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blackberry 10
- Thread starter ep1x
- Start date
Then you better go update the wikipedia article and mark it as incorrect.
:laughing3:
"BlackBerry 10 is a proprietary mobile operating system developed by BlackBerry Limited (formerly Research In Motion) for itsBlackBerry line of smartphone and tablet handheld devices.[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP][SUP][5][/SUP] It is based on QNX which was acquired by BlackBerry in April 2010."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry_10
awyala
Guest
Rumour mill on the Note 3 almost made me blow my load!!!!!
1) Octo-core processor.
2) 70% more battery (than the leading phone battery!!!!!! That's insanity. In truth the 2 quad cores will probably need it).
3) Proximity sensor to detect a floating finger, the way the current Note 2 Spen works now.
4) 6.3" flexi-screen (not sure what the advantage of the flex is, but it may be a field test for useful flex applications around the corner!!!)
5) Significant drop in Note2 pricing!!!!! (That should do some serious damage to the Z10)......PS you should see how much attention my Note2 generates with my clients and colleagues! Now with a price drop, why again would someone opt for the Z10?
However since they were a no-show in Spain yesterday, the belief is Samsung is delaying the Note3 to go head to head with the iPhone5s in the summer! The two sluggers are going to go blow for blow this summer, while the S4 will dispense with the pretender in March.
What's bb got in the pipes? Oh yeah a refurbished bold. Maybe the reduced screen innovation will cut down on battery consumption and grease build up...that's something to look forward to.
awyala
Guest
"BlackBerry 10 is a proprietary mobile operating system developed by BlackBerry Limited (formerly Research In Motion) for itsBlackBerry line of smartphone and tablet handheld devices.[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP][SUP][5][/SUP] It is based on QNX which was acquired by BlackBerry in April 2010."
=
"2 years to shoehorn QNX into a phone"[SUP]1[/SUP]
[SUP]1[/SUP] After unsuccessfully shoehorning it into a tablet over 3 attempts.
If Wikipedia accepts the use of colloquialisms for the same thing it currently states, sure I'll have a go, but it is already stated in a more formal language.
I think the flex screen tech is about the same as Google Glass. It brings innovation and new direction to the field but it's still got a ways to go. At least they are both going in the right direction.
There will be interesting things to come from both over the next few years.
Also, the pricing is a good point as critics have already stated the Z10 is way overpriced for what it is and delivered nothing new. Only new to BB which means nothing.
5 years from now BB will catch up to 2012 with absolutely nothing other than an OS that nobody cares about because it's a phone. Maybe in 2017 they will actually have 70K apps instead of just claiming apps from other platforms are theirs.
That's if there is a BB past next years end.
The spec race is over.....its all about the experience now. Get with the program.
BB10 delivers on this in spades! Fast and fluid OS, fully gesture based. HUB, Flow and Peek are superior ways of navigating deleting the useless home button. The speed of this and with its superior true multitasking puts the others to shame.
LG SAYS IT’S DONE FIGHTING THE ‘SPECS WAR,’ WILL FOCUS ON CRAFTING NOVEL SMARTPHONE FEATURES
"This is obviously a very smart move because both Apple (AAPL) and Samsung (005930) have demonstrated that consumers aren’t buying specs sheets, they’re buying experiences."
http://bgr.com/2013/02/26/lg-busine...2/?utm_source=trending-widget&utm_medium=home
I think they are going to be octa-core. Quad core is so yesterday...
Sent from my tablet using my paws
so google fighting with samsung and HTC may actually be good for windows
Wow what a disappointment. I was looking forward to 8 cores
Sent from my tablet using my paws
awyala
Guest
You really need to try a Note2 to know what multitasking is!!! When you can split the screen and have 2 apps like web surfing and an Excel spreadsheet open simultaneously and working on both, while having a video playing on top of it all.....well then get back to me on what the Z10 can do! As far as BB "multitasking" is concerned, its just like Androids open app list except it is limited to 8 recent apps!
S3 can do the same thing, except its too much multitasking to pack into the S3 on one screen.
Imagine, for the sake of business, having open an email one is writing, with a PDF open on the split screen to reference when crafting an email! Don't try to con anyone into thinking the Z10 can do that! It doesn't have split screen capability and at best has a 8 deep recent app menu. These apps are not actually running in the background! The video is not playing in the background (let alone foreground) while you work on a word doc, the word doc is not writing itself while you surf, the web page is not surfing itself while you watch a video, that is NOT multitasking....that is just keeping it open in the background.
When it comes to copying files and then "minimizing it" while getting on with other work, perhaps the Z10 can claim that as multitasking, but then again Android has already done that.
True multitasking is having 2 or 3 apps open on the same screen and all running, such as writing an email, while scrolling through a pdf reference document while watching a video WITHOUT scrolling through a menu of recent apps and minimizing one to get to the next!
The multitasking you are referring is going back to the archaic gen 1 iPhone!
The old bb also "multiasked" when you would hold down the track pad and bring up a recent app. Again that's a gen 2 mentality to consider that as cutting edge multitasking.
Here see for yourself:
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/smartphone_users/deliverables/14935/About_multitasking_834913_11.jsp
The Z10 offers nothing new in the way of "mutitasking", or rather, it offers "multitasking gen 1" while Android has moved onto TRUE multitasking with the 4.1.2 update released between December 2012 to Feb 2013 (depending on carrier).
The Z10's multitasking is actually a step backward by limiting it to 8 open apps in the background. Smoke and mirrors!
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awyala
Guest
Note3 is slated for Octo-core.
awyala
Guest
You know who doesn't fight the spec battles? You know who concentrates on "experience"? These guys...
Anyone know how those BB stores are doing? How about those Z10 fashion accessories and peripherals?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...tions-closes-blackberry-store/article4457143/
You know who constantly tweak, upgrade and offer new experiences in terms of information?
Google...Earth (Sky, Moon, Mars), Streetview, Glass, Google+, Gmail, Android, (Search), Chrome, Chromebook, SketchUp, Correlate, Trends, (now) Youtube!, Scholar, Translate, Blogger, Docs, Drive, Picasa, Reader, Transit, Wallet, Goggles, the list goes on! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products
So how again is BB about the "experience"?
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Yup.... RIM must be dead.
:laughing3:
More countries launched, more demand and sell outs....
"Slim BlackBerry pickings in UAE as demand for Z10 outstrips supply"
"At this moment we do not have enough stock … we expect to sell out by tomorrow," he said. "The response has been great so far."
The Z10 is likely to do as well as Samsung's SIII and the iPhone 5, said Mr Khanzadah. "This is one of the biggest launches along the lines of the SIII and the iPhone 5. It will be a straight fight between all three."
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenation...demand-for-z10-outstrips-supply#ixzz2M6QhM0uA
Also launched in India yesterday.... reports on the forums are that demand is extremely high as well.
Recent reports say that CEO Heins upped production once after Canada/UK release due to robust demand, and now recently upped them again.
EDIT : update.....BBRY has called back some of their laid off workers in Waterloo, and job postings have gone out for more Z10 assemblers! Win win WIN.
:laughing3:
More countries launched, more demand and sell outs....
"Slim BlackBerry pickings in UAE as demand for Z10 outstrips supply"
"At this moment we do not have enough stock … we expect to sell out by tomorrow," he said. "The response has been great so far."
The Z10 is likely to do as well as Samsung's SIII and the iPhone 5, said Mr Khanzadah. "This is one of the biggest launches along the lines of the SIII and the iPhone 5. It will be a straight fight between all three."
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenation...demand-for-z10-outstrips-supply#ixzz2M6QhM0uA
Also launched in India yesterday.... reports on the forums are that demand is extremely high as well.
Recent reports say that CEO Heins upped production once after Canada/UK release due to robust demand, and now recently upped them again.
EDIT : update.....BBRY has called back some of their laid off workers in Waterloo, and job postings have gone out for more Z10 assemblers! Win win WIN.
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awyala
Guest
That is good news. I can't hate on that.
Good for a laugh.....
Sorry it's so long but it's just so much fail. This list only scratches the surface of BB's failures.
Google 10 worst phones of all time if you aren't on a BB (it will kill the battery).
Back in the early and mid-2000s, Research in Motion ruled the cellular market with its QWERTY-equipped handsets, drawing the interest of corporate suits and A-list celebrities alike. Then the industry progressed and smartphones became the wave of the future. Companies new to the cell phone market, like Apple and Google, introduced more advanced handsets, leaving many to question whether RIM had the firepower to compete with its competitors. Several years later, the answer appears to be: No. The Canadian telecommunications company looks to be on its last lifeline—failing miserably to produce competitive phones, while engaging in a number of financial and PR blunders that have tainted the company’s image.
RIM recently showcased its long-awaited BlackBerry 10 devices to the public…and nobody cared. That alone shows how little interest people have in the company. And judging from its recent layoffs and profit losses, things aren't looking any better for RIM. So as we watch the once powerful mobile staple implode before our very eyes, we decided to run through the moments that got it to where it is now.
The Dismissal of the iPhone
Since the mid-2000s, RIM earned a rep for burning its competitors with audacious and bold remarks. But its statement about Apple's smartphone proved to be a swift kick in the *** for the Canadians. Former CEO Jim Calsillie was quoted saying, "It’s kind of one more entrant into an already very busy space with lots of choice for consumers...But in terms of a sort of a sea-change for BlackBerry, I would think that’s overstating it." Apple's been laughing all the way to the bank ever since.
Balsillie's Stock Option Blunder Costs Company Millions
Jim Balsillie was forced to give up his title as chairman after taking blame for a stock-option scam that cost RIM over $250 million in restated earnings. Dude tried initiating some damage control by informing the press on the financial crisis: "I think it's also important to understand that 90 percent of this is a noncash charge." Balsillie stood on board as co-CEO and agreed to drop $5 million of his own money to rectify the matter.
Late Entrance to the Touchscreen Game
What was once billed as the “iPhone killer," the Storm has gone on to become the worst BlackBerry device ever made. Released one year after Apple's smartphone, the no-wi-fi handset suffered from software glitches and featured a touchscreen display that was more like a clickable display which made messaging extremely frustrating and impossible at times. Don't even get us started on the Storm II.
RIM Bites Apple’s Style with U2 Commercial
Remember the "BlackBerry Loves U2" ad a few years back? You know, the same one that knocked off Apple's Coldplay commercial. Not only did the advertisement do little to boost BlackBerry sales, but analysts and journalists saw it as a hopeless attempt to attract the younger consumer market and steal some of Apple's thunder. Bitters.
BlackBerry Torch
Massively overhyped as the company’s game-changing device, the Torch 9800 convinced loyal BlackBerry users that the hybrid smartphone they’ve been waiting for had finally arrived. But by then it was already too little too late, as Torch sales proved RIM’s device was a generation behind everything. Only 150,000 units were moved in its first three days, which was crumbs in comparison to the 1.7 million iPhone 4 units Apple sold at launch.
Co-CEO Meltdown
The pressure (and criticism) got to co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, who lamented to the New York Times about the public’s unmindful approach to the company's business plan: "Why is it that people don't appreciate our profits? Why is it that people don't appreciate our growth? Why is it that people don't appreciate the fact that we spent the last four years going global?” Call it a hunch, but maybe it’s because they want to see the new BB devices on the market. Cry us a river, Mike
BlackBerry PlayBook
With its market share crumbling, RIM opted to join the tablet game and released a business-centric device that stood true to BlackBerry's mobile mantra. An unmemorable launch, along with the company's recall of nearly 1,000 PlayBooks due to software issues made it an immediate failure. Not to mention its expensive price tag, weak battery life, inferior app store selection, and need to be paired with a BlackBerry smartphone to access email and calender.
Anonymous Employee Pens Letter Bashing Execs
BGR posted a letter written by an unknown “high-ranking” employee that was addressed to RIM’s upper management concerning the company’s mismanagement and turbulent transition period. In his confession, the anonymous scribe pleas with co-CEOs Lazaridis and Balsillie to make numerous changes including the decision to create products customers want instead of catering to carrier/retailer requests. RIM posted a response shrugging all concerns mentioned in the letter, prompting other employees to join the bashing soiree shortly after.
Investors Call For Sale of RIM
You know things are bad when one of your biggest investors calls for the sale of the company. Jaguar Financial Corp. did just that, issuing a public press release suggesting directors "commence a value maximization process that may include the sale of RIM," along with its patents. The merchant bank's reasoning: lack of innovation, poor share price performance, and much more. Read the entire press release here
BlackBerry 2011 Outage
As if its alarming mobile sales and destructive PlayBook launch didn’t already put RIM in the red, the company experienced an international service outage that left millions of BB users across the globe without Internet access or texting capabilities for several days. The company issued a public apology and provided a compensation package to all subscribers in the form of a “premium” apps bundle from its BlackBerry App World service valued at $100. Really?
BBM Music
It's unfathomable to think RIM had a shot of competing with iTunes, or, for lack of better examples, Samsung Media Hub, with its weak music-sharing service. Still, the company took a shot. BBM Music suffered from a number of limitations, which turned off critics and BlackBerry users. For one, in order to share music with friends, both parties were required to have a BB phone and subscription. Not to mention subscribers were stuck with a 50-song limit, $5 monthly expense, and couldn't use the service on any other RIM device. DOA!
Drunk Execs Wild Out on International Flight
RIM execs George Campbell and Paul Alexander Wilson sucked down one to many brewskis before boarding a plane to Beijing and lost their cool on the international flight. According to court documents obtained by CBC News, one of them "assaulted a flight attendant and threatened to punch another." Things got more bizarre as reports claimed the duo chewed through their seat restraints before being restrained by an on-board passenger 'til the plane landed. Blame it on the alcohol?
BlackBerry 10 Delayed
BlackBerry 10, RIM's next-gen smartphone and platform, has been highly anticipated since 2010. Many deemed it the key to the company's survival. But RIM informed the world via an analysts conference call that it would delay the launch of BB 10 devices until the second half of 2012. National Bank Financial analyst Kris Thompson sensed doom: "This delay is materially longer than expected and will make a turnaround very difficult, in our view." True indeed.
RIM Stock Hits 8-Year Low
Once the announcement was made that BlackBery 10 was being delayed until the following year, RIM's stock hit the ground harder than Michael Vick trapped in the pocket. How low? Its profit shares dropped 71 percent from the previous year. "The last few quarters have been some of the most trying in the recent history of this company," said Balsillie. "We recognize that our shareholders may feel we have fallen short in terms of product execution, market share, and financial performance." No ****.
#BeBold Campaign
If personality sold phones, T-Mobile would be the No. 1 mobile carrier in the U.S. thanks to the girl in the pink dress. RIM tried showcasing whatever swagger it had left by kicking off a new "Be Bold" initiative, introducing four superhero cartoon characters based on user-generate responses it received on New Year's Eve and an infographic that did little to promote its BlackBerry Bold series. The campaign was mocked by RIM subscribers, non-BlackBerry users, and of course, the media.
Flash Mob Fail
Add another one to RIM's list of embarrassing PR stunts. The company sent out a flash mob to protest at an Apple Store, where people were seen shouting "wake up" at Apple fanboys. Looks like RIM got its point across, but there was one drawback: Everyone believed Samsung was behind the protest. It was only when the Android manufacturer denied any involvement that RIM came forward. Apple fanboys got their revenge, though, by reaching out to various news sites and claiming RIM paid bloggers to report the incident.
Commercial Blunder
After RIM's co-CEOs dipped, Thorsten Heins stepped up to the plate as RIM’s capo. Since BB 10 devices were still in development, he placed all focus on marketing the recent line of BlackBerry 7 handsets by running a commercial pushing its latest touchscreen/QWERTY hybrid models. But, for whatever reason, RIM decided to bash touchscreen functionality in the advertisement, with actress Meridith Valiando saying: "I get 1,000 emails a day. Try writing 1,000 emails on a touchscreen." To make matters worse, Heins gave a keynote speech shortly after announcing its first BB10 handset would be a touchscreen-only model. You can't make this stuff up.
Former CEOs Luxury Parting Package
So how do you deal with the two co-CEOs responsible for the implosion of a billion-dollar mobile enterprise? If you’re RIM, you reward each with a multi-million dollar buyout. According to reports, Mike Lazaridis took home nearly $4 million with a 10-year health coverage extension, and a company car with a driver. Meanwhile, Jim Balsillie banked $7.93 million including salary, bonus, and a severance packaged estimated at $4.8 million. Great to see RIM investing its money wisely.
Cuts 5,000 Jobs and Delays Phones (Again)
As if the first delay of the BlackBerry 10 lineup wasn't bad enough, RIM announced it was pushing back the launch of its newest handsets to 2013. With BlackBerry sales at an all-time low (7.8 million units) and the PlayBook only moving 260,000 units after a steep price cut, RIM informed the public it was cutting over 5,000 jobs in an effort to salvage $1 billion in cost savings. Yet the company awarded several millions to its former CEOs for putting RIM through its worst of times?
RIM Serenades Developers with Cheesy Music Video
Someone in RIM's marketing department thought it was a dope idea to produce this lame music video starring three RIM execs singing their own rendition of REO Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You," thanking BlackBerry developers for their continuous support of the failing mobile platform. Awesome way to ruin a classic. If that doesn’t scream desperation, then the $10,000 per BlackBerry 10 app the company is offering software builders surely does.
Sorry it's so long but it's just so much fail. This list only scratches the surface of BB's failures.
Google 10 worst phones of all time if you aren't on a BB (it will kill the battery).
Back in the early and mid-2000s, Research in Motion ruled the cellular market with its QWERTY-equipped handsets, drawing the interest of corporate suits and A-list celebrities alike. Then the industry progressed and smartphones became the wave of the future. Companies new to the cell phone market, like Apple and Google, introduced more advanced handsets, leaving many to question whether RIM had the firepower to compete with its competitors. Several years later, the answer appears to be: No. The Canadian telecommunications company looks to be on its last lifeline—failing miserably to produce competitive phones, while engaging in a number of financial and PR blunders that have tainted the company’s image.
RIM recently showcased its long-awaited BlackBerry 10 devices to the public…and nobody cared. That alone shows how little interest people have in the company. And judging from its recent layoffs and profit losses, things aren't looking any better for RIM. So as we watch the once powerful mobile staple implode before our very eyes, we decided to run through the moments that got it to where it is now.
The Dismissal of the iPhone
Since the mid-2000s, RIM earned a rep for burning its competitors with audacious and bold remarks. But its statement about Apple's smartphone proved to be a swift kick in the *** for the Canadians. Former CEO Jim Calsillie was quoted saying, "It’s kind of one more entrant into an already very busy space with lots of choice for consumers...But in terms of a sort of a sea-change for BlackBerry, I would think that’s overstating it." Apple's been laughing all the way to the bank ever since.
Balsillie's Stock Option Blunder Costs Company Millions
Jim Balsillie was forced to give up his title as chairman after taking blame for a stock-option scam that cost RIM over $250 million in restated earnings. Dude tried initiating some damage control by informing the press on the financial crisis: "I think it's also important to understand that 90 percent of this is a noncash charge." Balsillie stood on board as co-CEO and agreed to drop $5 million of his own money to rectify the matter.
Late Entrance to the Touchscreen Game
What was once billed as the “iPhone killer," the Storm has gone on to become the worst BlackBerry device ever made. Released one year after Apple's smartphone, the no-wi-fi handset suffered from software glitches and featured a touchscreen display that was more like a clickable display which made messaging extremely frustrating and impossible at times. Don't even get us started on the Storm II.
RIM Bites Apple’s Style with U2 Commercial
Remember the "BlackBerry Loves U2" ad a few years back? You know, the same one that knocked off Apple's Coldplay commercial. Not only did the advertisement do little to boost BlackBerry sales, but analysts and journalists saw it as a hopeless attempt to attract the younger consumer market and steal some of Apple's thunder. Bitters.
BlackBerry Torch
Massively overhyped as the company’s game-changing device, the Torch 9800 convinced loyal BlackBerry users that the hybrid smartphone they’ve been waiting for had finally arrived. But by then it was already too little too late, as Torch sales proved RIM’s device was a generation behind everything. Only 150,000 units were moved in its first three days, which was crumbs in comparison to the 1.7 million iPhone 4 units Apple sold at launch.
Co-CEO Meltdown
The pressure (and criticism) got to co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, who lamented to the New York Times about the public’s unmindful approach to the company's business plan: "Why is it that people don't appreciate our profits? Why is it that people don't appreciate our growth? Why is it that people don't appreciate the fact that we spent the last four years going global?” Call it a hunch, but maybe it’s because they want to see the new BB devices on the market. Cry us a river, Mike
BlackBerry PlayBook
With its market share crumbling, RIM opted to join the tablet game and released a business-centric device that stood true to BlackBerry's mobile mantra. An unmemorable launch, along with the company's recall of nearly 1,000 PlayBooks due to software issues made it an immediate failure. Not to mention its expensive price tag, weak battery life, inferior app store selection, and need to be paired with a BlackBerry smartphone to access email and calender.
Anonymous Employee Pens Letter Bashing Execs
BGR posted a letter written by an unknown “high-ranking” employee that was addressed to RIM’s upper management concerning the company’s mismanagement and turbulent transition period. In his confession, the anonymous scribe pleas with co-CEOs Lazaridis and Balsillie to make numerous changes including the decision to create products customers want instead of catering to carrier/retailer requests. RIM posted a response shrugging all concerns mentioned in the letter, prompting other employees to join the bashing soiree shortly after.
Investors Call For Sale of RIM
You know things are bad when one of your biggest investors calls for the sale of the company. Jaguar Financial Corp. did just that, issuing a public press release suggesting directors "commence a value maximization process that may include the sale of RIM," along with its patents. The merchant bank's reasoning: lack of innovation, poor share price performance, and much more. Read the entire press release here
BlackBerry 2011 Outage
As if its alarming mobile sales and destructive PlayBook launch didn’t already put RIM in the red, the company experienced an international service outage that left millions of BB users across the globe without Internet access or texting capabilities for several days. The company issued a public apology and provided a compensation package to all subscribers in the form of a “premium” apps bundle from its BlackBerry App World service valued at $100. Really?
BBM Music
It's unfathomable to think RIM had a shot of competing with iTunes, or, for lack of better examples, Samsung Media Hub, with its weak music-sharing service. Still, the company took a shot. BBM Music suffered from a number of limitations, which turned off critics and BlackBerry users. For one, in order to share music with friends, both parties were required to have a BB phone and subscription. Not to mention subscribers were stuck with a 50-song limit, $5 monthly expense, and couldn't use the service on any other RIM device. DOA!
Drunk Execs Wild Out on International Flight
RIM execs George Campbell and Paul Alexander Wilson sucked down one to many brewskis before boarding a plane to Beijing and lost their cool on the international flight. According to court documents obtained by CBC News, one of them "assaulted a flight attendant and threatened to punch another." Things got more bizarre as reports claimed the duo chewed through their seat restraints before being restrained by an on-board passenger 'til the plane landed. Blame it on the alcohol?
BlackBerry 10 Delayed
BlackBerry 10, RIM's next-gen smartphone and platform, has been highly anticipated since 2010. Many deemed it the key to the company's survival. But RIM informed the world via an analysts conference call that it would delay the launch of BB 10 devices until the second half of 2012. National Bank Financial analyst Kris Thompson sensed doom: "This delay is materially longer than expected and will make a turnaround very difficult, in our view." True indeed.
RIM Stock Hits 8-Year Low
Once the announcement was made that BlackBery 10 was being delayed until the following year, RIM's stock hit the ground harder than Michael Vick trapped in the pocket. How low? Its profit shares dropped 71 percent from the previous year. "The last few quarters have been some of the most trying in the recent history of this company," said Balsillie. "We recognize that our shareholders may feel we have fallen short in terms of product execution, market share, and financial performance." No ****.
#BeBold Campaign
If personality sold phones, T-Mobile would be the No. 1 mobile carrier in the U.S. thanks to the girl in the pink dress. RIM tried showcasing whatever swagger it had left by kicking off a new "Be Bold" initiative, introducing four superhero cartoon characters based on user-generate responses it received on New Year's Eve and an infographic that did little to promote its BlackBerry Bold series. The campaign was mocked by RIM subscribers, non-BlackBerry users, and of course, the media.
Flash Mob Fail
Add another one to RIM's list of embarrassing PR stunts. The company sent out a flash mob to protest at an Apple Store, where people were seen shouting "wake up" at Apple fanboys. Looks like RIM got its point across, but there was one drawback: Everyone believed Samsung was behind the protest. It was only when the Android manufacturer denied any involvement that RIM came forward. Apple fanboys got their revenge, though, by reaching out to various news sites and claiming RIM paid bloggers to report the incident.
Commercial Blunder
After RIM's co-CEOs dipped, Thorsten Heins stepped up to the plate as RIM’s capo. Since BB 10 devices were still in development, he placed all focus on marketing the recent line of BlackBerry 7 handsets by running a commercial pushing its latest touchscreen/QWERTY hybrid models. But, for whatever reason, RIM decided to bash touchscreen functionality in the advertisement, with actress Meridith Valiando saying: "I get 1,000 emails a day. Try writing 1,000 emails on a touchscreen." To make matters worse, Heins gave a keynote speech shortly after announcing its first BB10 handset would be a touchscreen-only model. You can't make this stuff up.
Former CEOs Luxury Parting Package
So how do you deal with the two co-CEOs responsible for the implosion of a billion-dollar mobile enterprise? If you’re RIM, you reward each with a multi-million dollar buyout. According to reports, Mike Lazaridis took home nearly $4 million with a 10-year health coverage extension, and a company car with a driver. Meanwhile, Jim Balsillie banked $7.93 million including salary, bonus, and a severance packaged estimated at $4.8 million. Great to see RIM investing its money wisely.
Cuts 5,000 Jobs and Delays Phones (Again)
As if the first delay of the BlackBerry 10 lineup wasn't bad enough, RIM announced it was pushing back the launch of its newest handsets to 2013. With BlackBerry sales at an all-time low (7.8 million units) and the PlayBook only moving 260,000 units after a steep price cut, RIM informed the public it was cutting over 5,000 jobs in an effort to salvage $1 billion in cost savings. Yet the company awarded several millions to its former CEOs for putting RIM through its worst of times?
RIM Serenades Developers with Cheesy Music Video
Someone in RIM's marketing department thought it was a dope idea to produce this lame music video starring three RIM execs singing their own rendition of REO Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You," thanking BlackBerry developers for their continuous support of the failing mobile platform. Awesome way to ruin a classic. If that doesn’t scream desperation, then the $10,000 per BlackBerry 10 app the company is offering software builders surely does.
Sold out here - sold out there............nobody knows if merchants received 5 units, or 5,000 units.
Without knowing any numbers at all (the way Mr Heins likes it, apparently), would you invest your own money (For The Win / upside) in BlackBerry (BB.TO) now, at $13.60?
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