Best Utility Lever for Blackberry
When Research In Motion (RIM) released Blackberry smart-phones in 2001 they created great value for their phones by allowing for synchronization with personal computers in order to allow users to access emails and other services efficiently. However, with time, other companies such as Samsung and Apple have released smart-phones that have suited market needs even better and snatched the market that Blackberry previously commanded. Blackberry currently commands only 1% of the smartphone market. Blackberry can salvage its survival in the mobile telephony industry by pursuing other blue ocean strategies.
The best utility lever for Blackberry would be variety. Blackberry phones are known for their Blackberry 10 Operating System (OS) and the iconic keyboards almost similar to those of computers. Curently, blackberry has the Blackberry Passport- a handset that combines its iconic keyboard and a touch-enabled screen to enhance typing accuracy and give users a feel of modern smart-phones. However, blackberry needs a revolutionary product. The new blackberry phones can merge features of their unmatched Blackberry 10 platform with Google’s Android OS thereby surpassing many smart-phones being produced by Samsung and Apple- the two greatest rivals of Blackberry. A slider handset using android-powered Blackberry would be the first smart-phone with the unique features that Blackberry inherently possesses while the android platform would match the market demands.
Moreover, the phone should combine a touch-screen and a physical keyboard in which case users can choose which suits them the best. The creation of variety will also enhance the ways through which a smart-phone can meet customer needs. Whereas touch-screens have been the choice input platform for many Smartphones that Apple, Samsung, Sony and other companies produce, the screens may be limiting users who prefer physical keyboards. Blackberry’s pursuance of a phone that uses both a touch screen and a physical keyboard not only singles it out from the crowded market but also gives variety to its customers. As such, Blackberry’s retention of the unique features its phones have exhibited since 2001 coupled with latest technologies in smartphone production should see it acquire significant market share and make competition irrelevant.
Compelling New Product
A phone that has operates on the Blackberry 10 and Google’s Android OS would be a great product for Blackberry. The new product should feature a touch screen and a keyboard. Many smart-phone users have been accustomed to using touch-screen handsets since they are perceived as easier and funnier to operate. However, the sturdiness of the physical keyboard and its usage are also fun to many people. Moreover, the physical keyboard brings about some sturdiness and eliminates customer reliance on the delicate touch screens.
There are rumors on Blackberry planning to release a phone with the above features. The new phone to be called “Venice” shall be a slider featuring a 5.4-inch screen with the iconic curves of Blackberry devices. The new phone will also have a high resolution of 1440*2560. It will also feature a 64-bit Snapdragon 808 SoC. The phone will operate using a 3GB RAM and Hexa-core 1.8GHz CPU among other great features. A rear and front facing camera of 18MP and 5MP respectively should complete the basic features of Blackberry’s product.
The above specifications and features will cause the new product to stand out and give customers great variety. Customers will have a feel of the unmatched Blackberry features and enjoy the features available on other smart-phones such as speed, high-resolution screen and advanced cameras. According to Alan, Blackberry’s new product “has the chops to make some serious noise in the smartphone marketplace”. He advises that the producers should try and get the phone out into the market just in time for the holidays to maximize on holiday sales. As such, Blackberry, through currently commanding very low market shares in the smartphone industry, can bounce back and beat the competition through a revolutionary smartphone such as the “Venice” which would give customers great variety.
References
Allan, F. (2015, June 17). BlackBerry Venice slider could launch in November with QHD display, Snapdragon 808 chipset. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from phonearena.com: http://www.phonearena.com/news/BlackBerry-Venice-slider-could-launch-in-November-with-QHD-display-Snapdragon-808-chipset_id70558
blackberry.com. (2015). blackberry passport-overview. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberry-passport/overview.html
Goodwin, R. (2015, June 30). First BlackBerry Android Phone To Be Called "Venice". Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobile-phones/23180/first-blackberry-android-phone-be-called-venice
