RIM Almost Switched to Android, Says CEO

[exfileme]

RIM considered Android before moving forward with BlackBerry 10.

RIM Almost Switched to Android, Says CEO : Read more

 

[fuzzion]

Headline should read

" Blackberry almost made a good decision "

 

[house70]

Yeah, they decided not to go with the number one mobile OS. Great decision, indeed....
They had a chance to apply vanilla OS on their otherwise great hardware, and guess what, they blew it. This could have been the Nexus experience alternative that some users are looking for something other than Samsung or HTC.
Bleah... they deserve what's coming to them.

 

[jaywar]

This is a joke. They could have implemented RIM based business applications that they are known for. Android is doing well; RIM isn't, make the switch.

 

[Kami3k]

They were too slow to adapt, in the tech industry that means death.

 

[chazbeaver]

They should design Blackberries so that it's possible to install Android on them, while still shipping them with the Blackberry OS. Their software is nothing that every phone in the world can't already do, but it is a niche product. So is their hardware, and people that prefer the Blackberry phone hardware itself over other phones would have more of a reason it buy a Blackberry if they could customize the OS.

 

[nebun]

in my own opinion, switching to Andorid would have been a mistake, especially with google's slow updates...can't wait to purchase the new 4G capable iphone

 

[SAL-e]

[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]in my own opinion, switching to Andorid would have been a mistake, especially with google's slow updates...[/citation]
If Google is so slow with the updates, why Android OEMs can't catch up with them?

[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]...can't wait to purchase the new 4G capable iphone[/citation]
How good for RIM is the oppion of the iPhone fanboy?"

 

[jojesa]

[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]in my own opinion, switching to Andorid would have been a mistake, especially with google's slow updates...can't wait to purchase the new 4G capable iphone[/citation]
So you are comparing Google slow updates vs what.... RIM no updates.
Or maybe RIM is so fast that in went around and it got stuck behind everybody.

 

[shqtth]

Android is a joke.

 

[sykozis]

Why create yet another Android based phone? The market is already flooded with poorly supported Android based phones. Instead, RIM needs to come up with something that actually appeals to consumers.

 

[Kami3k]

[citation][nom]sykozis[/nom]Why create yet another Android based phone? The market is already flooded with poorly supported Android based phones. Instead, RIM needs to come up with something that actually appeals to consumers.[/citation]

They could of made a Android that was more "professional." All attempts I've seen have been lackluster.

 

[shloader]

There's also the possibility that RIM wants to avoid legal entanglements associated to Android. You know... become too successful with it and earn Apple's ire. Valid thought path.

Liscense BBOS? Really? Who would by that in numbers enough to matter? It's not liscensing revinues they need. They make exceptional hardware but an OS the casual user tends to avoid. Perhaps the ship RIM missed was the one Nokia jumped on.

 

[whimseh]

But then they would have another cookie cutter Android phone with the same crappy fragmented features and terrible updates that people already suffer from. Good idea? No.

 

[cookoy]

We want to make it as differentiated as possible. Going cross platform and opening up would be losing that advantage

Advantage to RIM and not the consumers. I prefer an open platform where several companies compete to provide the best service to their customers instead of a proprietary one that is controlled by one major player.

 

[house70]

[citation][nom]whimseh[/nom]But then they would have another cookie cutter Android phone with the same crappy fragmented features and terrible updates that people already suffer from. Good idea? No.[/citation]
No; like I said, they could have released a vanilla Android phone that only requires them to keep up with Google for new releases and slap their hardware-specific drivers and their enterprise email on top of it. That, combined with the fact that their hardware is actually pretty good, would have made an excellent alternative to the current Nexus phones, for the customers that want to try something fresh and new. No carrier-specific bullshit, just plain OS like the Nexus line enjoys.[citation][nom]shqtth[/nom]Android is a joke.[/citation]
Your input here was invaluable, I don't know what we would have done without it....
/sarcasm[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]in my own opinion, switching to Andorid would have been a mistake, especially with google's slow updates...can't wait to purchase the new 4G capable iphone[/citation]
Yeah, maybe that Siri thingy can teach you how to spell... now go back to school.

 

[belardo]

RIM CEO says:

ut if you understand what the promise of BlackBerry is to its user base it’s all about getting stuff done. ~ And if we want to serve that segment we can’t do it on a me-too approach. ~ RIM may need to look at licensing the OS to someone who can deliver devices at a better cost proposition -- OEMs like Samsung or Sony

That is funny! What user base? Its shrinking, quickly. RIM could be out of money in 12 months. When I was in an at&t store a few weeks ago, two BB owners came in to replace their BB with ANDROID. They didn't even look at the BB devices 3 feet from them! License their OS? SONY isn't at the top, Samsung is quite busy selling tons of Android devices and already have slow-selling WP7 phones (which look like their Android models). Why would they want another weak platform to support? HTC, doubt it. Nokia - they are in bed with Microsoft... for now or until they die. LG... maybe, but not top-of-the line. Is this guy drinking Crack?

The "me too" approach is fairly easy to take care of. First of all; Samsung, SONY, HTC and MC have different looking "SKINs" for their phones and I'm talking about the latest Android 4.0~4.1. The dial pads and contact lists look different from brand to brand. The task-switcher even looks different from some phones. But they all run Android Apps.

RIM could have made a very custom looking BB-Themed Android interface, install their BBM software which could be coded to only work on BB hardware. They could have released such a phone over a year ago. At the rate they are going, it will be 3 years since they bought QNX to re-engineer that OS into a modern phone OS.

RIM failed. The will most likely die before Nokia.

 

[belardo]

RIM CEO says:

ut if you understand what the promise of BlackBerry is to its user base it’s all about getting stuff done. ~ And if we want to serve that segment we can’t do it on a me-too approach. ~ RIM may need to look at licensing the OS to someone who can deliver devices at a better cost proposition -- OEMs like Samsung or Sony

That is funny! What user base? Its shrinking, quickly. RIM could be out of money in 12 months. When I was in an at&t store a few weeks ago, two BB owners came in to replace their BB with ANDROID. They didn't even look at the BB devices 3 feet from them! License their OS? SONY isn't at the top, Samsung is quite busy selling tons of Android devices and already have slow-selling WP7 phones (which look like their Android models). Why would they want another weak platform to support? HTC, doubt it. Nokia - they are in bed with Microsoft... for now or until they die. LG... maybe, but not top-of-the line. Is this guy drinking Crack?

The "me too" approach is fairly easy to take care of. First of all; Samsung, SONY, HTC and MC have different looking "SKINs" for their phones and I'm talking about the latest Android 4.0~4.1. The dial pads and contact lists look different from brand to brand. The task-switcher even looks different from some phones. But they all run Android Apps.

RIM could have made a very custom looking BB-Themed Android interface, install their BBM software which could be coded to only work on BB hardware. They could have released such a phone over a year ago. At the rate they are going, it will be 3 years since they bought QNX to re-engineer that OS into a modern phone OS.

RIM failed. The will most likely die before Nokia.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]nebun[/nom]in my own opinion, switching to Andorid would have been a mistake, especially with google's slow updates...can't wait to purchase the new 4G capable iphone[/citation] What?! LOL!! You are so funny! Android updates almost twice a year. Over the past 3 years since QNX was bought, Android has gone from 1.6 ~ 4.2 by the time BB10 hits the street.... *IF* it even makes it.

Android development is faster than iOS and easily faster than RIM.

 

[Guest]

I think that it would be a great idea.
Android OS it far better than BB OS in my opinion. The Os on a blackberry is just so bad. I really mean it. The OS is so slow, and it just looks horrible. iOS and Android OS run so much smoother and look so much better.

 

[xerroz]

Android is a buggy OS

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]xerroz[/nom]Android is a buggy OS[/citation] That is like saying "only men fart". There is no bug-free operating system. My iPad crashes out certain programs as much as my Android.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]whimseh[/nom]But then they would have another cookie cutter Android phone with the same crappy fragmented features and terrible updates that people already suffer from. Good idea? No.[/citation] Fragmentation should be a thing of the past. ICS (4.0+) unites the platform for both tablets and phones into a single system. It is still up to the carriers if the phone interface is default ICS or a modified look and feel (Nook and Kindles are way-off the Android path - even if that is the heart that beats). So yeah, while Sony, Samsung, HTC, LG have different looking home screens/UI - they all work the same, run the same software. Changing your Windows screen colors doesn't make it any less or more compatible with different software, does it?

And of course, RIM could make their own skin, add their own BBD software and have modern phones on the market a long time ago. Instead, RIM paid $200million for QNX and it took them a year to throw together a 7" tablet that was buggy, incomplete and costs more than the iPad. = fail. Nevermind how many millions they spent making QNX into BB10... I would say about $100m.

They could have gone with Android, spend about $500,000 customizing it for their own needs and had it out the door in 1~3 months.

Its still funny that RIM thinks anyone would want to licence their BB10 OS?! (A) it costs money, (B) its strict to BB/RIM guidelines. (C) Its not a proven OS. It maybe called "10.0" but its really more of a 2.0 when it comes out. (D) Android is 4.x, its free pretty much.

 

[Bloob]

I don't understand why so many people seem to want "one OS to rule them all" in the mobile space as well. Hopefully RIM can pull it off and survive with their own OS. Competition is good.

 

[maqsabre]

they say bbm is what attracts people to blackberry
and i thought
whatsapp was a better alternative to bbm