More BlackBerry layoffs: 200 Venice devs binned amid Android shift BlackBerry’s phone ambitions are diminishing more than ever as the former smartphone giant prepares to launch its first pure Android phone. Reuters reports that around 200 hardware and design staff have been laid off, following the completion of work on an Android device codenamed "Venice". It’s the latest in a succession of “ …
Who is going to buy Blackberrys that are based on Android?
A major reason people historically bought Blackberrys was security and whilst Blackberry 10 hasn't been great (over 80 vulnerabilities so far), Android is probably the most insecure of the current generation mobile OSs, well behind IOS and Windows Phone - which is the clear security leader by vulnerability count.
This is the one of the last few bubbles from Blackberry as they sink towards the bottom of the ocean imo.
"A major reason people historically bought Blackberrys was security and whilst Blackberry 10 hasn't been great (over 80 vulnerabilities so far), Android is probably the most insecure of the current generation mobile OSs, well behind IOS and Windows Phone - which is the clear security leader by vulnerability count."
Given that all software seems to have vulnerabilities, the important thing is that they get fixed and the patches distributed. Not sure Google have heard of that last part...
If BB produce a well sorted high quality piece of hardware then Venice might just take off. I've been impressed with the build quailty and design detail on the BB Z30, so the signs are good. If they go and put BlackBerry Hub on it then I will be sorely tempted. My only concern is that it'll be too Androidy; I'm playing with a Nexus 5 at the moment too (hence anon coward), and it's whole notifications / tabs / running programs thing is massively confusing. I wouldn't want that...
I'm not so sure about that. For Reg readers I'm sure that security was a major concern, but it was only a few years ago that all the children on my morning bus had Blackberries. These days they have all seem to have Iphones, or, more commonly, the mid-range Samsung offerings - security is clearly not their concern. They were using them because they were cheap and had free messaging via BBS. Now that Whatsapp and so on have taken that corner of the market Blackberries seem less popular.
Even among more adult users I doubt that security was a major concern for anyone not involved in tech. The vast, vast majority of people know little and care less about their device's software security. For many of them I imagine that a good hardware keyboard is probably more of an issue than the OS (give or take a handful of software features - which can after all be ported to or recreated in Android).
Thing is, I like my Passport. I will be sad if BBOS 10 goes. But...
If Blackberry keep up to date with Android and do a motorola on software updates, and more than anything, move the HUB over to Android, I am sold.
Otherwise, Wileyfox I think, when I deem the Passport too past it.
It is available yes, with annoying ads and promotions and paid for icons, hence why everybody is using Whatsapp these days.
Blackberry does not understand the current mobile market at all, otherwise they would have never bothered with that money sink that was BB10 and would have released an Android based phone on day 1 after realising they were in trouble.
I'm afraid it could be too late.
Sure, for a lot of people "security" seems not to matter too much.
However, now that there's tons of adverts for NFC-pay-by-phone, there's money at stake. If there's one thing that everyone really, really cares about it is money. If people start realising that poor security = money stolen from their bank account, they will care a lot about security. Android's update anarchy is a seriously liability in this regard. Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry can say, "we've got updates properly sorted". Google cannot.
I'm a longtime BlackBerry user. I had an iPhone 5 for nearly 2 years - it was smooth, but I switched back to BlackBerry when the BB Passport came out because I couldn't type fast on a touch screen and because I missed all the shortcuts which made it much faster to communicate with a BlackBerry. I love the Passport, BB10 and the fact it can run Android apps, but it's a pain to install them, they don't all run and the notifications don't work properly. Give me a BlackBerry device with a physical keyboard, an overlay UI allowing the keyboard shortcuts I used to enjoy, native Android and all apps and notifications etc, and I will buy it over any other device - I suspect other people will too.
You mean the fact that you use the Amazon app store on the device rather than have Google Push them out to you? I know you have to press one more confirmation than on a real android device, but that is hardly a pain.
(OK it is a pain to install the play store, but once done installing apps is simple)
What people seem not to have noticed is that once BlackBerry goes, there will be no major smartphone manufacturer whose OS updates and primary app store are not subject to the patriot act.
...Better that they get out of the low margin handset lark ASAP and continue the move into supplying secure infrastructure to other players.
John Chen's pedigree is primarily software and for that I see him steering this slow ship around by doing just that QNX/CarPlay/Ford/Good Technology. I see the handset thing as a last chance saloon for his internal squabblers to say "see? we tried and we're bleeding cash, now put up or shut up".
Don't forget - apple might be doing something with cars at some point:
http://www.qnx.com/partners/partner.html?partnerid=161700
Project Titan:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/apple-car-company-has-committed-to-making-its-own-vehicle-and-could-release-it-in-2019-10513002.html
QNX in ford cars:
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2859373/ford-dumps-microsoft-for-qnx-unleashes-new-functions-in-sync-v3.html
That's a big deal (and a smart move). All the banks use Good to support BYOD on iPhone. I am surprised that the Register didn't cover this. I may have to start looking elsewhere for my primary tech news source if el reg continues to waste time snarking about climate change while not covering important news stories like this
I was going to wait and see what this BB slider might be, but already bailed to a Nexus 6, for my phone exchange upgrade. Not sure how much life is left in Blackberry. Maybe it's time to sell the hardware division and just develop BES for Enterprise MDM. Don't know why they aren't focused on BES. Maybe Chen is following the previous CEO'S Golden Parachute methodology(screw the company up/get fired/get paid.)
Such a shame... But blackberry only have have themselves to blame, they were late to market and unless you explain just what it is about your product people should buy into then the market typically goes for a 'good enough' solution. Android is good enough. Personally for me, whilst android has all sorts of clever tricks up its sleeves now it's still a bit clunky and bb10 is hands down the most productive os I've ever used... The hub is incredible, the multitasking intuitive and fluid etc etc. Unfortunately no one has used it and everyone thinks that blackberry is either bust or that bb10 is the same company phone they hated in 2009.
If blackberry can bring some of that magic to the platform everyone has settled for then they may just make it through.
If you care about getting stuff done, there's no equal to BB10. Force me to use an iPhone and i slow down. That's not because i'm not familiar with it. It's simply not designed for productivity. Every function a different app? Give me a break. The hub pulls all my comms in one place. It's brilliant. My other favorite feature is the built-in to the calendar "Join Now" feature. I'm on the move all the time, car, bike, walking, train, bus, you name it. When someone puts a conference call on my calendar, it's ONE FRICKING click to join. No memorizing 10 digit participant codes (like my iPhone friends have to do). If the do drop BB10 (and if someone is listening), I hope they put the Hub on their Android device.
Perhaps a range of low end 7" phablets below £100, given a different branding ('BB' would seem to be the obvious choice).
I find Android a cheap nasty OS, fine for budget devices, but not anything I'd want to pay more than about £80 for.
I was thinking of replacing my Q5 with a Passport or Z30 until all this came up. Until this the only things putting me off were the lack of timed power off/on (meaning alarms don't work from off) and inability to switch to 2G only. (Which my previous Bolds both had). On the software front, my only real irritation is the lack of video add in for Bria.
But now I shall wait (this will have a knock on effect, to others waiting to replace their phones), if they are pulling the plugs on BB10, then I will wait until I find a passport for £60 (or jolla or sailfish produce something good).
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