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Toronto: BlackBerry Chief Executive
John Chen penned an open letter to
current and former BlackBerry users
on Wednesday in a push to create
some buzz for the company's new
BlackBerry Classic device, which is
set to debut later this year.
The Classic, which bears striking
similarities to the company's once
wildly popular Bold smartphone, will
come with a complete top row of
navigation keys and a trackpad. Those
are features that many BlackBerry
fans missed when the company rolled
out its revamped BlackBerry 10 line
of devices last year.
Chen conceded that the company has
made some mistakes in the last few
years saying: "It's tempting in a
rapidly changing, rapidly growing
mobile market to change for the sake
of change - to mimic what's trendy
and match the industry-standard,
kitchen-sink approach of trying to be
all things to all people."
"When we lose sight of what you
want and you need, we lose you," he
said, in a letter published on the
BlackBerry blog.
The letter from Chen comes two days
after reality television star Kim
Kardashian created a stir by
professing her "love" for BlackBerry
devices, and confessing that she
owns a cache of Bold devices, at a
conference organized by tech news
website Re/code in California.
Chen, who stepped in to take the
reins at BlackBerry when the
company was faltering badly a year
ago, has moved rapidly to get
BlackBerry back on track, selling
some assets, partnering to make its
manufacturing and supply chain more
efficient, and raising cash via the sale
of the company's extensive real
estate holdings in Waterloo, Ontario,
where it is headquartered.
In September, the company launched
an unconventional square-screened
smartphone, the BlackBerry Passport.
The Classic is set to have a bigger
and sharper screen than its
predecessor, the Bold, along with a
much larger app catalog and a myriad
of other features. [ID:nL2N0RP0O5]
"We are committed to earning your
business - or earning it back, if that's
the case," he said, promising the
company would share more details
about the Classic in coming weeks.
An Open Letter from John Chen
To our loyal (current and former)
BlackBerry users:
BlackBerry is driven by an urgent,
obsessive focus on what matters:
you. When we lose sight of what you
want and you need, we lose you.
It's tempting in a rapidly changing,
rapidly growing mobile market to
change for the sake of change - to
mimic what's trendy and match the
industry-standard, kitchen-sink
approach of trying to be all things to
all people.
But there's also something to be said
for the classic adage, if it ain't broke
don't fix it.
BlackBerry Classic reflects that. It is
classic BlackBerry - complete with a
top row of navigation keys and a
trackpad. It's the device that has
always felt right in your hands and
always felt right in your busy day.
Of course, we've made quite a few
enhancements around the edges and
on the inside. The screen is bigger
and sharper. Our application
catalogue is growing. The BlackBerry
10 operating system incorporates all
the best productivity and
collaboration features on any mobile
device, including the BlackBerry Hub
and our all-new BlackBerry Blend.
Sure, we've got new BlackBerry
devices that break the mold,
including the BlackBerry Passport.
But we also recognise that a lot of
you continue to hang on to your Bold
devices because they get the job
done, day in and day out - just like
you.
READ MORE BlackBerry teases Bold-like Classic smartphone; coming later this year
John Chen penned an open letter to
current and former BlackBerry users
on Wednesday in a push to create
some buzz for the company's new
BlackBerry Classic device, which is
set to debut later this year.
The Classic, which bears striking
similarities to the company's once
wildly popular Bold smartphone, will
come with a complete top row of
navigation keys and a trackpad. Those
are features that many BlackBerry
fans missed when the company rolled
out its revamped BlackBerry 10 line
of devices last year.
Chen conceded that the company has
made some mistakes in the last few
years saying: "It's tempting in a
rapidly changing, rapidly growing
mobile market to change for the sake
of change - to mimic what's trendy
and match the industry-standard,
kitchen-sink approach of trying to be
all things to all people."
"When we lose sight of what you
want and you need, we lose you," he
said, in a letter published on the
BlackBerry blog.
The letter from Chen comes two days
after reality television star Kim
Kardashian created a stir by
professing her "love" for BlackBerry
devices, and confessing that she
owns a cache of Bold devices, at a
conference organized by tech news
website Re/code in California.
Chen, who stepped in to take the
reins at BlackBerry when the
company was faltering badly a year
ago, has moved rapidly to get
BlackBerry back on track, selling
some assets, partnering to make its
manufacturing and supply chain more
efficient, and raising cash via the sale
of the company's extensive real
estate holdings in Waterloo, Ontario,
where it is headquartered.
In September, the company launched
an unconventional square-screened
smartphone, the BlackBerry Passport.
The Classic is set to have a bigger
and sharper screen than its
predecessor, the Bold, along with a
much larger app catalog and a myriad
of other features. [ID:nL2N0RP0O5]
"We are committed to earning your
business - or earning it back, if that's
the case," he said, promising the
company would share more details
about the Classic in coming weeks.
An Open Letter from John Chen
To our loyal (current and former)
BlackBerry users:
BlackBerry is driven by an urgent,
obsessive focus on what matters:
you. When we lose sight of what you
want and you need, we lose you.
It's tempting in a rapidly changing,
rapidly growing mobile market to
change for the sake of change - to
mimic what's trendy and match the
industry-standard, kitchen-sink
approach of trying to be all things to
all people.
But there's also something to be said
for the classic adage, if it ain't broke
don't fix it.
BlackBerry Classic reflects that. It is
classic BlackBerry - complete with a
top row of navigation keys and a
trackpad. It's the device that has
always felt right in your hands and
always felt right in your busy day.
Of course, we've made quite a few
enhancements around the edges and
on the inside. The screen is bigger
and sharper. Our application
catalogue is growing. The BlackBerry
10 operating system incorporates all
the best productivity and
collaboration features on any mobile
device, including the BlackBerry Hub
and our all-new BlackBerry Blend.
Sure, we've got new BlackBerry
devices that break the mold,
including the BlackBerry Passport.
But we also recognise that a lot of
you continue to hang on to your Bold
devices because they get the job
done, day in and day out - just like
you.
READ MORE BlackBerry teases Bold-like Classic smartphone; coming later this year
