BlackBerry is making another play for a tablet. Hard on the heels of the launch of the next generation operating system BlackBerry 10, the company is planning a sequel to the disastrous PlayBook tablet -- while the new Z10 has the best-selling launch the company's ever seen.
The new Z10, first to showcase the new BB10 software, sold three times as many phones on its first day than any previous BlackBerry device. Spurred on by that success, BlackBerry boss Thorsten Heins told Reuters that, "I've asked my teams to build another one."
"The architecture we have built is true mobile computing architecture," says Heins. "It's not a downgraded PC operating system. It is a whole new innovation built from scratch. It's built for mobile."
After the critical and commercial failure of the PlayBook, however, Heins acknowledges that, "I need to make money from it. If the hardware doesn’t provide the margins I need, then it makes no sense in doing it."
BlackBerry also says that a docking station will arrive this year for the Z10 that will replace your laptop or desktop computer.
The PlayBook launched to almost universal lack of interest in 2011, failing to mount any kind of challenge to the market-leading Apple iPad. It was hamstrung by missing features -- you know, just a few minor things, like email -- and is now reduced to being given away free with the Z10.
It's crucial for BlackBerry, formerly known as Research in Motion, that the Z10 does well, as market share is ground down by Android rivals. BlackBerry hasn't shared specific sales figures for the Z10 launch, so we won't know how good the numbers really are until we see BlackBerry's results. It's worth noting that they're probably not a patch on a new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone, which see queues down the block. Who queues overnight for a BlackBerry?
Can a BlackBerry tablet take on the iPad? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Damien2501 7 February, 2013 10:17
"BB10 will destroy the laptop, Android, Apple, blah, blah, blah." - Thor is an idiot, at £480 / £31 PM I find retailers being "sold out" of Z10's unbelievable.
Gordon41 7 February, 2013 10:59
I knew Thor could pull it off, can't wait to see new market share results in about a year. I've read that more than 50% of BB preorders are coming from IOS & Android owners, that's a great sign for BB. The Playbook after all the updates is on par or better than other high end tablets, it just got off to a rocky start & folks are unaware or don't care about the updates. I do think its premature to be talking about a new one though. People are finally getting tired of the icon grids/bland software that are IOS & android. They really do need to get past 2008 & start innovating like BB & Windows mobile. People are catching on to the incremental updates.
anonymous 7 February, 2013 11:41
"People are finally getting tired of the icon grids/bland software that are IOS & android. " I find that hard to believe seeing as i.) Android is not reduced to an icon grid O.S. And 2.) It is the application experience that leaves the highest impact on the mobile user and not necessarily the iOS type of infrastructure. The reduction of this type of characterization to both OS's is just outright misleading and invalid.
More importantly, and this might sound odd, but the Blackberry 10 is an unfinished product. Yes the "flow" is prettty great, and the "hub" is phenomenal, but the majority of applications are terrible. I realize that there are terrible apps with other O'S's but that doesn't change the fact that, despite 50k distribution of alpha devices worldwide to "top-level" developers, there are maybe 15 great apps trending on blackberry world. The rest are playbook ports that don't work or Android ports that glitch. So while Blackberry did an amazing job with the OS from the ground up, it is not ready to deliver apps. In other words, it is behind on this front and 70,000K means very little at this point. Also, it carries a grid/like aspect to the OS because, like it or not, you need to find a way to list apps in any OS. Just like Android, however, it just isn't central in the way iOS is.
Finally, Playbook had/has the worst technical support. Working with SMB clients, we find that they would much rather invest in enterprise solutions that don't leave them "hanging" in the same way Blackberry's Costa Rica call centres have. This leaves a lot to expect, and tarnishes the trust between prior BB clients and existing BB offerings. They put everything on the line and left previous customers hanging with a, now, antiquated OS.
Patrick Cantellow 7 February, 2013 16:48
Was going to sell my PlayBook, but I will try BB10 on it first to see if it can keep my on it... but it is very slow.
brackvakic 7 February, 2013 17:29
I love the idea of plugging my phone into a computer and using the mouse and keyboard to control my own OS with my own mobile data connection displayed on the computer's monitor...is that what they're talking about? That sounds ace. But if I need a special dock, a special keyboard and a special monitor and mouse then forget it.
I just can't believe this is £480. Apple gets away with charging that (although people are increasingly questionning whether that's really worth it) because of brand loyalty, design and the fact that they're a 'premium brand', Samsung get away with charging that (for a couple of months) because they make the best kit, but RIM are known as a cheapo company who make cheap phones for kids and businesses. How they can expect people to shell out £480 for a dual core 4 inch handset with a totally unproven OS with no apps and rubbish maps I just don't know.
brackvakic 7 February, 2013 17:32
Buying unproven OSs is a bit dodgy. People who bought the playbook got stung, badly stung. People who bought that web OS HP tablet thing got stung (unless they got a refund when it was reduced to $100. Charging £480 for unproven kit is MENTAL.
anonymous 8 February, 2013 07:01
Well in my opinion and the experiences i had in the past 3-4 years with Blackberry devices, Blackberry always rushed into things and came out with pretty unstable devices and operating sytems instead of taking the time and creating something stable. And I am sure this device will not be any different from the rest.
anonymous 9 February, 2013 18:22
Can it take on the ipad. Nope, not until it has a comparable app ecosystem.
homerjay99 11 April, 2013 19:45
Anyone moaning about a lack of apps on BB10/Z10 is a retard.
That's like whining that there aren't as many aftermarket parts for a 2012 BMW as there are for a 1968 Ford