back to article BlackBerry CEO: I LOVE keyboards, so if you want them, you'll get them

According to BlackBerry interim CEO John Chen*, the hardscrabble smartphone maker's next wave of products will return to tried-and-true form factors, complete with the company's hallmark hardware keyboards. BlackBerry launched its all-touchscreen Z10 handset to much fanfare under previous CEO Thorsten Heins last January. But …

COMMENTS

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  1. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Blackberry should try something different

    Make a phone that has the traditional Blackberry keyboard and small screen on one side, and full sized touchscreen on the other side. It would cost more, but at this point Blackberry isn't going to gain share doing what others do. They need to try something different, to provide a more traditional experience for those who have stuck with them or would consider going back, while still giving those people the regular smartphone experience when browsing.

    1. Oninoshiko

      Re: Blackberry should try something different

      Except for ruggedizing that, that's a pretty good idea. If it could be made to take the beating I give phones, I think I'd rather like that.

  3. Barry Rueger

    Hurrah!

    It's winter again here in Vancouver, and that means rain, and snow, and cold, and numb fingers.

    All of which make touch screens nearly useless. Even after you seal your phone inside a ZipLock bag.

    I will quite happily buy a smartphone with real buttons and a physical keyboard.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Re: Hurrah!

      Give me my beloved old Blackberry keyboard on a device with fast internet and Android apps?

      I'd give two thumbs wayyy up for that phone.

      1. legless82

        Re: Hurrah!

        Blackberry Q10?

    2. Trevor_Pott Gold badge

      Re: Hurrah!

      A west coastie? Bitching about winter? Ahahahahahahahahaha. Wake me when you tough out a winter on the prairies.

  4. Mussie (Ed)

    How about a touch screen with a keyboard in a landscape format hinged behind the screen.

    like the one nokia had.

    if your typing you want to use both hands anyway.

    Oh wait this is RIM they will pooch it no matter what we tell them

    1. jaminbob

      Agreed such a device is needed. There is so little differentiation in phones. I've never quite got over losing qwerty, but they just don't make flip downs anymore!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      N900

      I'd buy a Blackberry if it had a slide down keyboard and touch screen similar to the N900, but with a good HD display and the ability to sideload Android apps. I think that could be a real winner.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. RAMChYLD

        Re: N900

        Indeed. I love my Q5, which moved to from a Nokia N97 (and before that, a HTC TyTN). Bought it the moment M$ bought over Nokia and subsequently announced that they will be shuttering the Ovi Store.

        If RIM makes a N900 form factor device complete with slide out keyboard and updated with today's power and a higher res screen, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

  5. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Alternate KEY Power Generators ...... Clever Alien Parts with Zero Non-Disclosure Agreements

    Do RIM and/or Mr Chen have BlackBerry Addictive IntelAIgent Programs with Suites of Immaculate Product for Hyper Driver Insertion? Or is All Private Public Pirate Party Partnership Performance, Foreign Third Party Supplied from Secure APPLet Stores with Fabless Trove? Smoking Hot Towers of Treasure, Absolutely Fit to Bursting.

    Hmmm ...... Is CyberPower a listed prohibited export/import item/weapon/facility? What sez Computer Systems Admin? And prohibited from achieving what when all be free, pray tell.

    Share a dream and it instantly has chances at facilitating reality. Share a shared dream and reality lingers in the past to permit the present to prepare ITs Future Surprises ..... Media Presentations of Live Control with Remote Command of Events.

    That be a right wrecking ball buster and great game changing notion to feast upon in excess of satisfaction and is readily available at Confection, with close by half brothers and promiscuous sister into Confessions and the Guilt Trip Honey Trap ....... Sweet Phishing Expeditions.

    1. Jacksonville

      Re: Alternate KEY Power Generators ...... Clever Alien Parts with Zero Non-Disclosure Agreements

      Couldn't agree more.

    2. Jim 59

      Re: Alternate KEY Power Generators ...... Clever Alien Parts with Zero Non-Disclosure Agreements

      Somebody has been using El-Reg forums to test their AI text generator spam bot.

      According to Wired, the bot went live on 31/3/2010, but its comments on El Reg go back almost a year earlier.

      1. Jacksonville

        Re: Alternate KEY Power Generators ...... Clever Alien Parts with Zero Non-Disclosure Agreements

        Does that mean I just failed the Turing test?

      2. Hans 1

        Re: Alternate KEY Power Generators ...... Clever Alien Parts with Zero Non-Disclosure Agreements

        >According to Wired, the bot went live on 31/3/2010, but its comments on El Reg go back almost a year earlier.

        AmanFromMars wasTheBetaTester!

      3. Trevor_Pott Gold badge

        Re: Alternate KEY Power Generators ...... Clever Alien Parts with Zero Non-Disclosure Agreements

        For the record you're wrong about amanfromMars.

        A) Comments from the chap go back (at least) to the early 90s on usenet, if you dig hard enough.

        B) He's human. (From the UK, IIRC.)

        C) Garbled Words Of Layered Meaning aside, he's still better company than 95% of the "obviously a human" people I meet on the net.

  6. Hollerith 1

    Keep the keyboard, keep me for life

    All I want is a bit of a bigger screen and fewer fandangles, and a keyboard. I will be faithful to you, BlackBerry, as long as you deliver!

  7. Hans 1
    Thumb Up

    I could see a market for a flip-case with keyboard for a z30 ... big screen, flip the case and you have a physical keyboard, screen in landscape mode .... hm, Blackberry, you make the best keyboards, make this a reality, please!

    I love the text swiping and do not live in Canada or Siberia so do not need a physical keyboard, ;-)

  8. Sheep!

    Blackberry telling me it's going to return to using phone keypads on it's phone range is like Sinclair research telling me it's going to return to using rubber keys on it's computers and has about as much relevance to the market. There are a few old faithfuls who will still stick with RIM, but then some people continued to buy the QL and C5.

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