BlackBerry has released the BlackBerry Classic, which is getting rave reviews, with some suggesting that the phone could signal a comeback from BlackBerry.
Could a phone that harkens back to BlackBerry's past really pave the way for the company's future?
One of the main selling points of the BlackBerry Classic is the fact that it has a physical keyboard. This makes it a great choice for those who prefer the feeling of pressing real buttons.
Just how many of those people are there, though? Isn't the point of removing the physical keyboard, in the first place, so that there can be more screen real estate for other things?
When Steve Jobs revealed the first iPhone, he criticized phones that had physical keyboards, saying that they were not only ugly, but also took up far too much space on a device as a dedicated and rather limited feature. The world agreed with him. Shortly after the iPhone was released, the smartphone revolution began.
There is another reason to stick with Android and iOS and that's the fact that Apple and Google have built impeccable ecosystems. There are millions and millions of apps available from Apple's App Store and Google Play.
However, BlackBerry users are limited to apps from BlackBerry World or the Amazon App Store.
Ecosystem is more than just apps, though. On Android, users can seamlessly interact with any of Google's services, including Gmail, Drive and YouTube among others. On iOS, interaction with Apple Mail and iTunes is easy.
BlackBerry doesn't really have the same features. Users can access services from other companies, such as Gmail and YouTube, but the experience just isn't the same.
Having said that, BlackBerry does have some great features. Users will appreciate the MicroSD card slot for expandable storage, and the fact that the device is built like a tank.
Those features, however, are not limited to the BlackBerry Classic. Plenty of Android devices offer MicroSD card slots and plenty of other phones are well built.
One of the other reasons that some might choose a BlackBerry over other smartphones is the fact that they like the operating system. The OS is built for the business person, not someone who wants to be entertained. This means that the BlackBerry Classic will not appeal to the general public.
The BlackBerry Classic has some strong points, but those strong points appeal to a very select group of people, and not the average consumer. If BlackBerry wants to start again small, then the Classic is a great device.
For mass production, however, the Classic is simply an outdated device in a tech world that has moved on from the physical keyboard and places value on app variety.
BlackBerry as a company has its fingers in other areas, suggesting that it has a plan to remain active. However, as a mobile company, BlackBerry is as good as gone.
