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What BlackBerry did right
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You probably already know that BlackBerry is in serious trouble — a once vast smartphone empire that’s now facing ruin. But that doesn’t mean BlackBerry hasn’t made several serious contributions to the tech world. Hit play to see Adventures in Tech explain what BlackBerry did right.
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We have BlackBerry to thank for popularising the notion of taking your online world with you, as part of your mobile phone. It started with decent mobile email, but found mainstream popularity beyond the besuited business world.
When the first iPhone was revealed in 2007, Steve Jobs made fun of devices like the BlackBerry, calling them hard to use. Indeed, Apple’s stripped down smartphone interface sparked a revolution of its own, and it wasn’t long before Android and iPhone OS were making BlackBerry’s keyboard-touting mobiles feel extremely old-fashioned.
BlackBerry promised its BlackBerry 10 software would take things forward, but a series of devastating delays meant that once again, the ailing firm was a step behind the competition.
It’s hard to see how BlackBerry could bounce back, at least in the world of smartphones. But with one analyst opining that 2016 could see an increase in cash flow, hope of a turnaround springs eternal. Whatever the future holds, now is a good time to press play, and remember the good ideas that BlackBerry did have.
What do you think of BlackBerry today? Did it have any good ideas we forgot to mention? Watch the newest episode of Adventures in Tech, then let me know your thoughts in the comments, on our Facebook wall, or find me on Twitter.
