As BlackBerry 10 arrives today, BlackBerry-builder Research in Motion has the opportunity to get us excited about the new software -- and has already made a right mess of it, ducking questions about the iPhone and failing to find a single interesting thing to say.
BlackBerry boss Stephen Bates appeared on breakfast television and radio to talk up the next generation of BlackBerry software, but ended up dodging questions and parroting a meaningless string of corporate-safe buzzwords.
On BBC Breakfast telly and on 5 Live Breakfast radio, BlackBerry bod Bates served up vacuous, unrelated spin in the face of questions regarding the delayed launch of BB10 and the fall in market share in recent years -- and even when directly and repeatedly asked, "What went wrong?"
And in the technology industry's equivalent of a Paxman moment, Bates was asked six times what RIM has learnt from Apple and the iPhone 5.
Instead of seizing the chance to answer what is essentially the only question the average person cares about -- why buy BlackBerry instead of the iPhone (or Android phones, if you're more tech-savvy)? -- BlackBerry's European boss elected to burble various combinations of the words "deliver", "unique" and "transition" until my brain dribbled out of my ears.
Wasted oportunity
Yeah, I know it's naive to hope company bosses could hold their hands up and say, "Yeah, our bad." But few -- if any -- technology companies get a national spotlight like RIM has today. What a fantastic opportunity! With all this attention from the mainstream media, it's the perfect moment for RIM to say something honest about its problems, something piercing about the competition, and something mouthwatering to get us excited about BlackBerry's new dawn.
Perhaps RIM is mindful of the disastrous press when former boss Mike Lazaridis walked out of a BBC interview in 2011, objecting to questions about BlackBerry security problems. So the company line has gone too far in the opposite direction, chucking the BB out with the bathwater and electing to say nothing at all, in the process completely failing to give us any idea why we should be excited about BlackBerry 10.
Of course, BlackBerry 10 and the new phones may turn out to be corkers, and hey -- I've got my fingers crossed. I'd love to see something new and cool and exciting to challenge the Android-Apple duopoly.
But on public appearances so far, today has started out as a BBshambles.
What did you think of BlackBerrybod's performance? Is BlackBerry 10 about to blow the phone market wide open? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 20
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anonymous 30 January, 2013 13:11
unfortunately for BB its going to be very tough to win back lost customers with them prices, BB10 needs to be twice as good to attach customer away from iphone n android, lesson is do not get complacent otherwise you can be top one day and forgotten the next, apple is soon to follow with zero new invention and eye watering prices eg over £700 for ipad, loyalty can only last for soo long,
anonymous 30 January, 2013 13:17
JUST ANSWER THE BLOODY QUESTION!!!!
anonymous 30 January, 2013 13:19
The interviewer tried to draw him into badmouthing his company's former co-CEOs or Apple and he refused to. Just because someone asks a question, doesn't mean you have to answer it.
anonymous 30 January, 2013 13:24
what a douche bag article, I want my five minutes back! just complete nonsense
anonymous 30 January, 2013 13:26
I'm sure RIM has learnt very little from Apple. I'm sure Apple learned a lot of RIM though. And to be upset that somebody doesn't want to fall in to a trap that you set is crazy! It's like being taken in for questioning and refusing to have your lawyer present who just happens to be outside. The worst thing RIM could do is say how badly they messed up and negative comment after negative comment right before a launch. It's unfortunate you didn't get the story you wanted out of the interview, but don't try to spin that negatively. RIM has spent 2+ years rebuilding the foundation and platform for their new OS. It will be hands down the most advanced phone you can own for multiple years. No other OS will be able to keep up.
If you'd like to make some serious money. Go Long on some RIM shares
anonymous 30 January, 2013 14:03
What did you expect him to do? She was focused on the negatives of the past, he wanted to focus on the future. She was trying very hard to derail him, but he stayed on the message. The interview was supposed to be about bb10 but she tried to use it for other purposes, shame on her.
Torashin 30 January, 2013 14:47
It was so cringeworthy to watch! I can't believe how stubborn he was.
Nick Hide 30 January, 2013 14:48
"It's like being taken in for questioning and refusing to have your lawyer present who just happens to be outside."
Yes, going on TV to plug your new product is exactly like that.
Rich Trenholm 30 January, 2013 14:48
Sure, but he didn't talk about BB10 and why we should be excited about it. Instead we got some empty buzzwords. What actually IS the message? BlackBerry 10 is... boring?
Estifanos T. Zewde 30 January, 2013 15:04
It looks that the author this erratic article has NO practical acquaintance with BB10.
anonymous 30 January, 2013 15:09
Considering Samsung have shipped more phones than Apple in the last year, why bring up iphone every time? They are not the market leader for smart phones. Fact.
anonymous 30 January, 2013 15:55
This is journalism for what it really is these days. Not about truth or fact just rubbish. The interview is supposed to be about BB10. People know what went wrong. What people want to know is given the opportunity they want to hear straight from the bosses mouth just why they should given up iOS and Android for BB10. They don't need to focus on the past they need to focus on the future and so should CNET. This interview is not about APPLE or ANDROID so why make it about them? That dumb blonde was trying to get a juicy scandal/story out of him and that was not the point of the interview. He should have walked out of the interview. There was no reason to question why things went wrong or what APPLE and ANDROID are doing. The fact is this is BBs last chance to make something of themselves. If this doesn't work then they should pack it in.
anonymous 30 January, 2013 16:25
Did you just watch the launch event, it was very impressive and BB10 speaks for itself. Take the high road and don't bash the competition, just bring out great new products with innovation that makes consumers want to keep their BlackBerry or make the switch to BlackBerry. They know Apple makes great products as well, there is space for both companies and that ads value for everyone.
anonymous 30 January, 2013 17:19
What the fwck, what has rim learned from apple, absolutely fwck all,should be what has apple learned from rim, and anyway why is it always apple that's mentioned its not apple thats top of the smartphone its android that not only is top but completely dominates the smartphone market,its android that has knocked rim,apple,Nokia and the likes from the spotlight,I have had a small taste of bb10 and trust me it ain't going to make hardly any impact on the market,it does absolutely nothing new that android can't or already hasn't done, but I will tell you this it kicks the holy bejesus out of any iPhone, but saying that its not to difficult to do that these days,apple has hit a brick wall it just can't get over, their living in the dark ages........
anonymous 30 January, 2013 23:30
This is journalism, not a BB10 advert. It was embarrassing watching him evade all questions and just try to advertise the blackberry. You go on a BBC news interview to be interviewed. You pay ITV if you want to advertise. They were legitimate questions and the whole company did themselves lots of damage ignoring the questions.
Rich Trenholm 31 January, 2013 08:47
Well said, Anonymous at 23:30
anonymous 31 January, 2013 23:26
Anonymous@13:26
Go kill yourself. No new phones will be more advanced! The s3 late and note 2 and nexus 4 are all better and the s3 predates it by over six months. Go and fuckin' die in a well.
anonymous 1 February, 2013 09:29
Cant wait to get my Business Students to listen - It is utter rubbish!
Howard10000 4 February, 2013 09:30
Frankly, I find the description of the interview in this article very misleading.
Guy was there to accentuate the positive an deliminate the negatives.
He did that - it could have been done better but it wasn't embarrassing.
A non-Article about a non-Story.
anonymous 4 February, 2013 21:57
Why should he discuss what was or was not 'learned' from Apple or any other company. All that does if advertise for them. Apple is overpriced with built in obsolesce.