Canada's online magazine: Politics, entertainment, technology, media, arts, books: backofthebook.ca

Politics, tech, media, culture and more, from a Canadian point-of-view

  • Politics
  • Media
  • Culture
  • Science and Tech
  • Living
  • Arts and Books
  • Features
  • The Video
You are here: Home / Science and Tech / BlackBerry 10: RIM’s comeback device

BlackBerry 10: RIM’s comeback device

11/29/2012 by backofthebook.ca 1 Comment

BlackBerry 10By Mark Evans

Research in Motion has thousands of employees but, in some respects, it’s a startup whose prospects hinge on the much-anticipated introduction of the BlackBerry 10 on Jan. 30th.

With negative sentiment surrounding Canada’s flagship technology company slowly starting to dissipate as more details about the BB10 are unveiled, I got the opportunity recently to get my hands – albeit briefly – on the Dev Alpha unit.

One word: Impressive.

In a nutshell, the BB10 is a fresh and innovative smartphone with definite curb appeal that keeps some of the features that BlackBerry users have loved over the years, while adding a bunch of new bells and whistles.

As important, the BB10 is a different creature from the iPhone and Android devices, which gives it a good shot at carving out its own identity without being seen as a me-too smartphone. This is no doubt a difficult feat to pull off but the BB10 seems to do the trick.

As RIM attempts to become a vibrant smartphone player again, it is interesting to hear the company is trying to go back to its startup roots with a more flexible, agile, and transparent corporate culture. This is a crucial issue in a marketplace that shifts quickly as new devices and players enter the market.

So, what’s cool about the BB10?

While it may take existing BlackBerry users to get up to speed, BB10 is a device without a home button. Instead, it uses a “Hub” that makes it easy to navigate from app to app using swipes on the screen. If the BB10 has a killer app, “Hub” may be because it enhances usability while separating BB10 from the pack.

From a features perspective, the touchscreen keyboard stands out. With strong industrial design, it feels like a regular keyboard while featuring predictive technology in which letters and words appear on the keyboard rather than the screen.

As the smartphone becomes a constant part of our lives, BlackBerry Flow is a way to easily separate your work and personal lives by changing how BB10 looks, feels, and operates based on whether you’re in work or personal mode.

The camera is also impressive, particularly its ability to rewind or go forward (aka Time Shift) to capture just the right photo.

RIM has done an impressive job in developing BB10, which seems to be almost fully baked. As more analysts and reporters get their hands on it,  they’re starting to change their minds about RIM’s prospects, which is a major accomplishment.

With the launch of BB10 in just over two months, it will be interesting from a corporate and PR perspective to see how RIM continues to get people excited about the BB10 (a campaign that has been unfolding since July, when RIM decided to go on the PR offensive in an effort to control the story).

One of the keys will be keeping the story front and centre during the holiday season, which is the biggest time of the year for smartphone purchases. If RIM can convince people to wait until the end of January, there could be some strong pent-up demand.

For existing BlackBerry users, the BB10 offers plenty of reasons to be openly proud again. For consumers looking to get a smartphone, the BB10 will give them another viable smartphone option. And for iPhone and Android users, BB10 could give them a reason to reconsider their device of choice.

First posted on markevanstech.com

Filed Under: Science and Tech Tagged With: Android, Blackberry, Canada, iPhone, mobile phones, Research in Motion, RIM, smartphones

Subscribe to BoB by e-mail or RSS

Trackbacks

  1. BlackBerry 10 QWERTY handset on the horizon – TechRadar UK | Best News Feed - Daily News Magazine says:
    11/29/2012 at 3:58 am

    […] productsComputerworldRIM's Business Plan Needs a Quick Fix: 10 Things to Do Without DelayeWeekBlackBerry 10: RIM's comeback devicebackofthebook.caApple Insider -Globe and Mail -Ubergizmoall 557 news […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Google+
  • Living
  • Politics
  • Media
  • Culture
  • Arts and Books
  • Features
  • The Video
Fire sale sign

Fort McMurray: Shopping time!

By Brady Tighe We’re now officially in the aftermath phase of the northern Alberta wildfire crisis. The fire is long gone, and everyone with a home to return to is back in its … [Read More...]

Nathan Cullen

Electoral reform: Hashtag fresh thinking

By Alison@Creekside The most interesting and innovative idea to come out of the first meeting of the all-party Special Committee on Electoral Reform, or ERRE, was Nathan Cullen's suggestion, … [Read More...]

Trudeau on quantum computing

The Trudeau gush fest is getting old

By Jim Henshaw There have been several bewildered as well as angry accounts coming out of the USA lately about how little media time has been spent covering the Democratic Presidential Primary … [Read More...]

Rick Meyers in Nanaimo Pride Parade

My friend, Rick, at the Pride Parade

By Frank Moher On this dreadful day, I don't want to write about the shootings in Orlando. I want to write about my friend, Rick. Rick lives just outside of Nanaimo, a city of about 80,000, … [Read More...]

Stephen Colbert on Late Night set

Triumph of the drama nerds

By Frank Moher Two drama nerds have recently moved into high profile positions. Before I name them (or perhaps you’ve already guessed who they are; or perhaps you’d like to scroll down and look at … [Read More...]

From “Our Rape Blog”: Shooting the Moon

Originally published on Our Rape Blog, the author's account of the aftermath of a violent sexual assault. By Mary Fraughton Have you ever played Hearts? It’s a card game. For our purposes, … [Read More...]

First Nations defending Lelu Island

The video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”

From Creekside: The B.C. provincial government is trying to green light the construction of a massive LNG terminal on Lelu Island in the Skeena Estuary -- Pacific Northwest LNG, backed by Malaysian … [Read More...]

Google

Follow Us!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

RSS CBC News



Recent Posts

  • Fort McMurray: Shopping time!
  • From “Our Rape Blog”: Shooting the Moon
  • Electoral reform: Hashtag fresh thinking
  • The fish hotel
  • Hatred on an Alberta golf course
  • The video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”
  • My friend, Rick, at the Pride Parade
  • Our selective sympathy
  • The Water Bomber, The Frogman and The Great Canadian Novelist
  • Komagata Maru: The story behind the apology

Tags

9/11 Afghanistan Alberta bad behaviour books British Columbia business Canada Canadian military Canadian politics CBC celebrity computers Conservatives crime environment family film G20 Globe and Mail internet Jason Kenney journalism Justin Trudeau law Liberals Maclean's music National Post NDP newspapers oil sands online media Ontario Quebec RCMP religion sports Stephen Harper television theatre Toronto U.S. Vancouver women

Archives

The Video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”

Pages

  • About
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in