crowbyte.orgIs BlackBerry laying it's BlackBerry 10 OS to rest?
The gossip factory is working overtime
As Reuters claims they have reliable sources from within BlackBerry telling that BlackBerry is planning a massive change of strategy and is working on an Android device with physical keyboard.
The rumors say that with this move BlackBerry is adressing the ongoing decrease of market share. Entering the touch screen dominated Android market with a device which is extended by BlackBerry concepts and ported features from its home grown BlackBerry OS 10 to the Android device they are setting it even more apart from its competitors.
Dangers of the change of strategy
Such a massive change of strategy naturally carries a lot of dangers with it.
Not only that BlackBerry would this way admit the unability of their home grown OS to assert itself on the market and propably even would sound the death knell for their operating system, BlackBarry additionally takes the risk of losing customers along the way of porting features from a well setup operating system to Android.
Chances of the change of strategy
On the other hand there is the chance to remain on the market at which's edges BlackBerry with its home grown smartphone OS is currently endangered to fail because of their niche existence.
BlackBerry could benefit from Androids solid market position on the one hand side and its own very special concepts - at least as they succeed in uniting the one worlds benefits with the ones of the other world on the other hand. This might enable BlackBerry to revive the market, draw new interest in BlackBerry devices and therefore gain more market share.
Additionally reducing costs by not having to develop a complete OS on their own should be seen as what it is, yet another argument for abandoning the home grown OS in favour of the well established Android. Especially if they are not abandoning BlackBerry OS 10 but instead forming two separate product line-ups, one for business customers with BlackBerry 10 OS and another for the consumer market with Android, BlackBerry would be able to maybe even double the chances and benefit from devices better suiting each specific type of customers and their special needs.
The market in the course of time
Following Nokia and Palm BlackBerry would be the next big player who has been one of the market leaders in the past which now is in danger to fall victim to the rapid change on the market, or at least has to sacrifice parts of the corporate identity to survive.
Personally I am a proud owner of a BlackBerry Passport since March and am a big fan of BlackBerry since quite some time already. After the end of WebOS which was my favorite for the time of its way too short existence the termination of BlackBerry 10 OS would be the futher death of my latest favorite.
With this in mind I wish BlackBerry good luck whatever direction they will be heading but am hoping for a bright future of BlackBerry and especially for an even brighter future of their home grown BlackBerry 10 OS.