobile platforms. This strategy has been most evident with BBM (BlackBerry Messenger). And they have also announced the forthcoming BlackBerry Experience Suite, which will bring many of BB10’s great security and productivity features to smartphones and tablets running Android, iOS, or Windows Phone.
Why compete directly in the saturated smartphone market when you can just use their hardware to run your software?
Myth: You can’t get any good apps on BlackBerry phones
Fact: You can install and run the vast majority of available, popular apps on a BlackBerry.
In addition to a small but good selection of native BB10 apps – many of which are excellent and exclusive to the platform – BlackBerry phones running 10.3.1 or newer come with the Amazon Appstore, allowing you to easily install and run Android apps.
The adventurous can even install the Google Play Store, giving you full access to its sizable catalog of apps. With the exception of apps requiring Google Play Services, you have the vast Android app library at your fingertips.
Even phones running 10.2.1 can install the Amazon Appstore and Android APK files with a few taps.
Myth: BlackBerry phones aren’t for everyone
Fact: BlackBerry phones, by their very nature, are indeed for everyone.
I plan to elaborate on this point in a future article, but I’m getting tired of hearing even stalwart fans say that BlackBerry phones are not for everyone. BlackBerry has released 4 all-touch phones (Z10, Z30, Z3, Leap) and 4 QWERTY phones (Q10, Q5, Passport, Classic) running its BB10 operating system. People like to make excuses, getting hung up on specs or apps or whatever, but if you cannot find one of those 8 phones that even remotely interests you, you’re either hopelessly biased against BlackBerry or impossible to please.
Seriously ponder the following question: what do I want and need in a smartphone? Take some time to think about it. Write down your answers if you have to. I would argue that in the vast majority of cases, those who sincerely consider the options, functionality, and capability available will find that at least one of those 8 BlackBerry phones will be able to meet most of those wants and needs.
If there’s one reason BlackBerry phones aren’t for everyone, it’s that people aren’t willing to genuinely consider the possibilities of owning and using one. Those who do are, more often than not, pleasantly surprised.
Ten BlackBerry Myths Busted via BerryFlow.com.