BlackBerry CEO: No to tablets, Yes to the Keyboarded Q10
Just as Steve Jobs once decided that touchscreen laptops just don't work, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has also given a piece of his mind about a particularly hyped and acclaimed device, the tablet.
According to Digital Trends, the BlackBerry CEO has recently stated in an interview that tables don't really have a use in the industry or in the lives of consumers.
"In five years, I don't think there'll be a reason to have a tablet anymore," said Heins to Bloomberg, as quoted by the Financial Times. "Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model."
In its history of production, BlackBerry has only dabbled with one tablet, the PlayBook, and while it's still in production, it seems that its CEO won't be looking at follow-ups. Whether the BlackBerry CEO is speaking based on the profitability (or lack thereof) of the PlayBook or of the tablet from a business model perspective, it's likely that BlackBerry as a company would look at other methods to boost its sales.
BlackBerry: Better than going with tablets, go with Q10
Rather than going with tablets, BlackBerry is slowly pushing to gain momentum via its other flagship phone, the physically keyboarded BlackBerry Q10. In fact, one of the latest news is that in Carphone Warehouse, a UK retail seller, 2,000 units of the Q10 were sold in approximately 90 minutes, according to Seeking Alpha.
The Q10, which follows the pre-touchscreen Z10 design, but also incorporates a touchscreen that lets you swipe when you need to, is a unique take on a keyboarded phone, a device which is already quite rare in the age of the touchscreen.
"A lot of people are saying we have a real hit on our hands," said chief operating officer Kristian Tear to The Star.
The Q10 may even be BlackBerry's weapon against the likes of Nokia, which recently launched the Nokia Asha 210, in an attempt to introduce budget QWERTY phones into its lineup.
Given how BlackBerry is still looking at two more phone releases this year, a mid-tier and another QWERTY phone, it should look at the Q10 as an inspiration to boost sales.
The Q10 is expected to continue with its launch following its successful round in UK. If you're waiting to get your hands on the Q10, you can expect the following features: a 3.5-inch display, 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, 2100 mAh battery, a 2-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear camera.