With the release of the Classic smartphone just weeks away, BlackBerry CEO John Chen drafted a letter calling for new and former customers to buck current trends and take a chance on a device the modernizes everything once loved about company's handsets.
Chen has been vocal about his company's hardware and software in the year he's sat at the head once-prosperous organization. The company has downsized under Chen's orders and stymied the leakage of revenue, though BlackBerry still has more work to do to convince Wall Street the handset maker is now in the era of growth the CEO has heralded.
BlackBerry released limited quantities of its latest handset, the square-faced Passport - 200,000 of the devices. The smartphone, geared more toward viewing documents than consuming video, smashed its modest target, but it appears BlackBerry is going bolder with the incoming Classic (Q20).
"Sure, we've got new BlackBerry devices that break the mold, including the BlackBerry Passport," Chen states. "But we also recognize 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. We get it, and we've got you covered."
Like the Passport, the Classic is expected to bear a square screen with a resolution of 720 x 720. The Classic's form factor falls more in line with the rectangular builds of current smartphones and past BlackBerry handsets, unlike the Passport's square build.
The Classic will also take advantage of BlackBerry's new Blend software, which serves a localized cloud in syncing data wirelessly across handsets and PCs. The incoming handset is expected to be a significant improvement over the BlackBerry Bold.
"You don't reinvent yourself every day; you take what you learned yesterday and sharpen it today," Chen states. "You drive change - often on your terms, but sometimes not. That you keep going regardless is what distinguishes you as a grown-up. You're in it for the long haul. So is BlackBerry."
Chen said BlackBerry is committed to continuing to earn the business of its customers or earning loyalty again from those who've moved onto other brands.
"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," Chen states. "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."
