Image Source : [NDTV](http://cdn.ndtv.com/tech/images/gadgets/blackberry_z3.jpg)
Everyone knows about Blackberry. No not for the wrong reasons, but right ones. They were Canada’s regining kings in making mobile phones, much like the Finnish Nokia. Their phones always had an aura when you held the product in your hand. It had amazing finishes and the right set of ports to get your business going. One look at the phone and you knew you had just the product you needed to start making your day good.
Their desktop software with the latest Blend made the phone usage experience so much better. Everything is hunky dory about Blackberry. Including their new passport. They had enough time on earth to spring back from the dead. But instead of arising from the dead like the phoenix from the ashes, they have come out of the dead like a half eaten wild buffalo from the jaws of a crocodile.
How many years did blackberry have till now to research on the android and apple onslaught? 2? 4? They knew that their app store was a compelling piece of bullshit, so what did they decide to do? Give away money to their developers in the hope of equalling the google or apple app store? Wrong. They decided to allow android apps to be installed on their platform through some piece of bridging much like cut up pieces of pipes being joined to make on one big one through which water will flow.
I had a chance to purchase the blackberry Z3 just now. When I enquired in the brick and mortar shops, they said they dont sell blackberry. I was not so surprised but still was a bit taken aback that when even Nokia sells, BB doesnt. When I bought the phone, there was reason enough to understand this sentiment. Boot up the phone for the first time, and I can have a coffee, breakfast, bath, lunch, and dinner by the time the phone boots up. Its 2014 and BB didnt understand what customers needed? What the heck did they think they were upto displaying messages like “Please wait, BB is making your phone secure” – Really? Wait – does it mean until I booted it up it wasnt secure? BB, just what the heck were you wanting to convey – I just dont get it at all!
It does not stop there. “Please wait, loading BB 10 features”, “Please wait, loading BB10 customizations”, “Please wait, we are almost done with initializations” – Seriously? Bloody duffers, I am not installing Windows on my laptop, i am trying to boot a phone. But then oh yes, we are suckers to all this so we deserve this and much more. And finally when you think its booted up, and go into hub, you say “Preparing hub” – Can i ask what the heck is there for you to keep preparing everytime I boot up? This is not breakfast or lunch to prepare. And even if you ARE preparing something don’t fucking tell the users that you are upto something like that. Show something nicer on the screen instead. How about “Good morning”, “Did you have your breakfast today”, or something more audacious?
So with a finally “prepared” hub, you click on messages or notifications and what happens? – It takes over 2 seconds to even prepare the next screen to open up? Are you kidding me? And with the 2 years of research in preparing the z3 or whatever other shit, couldnt you guys think of swiping to delete gesture? If every screen were to take so long to open do you think users have so much time just to keep waiting forever? How about showing “Please wait we are preparing to open your message” or “Please wait we are preparing the screen to match your mood” or some other shit while opening that message?
Agree your keyboard is your best thing in hardware. But where is the swipe typing? You think you will launch it only in 2020? And by giving Hinglish keyboard you think you can market the sales of your phones to gullible indian public? You show something and I touch it, what must really happen in your opinion? Yes you must accept my choice not ignore and sit quiet about it. Perhaps you thought you could market a so-so touch screen and get away with that as well?
Talking about screens, you want us to live wide and work wide using your passport? I was extremlely impressed on seeing the passport. But after using the z3, I can only imagine what the passport would be. Irrespective of what patents you hold over it. And pricing it beyond nexus 6, and almost near note 4 and iphone 6 – i am not so sure what you want us to infer from that. Really.
When all your previous phones were as cool as cucumbers why exactly are the new ones becoming warm all the time, considering that I have not even opened anything that consumes data or gaming sequences? Is this your way of warmly wishing your customers good luck with the phone? Browse the net for sometime and I can make a dosa on your phone. This is the same thing that happened with my nexus 4. It got so unbearably hot that I had to dump it. Thankfully you are stopping short of that. After all some idiotic laurels have to be going to Google isnt it? There are sometimes bigger duffers than you.
The amazon app store shit next. Yes if you allow everything in amazon app store to be installed on your phone, then why the hell are google services not running properly on your phone? Is that because you are not a recognized partner that fulfils some obligations to google for this? Meaning your hardware?
Listen to this for good. Don’t fucking release a compatibility to something if it fucking isnt compatible 100%. Do what it takes to get that to a 100%. Its like giving half cooked meat to your customers at a restaurant and expecting them to say its tasty. Your phone is not android app compatible. At all. Compatibility to me means something else not what you offer. And to most other customers it would mean the same that it meant to me, not you.
Your default “native” apps. Twitter is great. Linked in is faster than android. But what the heck have you done (or not done as the case maybe) to Facebook app? Is that the best you could do? Or did your developers doing that just resign your company? Your app world is a piece of shit. Its an app dustbin. The rest of the apps are in some other world. Not in yours. And they are happy there making money and satisfaction for themselves and the users. Clearly shows how much time you have spent on optimizing the look and feel of your default native apps or what priority you have given to this task. No wonder the operating system looks and feels so different at different places.
You launched a device with just a dual core processor and 1.5 GB RAM. Which everyone believed and understood was enough for the operating system like QNX to run beautifully. But if you yourself think its not enough, then dont wait until your customers have to write reviews like this saying so. What the heck were your QC department doing? Or have you fired all of them by now? Was it some kind of dealing with Foxconn to produce and sell such crap? Whatever it is John, its not gone well with many of your (last set of) customers.
I thought you have learnt your lession with BB10, 10.1 and even 10.2. And then you launch 10.3 with so called flimsy android support and start marketing that as a feature? To win over android fans? Sick guys.
After all this shit, you have the audacity to give a report to the press that Blackberry wont concentrate on making new devices anymore. Really? Oh yes, why will you? You have already self destructed yourself with the Z3, and now maybe passport. Then you are going back to your classic. Next what? Blackberry Visa? With that visa you wont go anywhere much. When you know you have failed dont give a statement to the press on the contrary. It sucks. I am a BB fan, I am also an Apple fan. We know what BB does well but now we also know what it doesnt do well. If you are accepting your mistake also correct it. Dont just make another product which is the same mistake.
You know how people value your phones? They are ready to take the phone for 1/3rd the original price. The dealers in brick and mortar outlets are not willing to even listen to your company name leave alone sell your stuff. And most people don’t even know where your service centers are simply because – you didn’t care enough to let them know. When you have people who respect your company for what you did, your job is to manage that perception for what you do. History repeats they say. But in this case your history is a one off event that does not even qualify to repeat itself.
Better sell yourself off to Apple or Samsung to pack your bags. Because even people like Nokia are back with a bang. To show their passion for what they do. And you are busy making passports to travel with. Now I dont really care whether you launch 10.4 or 11.6 or 20.8. We know the fundamental platform of yours is a failure in terms of implementation and what you could have done with it. And hence I am done with you. Forever, for good.
Bye Bye Blackberry. I did love your desk clock. But for 250$ thats pretty expensive.
