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The Blackberry Priv was a bold new step for the Waterloo company — it was the first time they’d made a phone that runs software built outside their walls. The Android-based PRIV was an attempt by the company to see if they could somehow salvage their hardware business by tapping into an established dominant platform.
While we’re still not exactly sure how successful the Blackberry PRIV did at retail, John Chen says the early results have kept him “cautiously optimistic” about the company’s future. In fact, Blackberry is so happy with their direction that they’re supposedly considering dumping Blackberry 10 altogether.
It must be tough to concede defeat in a business where you were once considered top dog, but any good businessman knows that one of the greatest assets a company needs is the ability to see the need for change, and the willingness to make that change when necessary. For Blackberry, change has been necessary for a long time coming. The company could have easily bowed out of hardware and stuck to their guns on pushing the BES platform, but to go for one last hoorah on the hardware front is a very bold attempt to recover their ailing business, and they’re hoping it’ll pay off down the line.
So, what now? Blackberry is said to have multiple new consumer products in-store for 2016, including 1 smartphone and 1 “new” device (presumably something they haven’t done before, such as an Android tablet or even a VR headset or set-top box). You have our attention, Blackberry.
[via CNet]
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