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BlackBerry SurfBoard?
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94 Comments

First BBX Smartphone had better not be called the BlackBerry SurfBoard!!

By Kevin Michaluk on 30 Nov 2011 11:18 am
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So the word floating around the interwebz today is that the official product name for the first BBX Smartphone from Research In Motion (currently codenamed BlackBerry "London") will be the BlackBerry SurfBoard. Personally, I don't believe it. I have more faith in RIM's marketing and branding department than that, whether or not RIM already has thet trademark on the name. And if it is true, let me just say right now that has time to change it, and should change it.

Take a vote on the poll above and let us know where you stand on this name issue. I really hope that when we see the first BBX phone get announced by RIM in 2012 it's to a name other than SurfBoard. /end rant 

Source: BBOS via TechCrunch

Topics: BBX BlackBerry London BlackBerry SurfBoard News & Rumors

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Kevin Michaluk Kevin Michaluk 3706 (articles) 3034 (forum posts)
94 comments

FlashFlare11

Can't honestly say that I'm crazy about it, but I can see the reasoning behind it.

Kevin, do you think this means that the BBX phones may launch sooner than Q3 2012?

elle-ade

I think its a fun name. Why ever not? I mean, Gingerbread? Ice cream sandwich?

Ergo, Surfboard!

I think its funny, silly, irreverent, and may quite well generate alot of attention. At least RIM won't appear quite so stuffy.

Jake Storm

+1
Since people will actually us it for surfing the web, it makes a lot more sense than Galaxy, Nexus, etc.
New names always sound strange at first. Try this poll again in one month and the results will be a lot different. It takes time to grow on you.

gord888

too many syllables to come from RIM. Maybe Surf... but not Surfboard.

Connor83

Cupcake.
Donut.
Eclair.
Gingerbread.
Honeycomb.
Ice Cream Sanwitch.
This would be the reason (IMHO) the RIM went BBX and not BBQ. Lol. But I still say no to surfboard. And can't believe 10% like it.

FlashFlare11

Well, I guess those pass because the actual phones don't have those names, just the software. They also have the version number, like 2.3, 4.0, etc. Besides, when it's from a company named "Google", it's no surprise that their software is named as such.

I do hope this name gets changed. "Torch", "Storm", and even "London" sound much better. What happened to the full-touch Torch's rumored name, "Volt"?

uuglyindaface

I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!

FunktasticLucky

You forgot 2.2 Frozen Yogurt :)

zensen

I like it, its not the best or the snazziest name ever. The connotations are there to play off it. Better than something like puck, hockey stick, maple leaf or mounties. Get much surf in your area? :p

You've ranted, what would u call it?

buckwylder

good point, lol

___________________________________________________________

in the time of your life, live so that in that good time, there should be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life that your life touches, seek goodness everywhere

purijagmohan

Leak says it will be shown in surfest USA .Any one knows when that is??

JFTeran

First week of August, 2012 unfortunately...

StikiGreenZ

You have faith eh? Faith in the same company that decided to call the new all touch blackberry the Torch? Reusing a name for a completely different form factor does not scream "Strong marketing".

I love RIM, but you can't seriously have that much faith.

Kevin Michaluk

I didn't say *how much* faith I have... just that I had more than that! :)

Kiddo2050

Agree, they must have the worst marketing of any major tech company in the world.

But honestly, who cares what it is called, I know I will get it even though it has no keyboard.

brava27

Better yet, Call it the "Blackberry Skateboard" or "Blackberry Rollerblade"

chr1sg

Wait until you hear the names of the curve-series ;-)

Xader

BlackBerry Segway! lol

Kiddo2050

Actually the Blackberry Blade sounds awsome.

Tatperson

Actually, BlackBerry Rollerblade sound kinda cool...

gregerator

SurfBoard was a rumored name for the PlayBook. Works for a tab, but not a phone. Plus there is a cable modem called the SurfBoard. I'm thinking not.

Emu the Foo

Exactly my thoughts. Motorola owns that name for their modem(or who ever owns them). So I doubt it.

CrackBerryDoctor

Google now owns Motorola but as far as I know their mobile services are the only division they own.

shemaree09

Names are everything! Look what happened to the Zune or Kin.

Pretty cool products but failed because of the name (sorta lol)

Surfboard sounds lame and cheap, like its for kids.

Blackberry represents polished and professional products

elle-ade

I disagree with you there. The iPad was ridiculed for its name when it came out....did not hurt sales at all.

I really doubt th theory that a name alone can cause a product to fail. I mean, how inspired was the 'iPhone'. Really? And yet here we are, millions of iPhones sold.

So, the name matters, but not so much.

shemaree09

yeah iPad was funny but it still was in the family of i-products.

Xader

Wii, anyone? WiiU?

Terrible names don't always kill a good product.

slagman5

The difference there is that Apple fanatics don't care. They already buy into inferior products forcing you to use an inferior desktop software on your computer. They could have called the iPad the iPoop and those idiots will still line up to buy it...

Thachoc1

Thats just absurd!!! Surfboard, I mean really. C'mon RIM, SMDH!

WillieLee

Isn't this just some nonsense based off of Alec Summers surfing post regarding the applications designed for mobile users to score surfing competitions?

Technology blogs has reached a point of sadness, they invent a story and then attack a company based on the fabrication.

BlackStormRising

As a surfer I can report that the Silver surfer likes this name. Mine will be called the BlackBerry Blade though.

XPEH

Blade is a cooler name, sounds so much better than Surfboard.

shemaree09

I agree!! Change the name to BLADE.

The Blackberry Blade sounds 10000000x better :D

chr1sg

can you imagine the headlines: "RIMs Surfboard - does it float?" or "RIMs Surfboard misses the wave" or ...

gregerator

I had a Pearl back in the day and always awaited the article "Curse of the BlackBerry Pearl". XD

Jake Storm

The Pearl also had an attachment point for a lanyard. So, you could give yourself a "pearl necklace".

djdnz

It's not going to happen.

kyleheney

www.blackberrysurfboard.com

siddo_d

If rim has any shame they will not call it that. I want to get the blackberry superphone but will be ashamed to even say its name call it a more powerful name

elle-ade

lol yes, I remember when Apple tried calling their tablet iPad....failed miserably. Who would want a product called the iPad??!!

Ok, I think I'm morphing into a troll.

cl8baller

Sounds like one syllable too much.

BlackStormRising

Yep, Blade. I like it - shiny, sharp and "cutting edge". :)

Jake Storm

Why not call it the BlackBerry Bla1ze?
That would help tie it to the current Torch line too.

DBX00

If the device has a name, then the launch has to be well before Q3. I really don't think they want to go head to head with the iphone 5, so it'll probably fit in the March-May window. The only thing that could be delaying the product is if they are waiting for the second generation LTE chipsets, which I don't think is a wise choice. They would be better off just releasing a LTE version on Verizon and AT&T. They could really make a splash as one of the first decent LTE devices on AT&T and that could be your selling point.

jstirtzinger

*sigh* Waaayyyy too much time and energy being spent on uninformed rumour and unsubstantiated information.

El Platanero

"Hey honey, can you grab my Bold for me.". That is a strong statement. "Honey I cut myself and need to get to the hospital!! Grab my surfboard and call 911." Not so much.

andy957

That's worse than "PlayBook".

Liquid_Revolver

+10 BWHAHAHAH

Priceless

RIM ...blooowwsss

jasonec

Tubular use of the language dude.....surf on!

On a serious note, however, that name is stupid beyond belief ;-)

stevedefrel

O gawd please tell me your kidding...

liquid_metal

PlayBook was an almost-as-stupid name and look where that got them...

Are they TRYING to lose the rest of the enterprise market with these names?

Beesh1

Hopefully this is just a rumour! And not actually true...
I mean its like
Look what I just bough;, the Surfboard...
Doesnt pack a punch like; I bought the Storm...Javelin...Torch...Bold...

Chango_BB

I vote forBlade. BTW, Wesley Snipes can help with the ads...lol.

Blackberry_boffin

Curve
Bold
Storm
Torch
Pearl
Style
Sounds quite apt, then:-
Playbook
Surfboard?
Yeah the QNX family of devices have challenges even at birth. What if it is the second tablet after the sales and not the BBX phone?

MADBRADNYC

These new BBX devices are said to be for heavy hitters. It should have a commanding strong business-like name, not some beach bum connotation. They way to reach the consumer base is not with "fun" names, but with "fun" device features. Hoping for better PR than this...

kidneythief

Surfboard?! That is god awful!! Keep the codename in my opinion. I would love to buy a Blackberry London.

shebmiller

I hope this isn't true. Although the name is fun and that's what they're going to try and do (market this phone as a consumer phone, with "fun" things) I do not think it will be received well.

Although name isn't everything, it is sort of the first impression you get of a phone. One of the first things you learn about a new device is what it's called and I feel as though "Surfboard" does not evoke the right feelings for RIM's first BBX device even if they choose to brand this phone as "fun.

I will stick with my first choice and suggestion and state once more that I believe the first BBX phone should be called the "Ace"

JPMorgan_

It's ugly! I hope it's just a rumor that never confirms. Me too, I'd like to a buy a phone named 'Blackberry London'

BerryPotter

"Well, u will be surfing the web on it and it is shaped like a small board, so let's just call it SurfBoard." It's a BAD name that sounds like a Fisher Price phone. RIM's image is business. Please choose a name that reflects this. IceCream works for google. Stop trying to copy what other companies are doing, and go your own direction. You were excellent at this in the past.

karthulovesyou

i'm heading straight to Blackberry Beta Zone and starting a thread in the Playbook Community to urge RIM not to adopt this name (I know this isn't Playbook related, but it's the same OS, and we know they actually read those threads and often respond.) I love RIM too much to let them make such a huge mistake without making it known that this could very much affect their sales! Whoever wants to throw their hat into that ring, please feel free to make your voice heard in Beta Zone.

fi9ueroa

Here we go again, rumors and rumors then demos and demos as they did with the playbook...I don't care how long it takes to get these new phones out, i'm a BB user PERIOD. But they better be ready for prime time...

Xopher

The name "Blade" sounds so much better. Hopefully their marketing department monitors this thread and rethinks the name.

Danf

well after thinking about it the name surfboard my fit. When the phone bricks itself you can say, "Dude I did a wipeout on my surfboard today.

ROFL

Chango_BB

I have an idea and Ithink that maybe a few of you will like. Name each version of the phone as the name for the capital of a country and in that same place RIM should do the launch. Start with London, then Tokyo, Washington, the order they prefer. That will help them in the marketing.

Morjesta

Aint Surfboard the name of a Motorola Modem?
LOL

crackman27

Yup, they own the trademark for it too, it won't happen

greatwiseone

TechCrunch is useless. No way they are using a tablet name for a phone...

RPM_KW

Considering the domain Blackberrysurfboard.com was just registered today, I think this is false.

kyleheney

If you go to BlackberrySurfboard.com it says it's for sale. Maybe RIM will make an offer for it! Haha

liquid_metal

For about $1500 they can file some papers and take it over by force without paying the cybersquatters anything, even if they're in another country.

biggulpseh

This is where the power of the CEOs matters so much. If I was CEO and my marketing team gave me a presentation saying the name for the first BBX phone should be 'Surfboard', they would all be fired immediately no questions asked. For a company that has lost so much credibility in the eyes of consumers, this would literally be the final straw for a lot of people, including myself. I can honestly say I would never buy a Blackberry called Surfboard no matter how good it may be.

drkknyt98

How about Blackberry RADIUS or Falcon as the name or even the codename London would have worked for me like others have said.

AMWausau

What planet are you from? Here on earth there is no Blackberry Marketing Department. If there were they would be marketing form over function. Better Phone, Best EMail, function over form. It doesn't happen here on earth. Apple markets cool, Android markets its ability to do darn near everything. What does BBY market. Lets be honest one of the weakest functions of a Blackberry is its ability to surf. So I think Surfboard is a wonderful name.
Cellcom Employee

liquid_metal

Surfboard.

Hey, I'm the CEO of _____ and I'm carrying a surfboard. BBM that financial comptroller dude and let's go surfing with those MBA babes. Like, dude, is there a slot to hide weed in this phone? Man, but I'll bet it's got an app that changes your hair color. Right on, dude. Totally bodacious.

FlightsimGuy

I know that Blade sounds like a good name for the next BB phone, but I happen to own a phone with that name. Made by Kyocera. I realize that it has been a few years, but trademarks being what they are, RIM might have to pay/negotiate for the use of the name. I don't particularly like SurfBoard as a name either, with the tone and the breeziness it connotes. It did lead to another name for me, though: BlackBerry Blackboard. No nonsense. Versatility. Flexibilty. It even seems to work in a sentence: "Hey, I forgot my BlackBoard at home." People would just shorten it to "Board" anyway, and all of the "fun" associations would come from that.

remmo

They should try with drinks names..
Blackberry Juice
Blackberry Vodka
Blackberry Wine.. etc etc

Hibbylinx81

Really now! A compound word! Totally off! It rings zilch! I'm curious to know how this name would define this device. Snappy, classy, stylish, robust, how will surfboard speak that language! I'd be somewhat shocked at that revelation! Surely there are more prominent epithets in the English Lexicon!

Puz_zled

Blackberry Baby. Overheard in conversations everywhere Q "What's that phone?" A "It's a Blackberry Baby!"

leo_tard

I'm not feeling the name Surfboard its a weak attempt by BB. I think they should call the first BBX phone the Blackberry Beach. That way if you cant find your phone you can say hey where is my Beach, oh yeah i left it in the office hey Doug go get my Beach :)

rcheung135

Why not call it BlackBerry Prime? It's a reboot of the entire line of BBs, with a new OS. 9900, 9930, 9981 have approached 10000.. I doubt it's a coincidence that these numbers indicate a new beginning.

EvanKr

I still like Blackberry Edge.

Rob Robertson

Don't like it. Haters will call it the surfBORED

si001

One Point Twenty-One Gigawatts?!?!

newty74

sorry but the marketing department is brain dead as far as i'm concerned.

The numbering system is confusing to consumers. There's no real logic to it...or one that is easy for consumers to use and understand...even nokia has a logical numbering system.

second branding...who in the world decided to have 2 different types of fones being called torches and curves?

make a 3rd brand for the all touch devices to keep it simple for consumers dood. A high end and a low end one...could've been a cheeky one say...blackberry thunder?!

gordonzhao

BlackBerry Plank.

Remember when planking was the it thing?

BlackBerryOS.com

Kevin, please add the source to the article... http://www.blackberryos.com/content/exclusive-rim-renames-leaked-bbx-pho...

buckwylder

i think "blackberry stfu" would be the perfect name

_______________________________________________________

in the time of your life, live so that in that good time, there should be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life that your life touches, seek goodness everywhere

PBUser318-4

OK, we have BlackBerry Blade, BlackBerry Edge and BlackBerry Prime as good suggestions. How about BlackBerry Cyclone?

Any better suggestions?

Kamika007z

Blackberry StopTouchingMe
Or
Blackberry Lawsuit

CrackBerryDoctor

If this new BBX phone will be called Surfboard then RIM better be ready for a wipeout.

misskalunji

I don't like it but I can see it happening, like someone else pointed,t he other Operating system name...gingerbread etc...but i sure hope not!

rav813

they called a phone BlackBerry STYLE, so I really wouldn't put it past them to call this one surfboard. i mean, the playbook was supposed to be BlackBook, and is supposed to be intended for enterprises and consumers, yet they still chose PLAYbook. their marketing team is beyond pathetic.