When we saw an article titled “Celebrities who still use BlackBerry”, what touched the tech world was the “still”. It clearly states that there is no more a BlackBerry dominance. The Wall Street Journal confirmed that the company is now busy making $1 billion via cuts to get the company going. This shedding off includes terminating thousands of jobs too.
Once the symbol of professional and social status, what lead to the current state of the BlackBerry? Let us have a closer look at the events lead to it.
1. Deficient Operating System:
One of the major drawbacks of the BlackBerry smartphone is the deficient Operating System. Even after the release of the much acclaimed BB10 OS, the users were not at all happy with it. When we say “users”, we have in mind 77 million BlackBerry users worldwide. That is not a small number. So, the issue is not minor either. But there had been no initiative from the side of the company to eradicate these complaints. The main concerns were the sluggish browser experience. Web pages loading is time killing process in BB10.
2.Insufficient App store:
The second major issue which struck the last nail of the BB coffin is the insufficient App store. Comparing to Android, Apple and even Windows stores, BB stores was way behind in the marathon. The so called “professional” approach spoiled them. Only profession related apps were available in the store. As BlackBerry has been a work related smartphone, their calculation that the professional touch of the apps and stores will get clicked, did not work as they expected.
If the BB had gone on the same way as the Apple, Google and Windows, that is, if BB had given the option to the users to choose whatever app they want, the store might not have been this much a failure. Comparing to the massive app collection of the Apple and Google, RIM is far away behind. It is true that the BB phones are used mostly for professional purpose. But that does not mean that the user will be using it for that purpose only. That's where the calculations flew away.
All these together lead BB to the extent that they openly declare their status that they have failed in their attempts to resurrect the company, and now, it is open for sale. If they had to declare it openly, we can guess how much worse their condition would be.
When the Z10 and Q10 were out, the tech world hoped that the BB would be coming back to the stage with these two smartphones. Though the Z10 and Q10 were not flops, they couldn't bag the fame and popularity the company had been looking forward to. If it was a few years ago, both these smartphones would have travelled a long way. But in the current era, sorry to say, they look out dated.
3. The Windows Phone 8 Boom!
The coming up of the Windows Phone 8 was the next blow to BlackBerry. Till then they were somehow clinging to the third position after Android and iOS. But with Windows Phone 8, the place of BB fell down to the fourth.
In simple words, we could say that the reason for the failure of the BlackBerry is that they did not move with the new changing trends in the smartphone market. That made RIM move to RIP. The technological innovations of the 21st century decreased the cost of production. Now, it is a “Build your own device” era. You can come up with innovative ideas and there is a big market out there waiting to swallow up anything you give. In this flood, everything would be washed out, if it is not upgraded.
Will anyone be coming to save BlackBerry? What do you think? Share your opinions right below.
