Soon we will find out the future of the BlackBerry. Images of their first modern device surfaced recently, which gives rise to much speculation. Will this be the smartphone that puts BlackBerry back on the map? Or will it be yet another disappointing offering that causes even more defections to iPhone and Android? While much remains unknown about the upcoming device, the BlackBerry London, we do know a few details. Combine that with some recent history, and it does appear that the BlackBerry has a fighting chance. Here are three reasons why it will succeed.
1. Advancement of BlackBerry 7
They might be disappointing sales-wise, but each of the BlackBerry 7 devices is the best smartphone Research In Motion has ever released. They accomplished this in a few ways, but everything extends back to one key aspect: processor speed. RIM included significantly more powerful processors in the BlackBerry 7 smartphones than in any previous line, and the result was a much more enjoyable line of devices.
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Previously, RIM had been so obsessed with battery life that it willfully held back on hardware. There’s a now-infamous story about RIM’s reaction to the iPhone that puts this in perspective. Their only thought, when hearing the iPhone announced in early 2007, was that it would have a terrible battery life and fail because of that. Yet Apple figured out a way to make it work. Yet even after that RIM did not respond. They continued with slow processors for the sake of battery life, refusing to find a compromise.
It seems that they have finally come around to the idea that fast processors are necessary. This isn’t just for geeks who think they look pretty on a spec sheet. This is for the sake of a usable platform. RIM made a step forward when it released BlackBerry OS 6 in 2010, but it neglected to release devices that could properly handle the operating system. It wasn’t until the BlackBerry 7 devices that they were able to capably combine the hardware and software. This development bodes well for RIM’s future. Clearly they’ve learned an important lesson.
2. Power of the PlayBook
Again, RIM didn’t realize much success with the BlackBerry PlayBook, its first tablet offering. The whole project started out poorly, in fact. RIM announced the device about five months ahead of the anticipated launch, and then, after keeping tight-lipped about the launch, delayed it about two months. That left seven months between announcement and launch. A device like that had better deliver in a big way. Clearly the PlayBook did not.
When people think BlackBerry they often think of the three essential organizational features: email, contacts, and calendar. Yet the PlayBook did not launch with these features. BlackBerry users could tether their smartphones to gain access, but this is not an adequate solution. It means one more step for some users, and absolutely nothing for others. A lack of applications also hurt, even though there are a number of high-quality apps for the PlayBook. RIM plans to mitigate these issues by releasing a huge update in February, but they were supposed to release the update in October.
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Even still, the downsides to the PlayBook do not necessarily apply to the London. By the third quarter it’s conceivable that RIM has worked out all the issues with the transition between the traditional BlackBerry OS and the BBX platform. If they have that, then they can realize the potential of the PlayBook with the new smartphone. The London has been described as something of a mini PlayBook anyway, with the same screen resolution and pixel-aspect ratio. WIth the best of the old platform, and over a year of the new OS under RIM’s belt, they just might have a winner with the new BlackBerry London.
3. More applications
BlackBerry App World might be filled with various applications, but it pales in comparison to the App Store and the Android Market. This goes for both quantity and quality of apps. Part of the reason is that BlackBerry users simply download fewer apps than iPhone and Android users. Another reason is that RIM previously placed many restrictions on developers, forcing them to go through more steps than other platforms. Both of those issues might go out the window with the London.
At its recent developers’ conference, RIM announced a much easier process for developers to get their apps in App World. Additionally, they announced a severing of their previous Java development environment and an embracing of HTML5. This will help them keep up with some of the best mobile developers. Additionally, they plan to make it easy for Android developers to port their applications to the new BBX operating system. With an easier and more modern development environment, RIM could certainly find their application outlet stuffed to the gills.
The only missing aspect is the willingness of BlackBerry users to download more apps. The question, then, is of whether BlackBerry users, by their natures, just don’t want applications, or if they just don’t find the application selection compelling. It could certainly be the latter. If that’s the case, then a move to a more consumer-oriented smartphone platform should entice more people to download apps. If more people download, more developers will create apps for the platform. And so goes the cycle.
Putting it all together
In order for the BlackBerry London to succeed, all three of these elements need to come together. RIM needs to continue the momentum it created with the BlackBerry 7 smartphones and get closer to the top of the market. They need to harness the potential of the PlayBook and make sure that the launch is done right this time. And, perhaps most importantly, they need to make sure that the London has thousands of quality apps ready for new users to download.
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If, and only if, these three elements come together will the BlackBerry London succeed. Given what we’ve seen from RIM recently, and given their apparent insistence on getting this one right, we can expect it to become a reality. The smartphone market could be ready for a third major player — which, coincidentally, is its first major player.
Joe Pawlikowski is the editor of BBGeeks.com, where he still holds the belief that the BlackBerry can be the best smartphone out there. Just give it some time.