Yep, that's Al Sacco front and center holding up the peace sign
We're less than two weeks away from the start of BlackBerry World 2012, and the excitement is beginning to build. When you're a BlackBerry fan, there's no place that feels more like home than BlackBerry World, where you're surrounded by literally thousands of hardcore BlackBerry users. There are a lot of reasons to get excited for BlackBerry World - the announcements, the people, the parties, the late nights at the hotel bar.... heck, even the information sessions can be exciting.
This year I'm especially stoked for a session being hosted by our good pal Al Sacco, who writes the Mobile Workhorse blog for CIO. This year Al is hosting a panel session titled Ask RIM. The panel will be made up of representatives from Research In Motion and they'll be answering questions about whatever Al asks - RIM, BlackBerry Products, the new CEO, strategic direction, you name it.
Have a question you want Al to ask RIM? Drop it in the comments here or over on Al's post on CIO. Just make sure the questions are intelligent and attention worthy. For those in attendance, the session is at 1pm on Wednesday (full details). For those who can't make it, don't worry, we'll be sure to report back here on CrackBerry with all the answers coming out of this Q&A.
Reader comments
The "Ask RIM Anything You Want" session at BlackBerry World 2012 - Post your questions here!
Hi, i have a blackberry curve 9320 and was wondering if there is ANY way to get snapchat on it as all my friends have it and i feel like i am missing out.
Thank you, Will
Question: If RIM is licensing BB OS 10 to other hardware manufacturers (such as Samsung), how would they avoid the same fragmentation problem facing Android?
Would RIM make it easy for developers to build apps for all hardware that is using BB10? (aka no app update needed for future device developed by 3rd party manufacturers)
I'm hoping BBOS liscensing could be similar to the windows one - at least i know i dont have to test my windows app on every PC hardware to see if they are working :)
I think it is often overlooked (or understated) that Blackberry the brand has an extremely loyal core fanbase (especially worldwide). One must admit; however, that the overall market has been waning over the fast few years (as previously noted this is most evident in the US market). The company in my opinion has made impressive effort to catch up to competition in recent times and I cant help feeling enthusiastic for the release of BB10..... My question is....
Does RIM think that it's important to keep this fanbase movement strong? I only ask because i've scoured the internet to find a blackberry T-shirt or polo that i would gladly pay for... I have a little one on the way and i happened to see a pic of an infant in a blackberry jumper and I was crushed upon tweeting the poster of the pic that I cant purchase one of my own considering the role that a BB 8520 and BBM played in the relationship between myself and my girlfriend. I have instead decided that i'll have to get a less symbolic and cool similar angry birds infant pack (readily available on their website). For years i have thought that RIM's excessive corporate focus was destructive in this consumer based world... I would like to think that this sort of thing can only bolster RIM's overall consumer view... I never think RIM listens to it's regular customers... I have had discussions where I say that their twitter account is only interested in vacation pics taken by my BB device and "loving my 9900!" tweets.... I only ask that RIM improve on their "consumer-base focus"... Like (i hate to say this) Android and (sigh) Apple... I love my blackberry... And i want to be "cool" again.
will Blackberry 10 devices have extendable storage (memory/SD cards)?
will Blackberry 10 devices have swappable batteries?
Why can't we store app's on the phone's memory card so that it can free up the internal memory so that we don't have to see the frozen black clock on the screen all the time? And for the 9930 (BOLD) which comes with 8GB built in and 500MB app memory separate?
If I have a att torch 9800 unlocked can I upgrade wit different provider os updates
hello, i need help. i want to know what is the SBEB and SBDB for?
i have a 9780 blackberry and i want to use my own service book (a modified service book). but everytime in the morning, my own SB is replace by provider's. And it really sucks because I cant make my own SB stop refreshing/updating. I want to protect my own SB, so there is no way it changed into another SB from RIM/provider. Please anyone help me. thank you very much.
Why doesn't RIM partner with Nintendo to produce a BlackBerry gaming phone? Nintendo gets to sell their games to people who carry phones but not dedicated game systems, and BlackBerry gets an awesome game catalog. WIN WIN!
Questions for RIM:
Will RIM ever adopt the practice of consistently posting change logs for new OS and app upgrades?
BlackBerry Bridge & corporate BB smartphone: why RIM doesn't provide official way to install BlackBerry Bridge app from BES ? What are the reasons?
Would Research In Motion be open to paying for top line popular app developers to bring their best apps onto the BB10 platform? Thanks!
Could Playbook help me to sync Calendar, Contact.. from my phone? It isn't perfect now.
Can I have a Blade or Victory this year?
When will we have Skype with video, and text on Playbook?
All the rumbles about BB10... I have been on blackberry for 15yrs. Would you just come out with something? I mean, really.... PLEASE. What will highly disappointment me is BB10 come out and still have nothing....LOL! nothing to say it packs a punch. Just do something!!!! All this talk, anticipation for what?! Im looking for processing, and ram speed, some screen real estate, front and rear facing camera. I dont use bbm through the connected apps, but get on FB within the app not thru the browser the Groups. The ability to send a quick standard note when a call comes that you cant address. Im just very disappointed with RIM/BB... Andoriod The Note is high on my radar.
About video store:
When is the Playbook video store available worldwide? Also, will everyone get the same content?
If I want to download a series that is only in English will I be able to do it even if my location is Latin America?
About TAT:
When is Cascades going to launch?
Can we please have a video store for the UK as well as other markets. Its long overdue. I'd like to see some form of expandable memory facility either via usb or in later revisions a simple memory card. Videos and dvds are so good on this device memory is easily used up especially if app store ups its game as well.
Will there be a BB10/4G flip/style?
will bb10 phones run android apps?
will bb10 phones have a gesture area?
will rim offer a bb10 vertical slide out querty keyboard phone?
will consumer bb10 phones be rootable?
will there be a bold 9900 style phone running bb10?
Will BB10 phones have removable media and battery? Will they accept SDXC?
I'd like to know why RIM doesn't leverage their unofficial celebrity endorsements. Finding that JayZ and Beyonce were given tricked out Porche Blackberries by Kanye West should be a major selling point to people. Heck, that Kanye rocks a Blackberry should be noted too
I'd also say that they should leverage their security function more especially to celebrities who have had their phones hacked into and had their pictures and numbers stolen. RIM should be there to give them a blackberry right away and to show the world that other phones are not as secure.
1. Will OS10 simply be a tarted-up OS7 or a completely new code? If the latter, will it be able to run third-party apps written for previous OSs? If not, how will RIM handle the abrupt absence of available third-party apps?
2. Business users now expect the same features and functionality as general consumers. Will RIM try to please both masters? Will that result in separate product lines, or one product line that achieves both goals?
3. Android phones are coming out fast and furious. By the time OS10 software and phones are released will they already be lagging behind the more aggressive competition?
4. What can RIM do to ensure fewer defective releases--witness the release of desktop manager 7 a few months ago that had to be pulled because it was non-functional for many users--without slowing down their already ponderous production?
5. Beyond OS10 what is the plan? What are the long-range goals? Has RIM started conceptualizing what happens after OS10?
m
Will we finally see the end of the spinning clock on BB10? Cause its still there on Blackberry 7
It's time to increase the 13 KB message size limit. Don't you agree?
Why doesn't RIM, the king of messaging, create an email service to compete with Gmail / Google Apps Mail? Why doesn't RIM create more web-based services/products, period?
When it comes to Google, I use Gmail, Google, Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Reader all on a daily basis. If I want the best mobile experience for these services, I should really get an Android device. These services are the ever present temptation to switch platforms.
When it comes to BlackBerry(RIM), there are no such services/products to be used which means there are no services making me say "If I want the best mobile experience for these services, I should really get a BlackBerry device."
Because of this, BlackBerry users will always have to settle for second-rate support/integration of competitors services/products.
I hate quoting Steve Jobs, but he said RIM needs to become a software company, and I couldn't agree more. (NOTE: This does not mean they should stop producing hardware!)
Will RIM acquire or integrate VLingo into BB10 to compete with Apple's "Siri"
I would like to ask if RIM has plans to perhaps acquire or make a contract with VLingo or another voice-enabling technology to compete with Apple's Siri. Many of my Blackberry friends didn't even know about VLingo and they were so impressed by it. I told them it's been available for as long as Siri, maybe longer. But marketing has been non-existent.
Some of these "killer apps" should be acquired or preloaded freely by RIM on the phones and advertised heavily, just like Apple does. Apple's success is not as much on their technology alone, as it is on good marketing/design and creating a buzz. I would like to know if RIM plans to install or pre-load software like VLingo but change the name to something "catchy" and advertise heavily like Apple does.
If RIM can integrate a VLingo-like app into all of their devices, they can also build a back-end to mine the data of all the converted speech-text to see what people are searching for, talking about, and basically mine the "chatter" for trends and other information. There is an opportunity for additional revenue streams coming in from companies that wish to show up on the search listings first, or pay for internet demographic info for marketing.
When will the Bold 9900 get a fix for the black screen? and what's the cause of this problem?
Q: We've seen RIM grow from entirely Enterprise, to captivating the consumer market and then splashing onto the tablet scene. Are there plans for laptop or even desktop development in the future? and if so will integration between your phone, tablet, and computer be a possibility?
Living Bold-ly!
More of a comment...
A lot of people seem to know what 'wrong with RIM' but nobody knows RIM's business than RIM.
#TeamBlackBerry is behind you.
Where is the CMO/who is the CMO?
A Quick Question:
Will BB10 have support out of the box for ActiveSync? This may seem like a silly question, but several of my co-workers have pointed out that they would still be using BlackBerry devices if they offered an ActiveSync solution to connect to MS Exchange without having to connect to the BES.
Question :
Will we see seamless integration between BB10 and existing playbook. From example syncing contacts,tasks, calendar with phone over bluetooth or BIS, play music on BB10 from PB, etc.
2. How many models of BB10 phones will be launched? Slider,qwerty and touch or just one single all touch phone.
3. Will there be a Gsm model of the style available for the emerging markets
Question :
Will we see seamless integration between BB10 and existing playbook. From example syncing contacts,tasks, calendar with phone over bluetooth or BIS, play music on BB10 from PB, etc.
2. How many models of BB10 phones will be launched? Slider,qwerty and touch or just one single all touch phone.
3. Will there be a Gsm model of the style available for the emerging markets
My Playbook have replaced my pc in many ways, however there is a minor road block regarding Video Chat , when is Video Chat going to integrate with different platforms besides another Playbook.That will leasing the load of carrying a laptop on the go for Conferencing?
I want, I need SSL authentification for Caldav and carddav on playbook.
We have SSL in Imap configuration, why not in Caldav and carddav?
It for Zimbra server.
Frank
1st: since they will launch 9220 in india with 7.1, why not giving 7 os also to us the "old" machines...such 9780/9700/9360 etc...? thank you
2nd: why, since blackberry os and playbook (especially) is unix/linux based, havent give yet a DM for linux distributions? at least the popular ones... thanks again :)
Qualcomm announced today that they are having issues with supply of their 28 nm LTE Dual core Krait chip, how will it impact BB10 phones production and do we have a plan for it..
Dear RIM, will we ever, and if yes, when, see a Skype support for any of your devices?
Can we get BB7 for all old os 5 and 6 devices and why didn't RIM make a BB10 concept before the release of bb7
Not even "when", but What are you doing to get the vastly popular apps every other major platform already has freely available ported to the PlayBook and BB10 in the next quarter (at the ABSOLUTE latest)??
I hate to do it, but I think I need to spell them out again - Skype, Netflix, Google+, Draw Something, Instagram, Kindle, Google Maps (with voice nav), Evernote, Pandora, Dropbox.
I happily invite more users to add more. This list is minimal. Missing any single one of these can easily turn off tens or hundreds of thousands of users.
Followup: If this isn't you're highest priority, how do you think you can possibly survive?
Why App World still doesn't work in Pakistan? For some stupid reason, they have blocked it. It is one of the main reasons it doesnt sell that well here, specially considering we are the 8th largest mobile market in the world. And it isn't only Pakistan, its only available in 100 odd countries, and there is no workaround to make it run elsewhere.
Please stop this stupidity.
Have you thought about having themes on BB10? If not, why? Themes have been a huge part of many people's experience with BlackBerry from users to theme developers. Customization is a key feature that needs to be implemented into BB10 by way of themes.
I've seen BlackBerry advertised in China (i.e. the international airport). Will RIM ever devote as much resources to attacking the Chinese market as they have the Indian market?
Recently, we've heard some news that Balsillie left RIM after a strategic attempt to utilize RIM's network to support social, feature phone plans failed. What were the limitations of this plan, and is there any continued development for this in the works?
What is RIM doing with BB10 and beyond that will revolutionize the phone industry again?
Is RIM working with providers like bell, comcast to give the ability to stream tv on new cell phones?
QNX has a large expanse in which to draw income from. How does RIM take advantage of some of these customers and get more BB products out there. Like playbooks in consoles.
Will RIM work with Adobe or other third party to develop an API for rendering PDFs so developers can write apps that manipulate PDF files as easy as one can on iOS? Everyone is screaming for better PDF support.
Will RIM support USB HID and USB MIDI on BB10 and the PlayBook?
Why is there no push for devices? I walk into a walmart and no blackberry's, some att stores no blackberrys, some verizon stores no blackberry. Commercials, iphone, Some for android, And a maybe a rare blackberry one. Also I have not been able to get an offical update on my ATT phones (9900 has 7.0 not 7.1 and my 9100 has 5 not 6).
Why can't you push the phones marketing and push the carriers to love the devices?
I'm wearing my PlayBook necklace to this event (well, I will have it on all week at BBWorld, but especially for this one). Wonder what I should put on my Screamager? LOL
Will bbm be available on the playbook w/o using bridge?
Will bbm be available on the playbook w/o using bridge?
When is the BB10 coming out?
I'm a Storm 2 user and I love the typing and the interface of the Storm phones. Has the thought of bringing back the Storm product line, along with the SurePress technology come up? BlackBerry Bridge makes me love SurePress even more than I did before. It gives your phone better operability as a remote than a purely touch screen phone can IMHO. In a market saturated by touch screen phones, I think it would be nice to have this differentiator. Oh yeah, and how do magnets work?
Are the dual core CPUs you plan on using going to be just as good as the quad cores coming out around the same time or before?
What is the end game of the PB, is it to be a gaming devise that toys with trying to be a business tool? What is the true plan for this tablet regarding business functionality and apps? What is the mission/purpose of this tablet from a company stand point?
Why can't RIM run some teaser ads for BlackBerry 10 to help prevent the further exodus to iPhone and Android? There is no marketing!
+1000 its almost as if they know they are going under.
RIM speak UP!!! Tell the world that mobile computing is about to EVOLVE with BB10!!! Teasers on my TV!!
NOW BUILD MOMENTUM!
There is a huge world of potential buyers that exist OUTSIDE OF CRACKBERRY!
What updates do you plan to include for the Bold 9900 series?
Will you return to AF from EODF? I believe most of us would like this.
Will you make it possible to rent/buy movies on OS7.xxx? Like with the Playbook? or at least side load from Playbook?
Will you add video editing on this or new phones?
Will you support cloud storage or at least make do like competitors and get a deal for 5GB for users?
What WOW factor (and there already are many in my opinion) do you plan to add to the Bold 9900 series?
Also when are we gonna get BBM on our wifi PB's? Dont you think this would push the PB further in terms of consumer adoption?
Also, is the video chat be combined with BBM later on to have it in one logical common app? That way we can choose to BBM txt the person and if they are available on their PB or BB10 with front facing camera we can video chat?
Background apps on BB10? Possible or not? By background apps I mean ones like Find My Phone, BerryBuzz, MediaKeyBooster... And what about apps like SOTI Pocket Controller-Pro?
1- Why does your ads about bbos7 lack any interesting points? Why not make a commercial showing somebody getting a malware on android and showing the bb not getting any? Or an iphone being hacked and a bb that can not? Or show somebody on a trip with an iphone receiving his bill later and a bb user doing the same thing and saving on his bill? This might not be the. Est idea exactly but something along those lines...
2- Are we gonna be able to sync our bb phones to the PB at some point so i can have all my contacts sync to both without breaking my head and trying to retreive from tweeter, facebook, linked in, my outlook, etc? It would be so much more convenient and still add the option for BES to not authorise this kind of sync
3- When are editing bookmarks coming on the PB so i can organise them properly?
4- if skype wont come, why not create your own cross platform video chat?
5- Will we ever be able to view SMS messages on PB from our BB phone bridged onto the PB?
6- Why is AppWorld lacking search methods within the categories? Right now when in a category, we can only sort by free or paid and i dont feel like going through all those app! Add sorting options within categories to make the experience of searching apps more pleasant!
7- Why we still dont have a decent video/movie/tv show store? Worst, why is your current video store not even available in your own country, Canada?
8- Is the next bb10 will having cutting edge and latest tech? And i mean all around not just cpu?
9- Why did netflix and hulu blocked the PB using the browser?
10- Why does RIM never fights back the media saying that keeps on putting them down and are the primary reason why the stocks has sink?
My question would be if any of the devices in the market is upgrading to bb10
Fugg Netflix Rim but you MUST GET SKYPE OR YOU WILL DIE!!!!
SERIOUSLY, AND IF YOU CANT GET SKYPE YOU BETTER GET BBM VIDEO OUT ON EVERY PLATFORM....YESTERDAY!!!!!!
I just want you guys to win!!!
Thorsten if you need to start smacking your devs upside the head than so be it!!!
And name a phone after Alec Saunders!!!
That guy loves his job and goes to war for BlackBerry!!
Call it the BlackBerry Alec and implement a stun gun into it!!!
BlackBerry FTW!!
There are many sessions dedicated to cloud services business. Does RIM have any plans for native Cloud services for end users?
Seriously, why havent RIM put a serious effort on getting Skype?
For what i know thats one of the most common reasons for people not wanting blackberrys or playbooks. And one of the most common reasons for blackberry and playbook owners wanting to get something else.
"Begin with the end in mind." All great innovators and visionaries love that quote so I ask BB; Where do you see BB/RIM in 2 years, 5 years and beyond in these 3 areas, 1) US consumer market share (active users and activations - growth), 2) Phone availability on US carriers (why doesn't USCellular have 99xx or 98xx), and 3) OS equality between available phones (no OS 5, 6, 7 and 10 - just one OS) (10 brownie points for all who knew author of quote) Thanks for opportunity to ask questions!
Will I be able to set the color of the LED notification light in the DEFAULT settings and not have to pay an app $5.00 to do so?
Why are Blackberry phones partitioned in ways of storage like they are? With expandable memory of 32GB most media goes to the SD cards and not phone memory. So I think it would be wiser to have more app storage. My 9900 I have 8GB internal storage and 32 expanded. I have 25GB used on my card. Maybe 2gb used on my phone. But I can't have one more single app due the the 512MB allocation. How can this be fixed?
And on that note (of apps)...
How can we make it more appelling to developers on the blackberry platform? Yes the app world has plenty of apps. But there are never main stream apps. Exsamples are... Angry birds, words with friends, draw something, etc. People want what's hot. And hot apps are what get the younger gereration. So if we want RIM to be long term we need to younger gereration to want them long term. So what can we do to get the main stream apps and developers to Blackberry?
The memory problem is a problem with the old java based BBOS, not a problem with BB10 (as seen by apps on the PB being able to use all the storage space).
That problem, plus difficulty of development, inconsistent aspect ratios, and lack of horsepower is why apps such as words with friends, and draw something are not on BBOS. However, getting in big apps is possible (Angry Birds is on PB and will be on BB10), and hopefully RIM will have roped in all the other big name apps.
Oh, and another reason for lack of apps: BBOS is on the out, so developers see no reason to waste time on it, and BB as a whole looks shaky, so a bit of a gamble to invest in development if it crumbles. Bit of a vicious circle unfortunately...
Thorsten spoke about focusing areas of strength. What does this mean for the Playbook? It is not a viable product and has done nothing but cost the company money and focus. It hasn't been all that effective in building the BB10 ecosystem. Several Playbook variants have been under development, but none of them have ever seen the light of day. Do you have an exit strategy for the Playbook?
How will BB7 and BB10 coexist?
All development cost going in playbook is not waste, it is all included in BB10. BB10 is nothing but a phone version of Playbook OS 3.0 :)
Also why you want to talk about a exit strategy, Playbook is not going anywhere, it is the Tablet platform of RIM and all tablet ambitions will use it as base.
BB7 and BB10 will not co-exist. Existing BB7 phone models will be there for next 2-3 years, for Enterprise customers and low end market only with no marketing or future outlook on them.
You talked playbook variants, and there are 2 variants, One LTE and one HSPA version. They are no different than existing Playbook except mobile connectivity, and RIM may be launching these versions with some careers in Blackberry World..
And few suggestions for the PlayBook.
1-folders for videos please!!
2-a way to disable Facebook messages in the mail message app
3-a timer for camera app
4-ad block for the browser option please!!!
5-custom light notifier colours:)
6-list view open ion for videos :)
Thanks!!!!
Agreed! I can't tell you how absurdly livid I get when going through my pics. Even more so, when I'm trying to upload a pic and I'm forced to go through each individual pic. Even ones that are from random applications. Right now, the PlayBook is very sloppy with all of its filing.
I want to be able to access my BBM Music app on my Playbook!
I want to be able to access my BBM Music app on my Playbook!
If this is to be a true 'super-phone', why not put a quad core processor and a 4.5+ inch screen. Or else it is behind the competition in hardware specs.
Here is my question:
Why isn't RIM more open to seeing and giving the consumer what they want in a Smartphone rather then only 'guessing' what the consumer might want?
Jim
What's RIM's strategy in China - the biggest smartphone market? Why there is no single OS7 phone in China to now? Why Playbook does not even have Chinese input method so far? Why 9800 is expensive than iPhone4s? Why Chinese apps are so little? Why a new local phone maker can easily sell a few millions smartphones per year but RIM sells almost nothing after all these years in China? Is RIM going to give up Chinese market?
I think the BB call display on the playbook is a great start, will RIM extend this function to allow the BB to answer calls as a bluetooth speaker phone, adding playbook WIFI calling would also be awesome.
Why did rim put in smaller batteries in os7 devices when the high end android phones have similar physical sizes as the jm-1 but with greater capacities? Will rim continue to sacrifice battery capacity in exchange for thinner designs? Why not maintain 10mm overall thickness and use that space to put in the largest capacity battery that can fit a la razr maxx? Is it not clear that the majority of consumers want a device that is relatively thin but not 7mm thin at the expense of battery capacity?
What is the reason that kindle, skype, netflix, and others everyone complains about, gave for choosing not to develop apps for BB?
Which cpu is RIM really waiting on? S4 snapdragon enabled phones are coming out in a couple weeks. Is this no longer the official reason? If not, what is the actual one?
Good question! LTE-based dual core chip sets are soon to be available. . .what's holding up BB!0 indeed!!!
Good engineering takes time: test, prototype, re-test, tweak, then full production. Count 5-6 months after the chipsets are available and you will arrive at BB10's release date. You can't just slap those components together, and the chipset specs may change leading up to production, so as a handset manufacturer, you can't tell what's really there until the chipset is released.
According to this article. . .http://tinyurl.com/7dk9dnd. . .
the first S4 Snapdragon duel chip phones will be available by the middle of this year. . .those particular phones won't have the best of what the chip set can offer video wise. . .latter in the year sets with the better GPU will be available (including quad core set toward the end of the year. . .) While RIM isn't holding out for the Quad core sets it sure looks like they are waiting for the best possible dual cores. . . If that is the case then I'm satisfied. . .lol
But chipset availability is normally defined as the date we should start seeing it in end products. So if a chipset is due out Q3 2012, that means we'll see it in a product then, but the manufacturer will have had it long before.
Ding, Ding, we have a winner.
Engineering samples are usually available for a few months prior to the mass produced rollout.
I personally think RIM is still having problems finding cost effective manufacturing solutions. . . going for dual core when quad core are available is one way one to deal with cost. . .(I think. . .) It's probably why RIM has been on late side in terms of hardware for the last couple of quarters. . .
1) How big of an issue is RIM really having with manufacturing cost and what impact will it have on the release of BB 10 devices in terms of competitive pricing and releasing on time?
2) Any specific plans in the works to help transition US consumers who still have feature phones to BB devises?
3) What can normal, everyday BB users do to help RIM get big name apps onto their devises?
4) Will BB10 be the end of the QWERTY on a BB???
I read the first three questions... Or comments and realized why bother with this. Instead of asking questions people are bickering.
I give up on this thread.
Is the blackberry pearl a thing of the past? Or will there ever be a new pearl model released? :(
Does RIM NOC compress streaming videos? If yes by how much in percentage terms.If No, why video data packets are being routed thru NOC?
Also what RIM is doing to improve data compression in general?
Since adding another layer between data transfer slows down the speed, does RIM doing any research on data acceleration?
Do we get on BB10 a full commands voice device i mean you talk to your device and the device do whatever you want without touching it and responds with with voice not as siri but more advance technology
When Will Os 7 Theme Builder Be out My Gosh Long Awaited 9900 Needs Some Themes And Os Fixes !
Will RIM offer the option to turn off data compression so the Internet speeds can be as fast as possible based on individual preferences.
Exact date of BB10 lauch and PlayBook 2 Launch....
Q: Will you consider releasing a QWERTY BB10 device ALONGSIDE an all-touch BB10 device? I strongly believe that you will be leaving many diehard Blackberry users behind....
Thanks for this chance to speak to RIM.
I would like to know if RIM intends to blitz North America with supreme advertising. RIM sponsored the show Q'Viva. I was so disappointed in the amount of advertising and there was even an ad for iPad. I think my 9850 and PlayBook are amazing, and I want the U.S. and Canada to know. Most people don't know the difference between all the tablets out there, and need to see ads that both educate and cause them to lust after BlackBerry devices.
I can't live without my PlayBook, but struggle with not being able to sync with Outlook. Are there plans to bring full functionality to the PB?
For posters here: Geez guys! It really isn't fair to slam for old stuff pre-new CEO. It is like marriage counseling .... stop throwing old mistakes in RIM's face when there are obvious efforts to remedy them. Be nice and ask serious questions that will bring us great info. There are several excellent posts if you need examples ... and possibly a book on etiquette would help?
We want qwerty phone on bb10! Released tk victory early post! #qwertybbdiehard
When will RIM announce or preview anything about an actual BB10 device? For even just a taste of a concept (Ie. London, Blade or Victory TK), people are extactic. If people only knew about the OS, how do you expect them to look forward to something that isnt there? Unless it's officially presented by a company, its almost always a fake.
MY QUESTION IS;
What will happen to bb fans who currently have or just bought the OS 7 phones. When BB 10 is release? Since RIM claims the new flatform will be a revolution. How can OS 7owner can benefit the features of BB10.? I asked this because, i just happened to upgrade my old curve 8330 to bold 9930 just 6 months ago. I have PB 64 gb that I bought just a month ago. Now there are rumors, RIM are producing a 4g/ LTE. What would happen to us???
You will be fed to the Rancor
Today I went to the sprint store to replace my mother's BB for a new one, I was surprised to see that the store only had TWO choices of BB products, yet, couple years ago the same store had 6-7 devices to choose from. Why should I continue trusting RIM/BB that will bring products to us when companies like Sprint is obviously dropping the BB brand?
As a current owner of a BlackBerry Torch 9800 as well as a 32 GB BlackBerry Playbook tablet, I have two question that I'd like to have answered by RIM. I also have a comment for RIM to think about.
Questions:
1) Does RIM have any plans to create an official Twitter app for the Playbook anytime soon?
2) Is it possible to send suggestions to RIM aside from these Q & A sessions? If it's possible, how do we contact RIM with our suggestions?
Comment:
RIM needs to desperately try and get the attention of app developers that have developed popular apps such as Instagram, and Tiny Tower which are currently only available for iOS and Android. The reason for this comment is because it seems like a lot of app developers who develop for iOS and Android might have deliberately decided against developing for the Playbook and / or the BlackBerry because they think that the platforms aren't viable given RIM's current struggles.
As a developer I find that as app world gets popular and more developers start making great apps
1) How will you help us stick out from the crowd of crappy apps?
2) For marketing purposes will you have promocodes available so people can review our apps at no cost to them?
Such as websites like toucharcade. Having a system like apple's app store you can give away a limited amount of promocodes would be great to promote our apps and also show that there are a tons of blackberry 10 apps!!!
Can the the headphone jack be on the top/bottom (not side) of the phone?
Hello,
I'm not sure if this has been brought up in this section, but would like more information in regards to the DLNA certification for the Blackberry Playbook.
A. When should we expect support for this service?
B. Will this support reading or streaming capability? Or potentially both?
This would be great for those with home networking,bor even smart tv capabilities with DLNA certification.
Thanks,
GT
I didn't think I'd like the touchpad on the BB7 devices, but it allows you greater accuracy in placing the cursor. Do you think we'll ever see the touchpad on the PlayBook or BB10 devices?
Q: Will the highly anticipated BB 10 OS be compatible with the current BB devices running BB7 OS?
Similar to what apple did to its iphone 3GS still able to run iOS 5.1.
1) When will we get the big apps, ie Skype, Netflix, etc.
2) Is RIM going all in, full force, with the BB10 devices? Best camera (autofocus, megapixels, all that jazz), best processor, large ram, best screen.... In other words, are they going to make it the best they can using all the latest and grandest tech or give it decent tech which will be behind the competition (mainly Android devices) in a couple months?
3) How are they planning to innovate with BB10?
That's what I want to know. Convince me and others to stay, to come.
Also, how about giving the BB 99xx an onscreen keypad for dialing phone numbers.
YES!!! exactly!!! Because the physical keypad half an inch lower is to hard to access???
LMFAO!
How about when is BB going to get full Gmail support???
Q: I remember a couple years ago reading about a revolutionary new camera lens technology being developed by RIM dubbed Liquid Lens. In how many more years can we expect to see this in new BlackBerry devices? Maybe you should pillage a few resources from the UX division to focus more on getting this new lens out sooner.
Dearest Al,
My friends all tell me that my BlackBerry is the worst smartphone on the market. Is it true? And if so, how do I end the relationship without breaking his heart?
Dear Al, why is BlackBerry still the only platform that cares about creating the best, fastest, and most reliable messaging? Even today, why can't those bigger companies match BlackBerry's expertise in messaging? Why does no one else care as much about protecting the integrity and privacy of my corporate or personal data?
In fact, why did other mobile platforms allow BlackBerry to build the best mobile browser under their noses? Not so long ago they all used to make fun about the BlackBerry browser. Just one year ago, they all said it couldn't be done, yet today they all acknowledge the PlayBook browser to be the best in the mobile space -- smartphone or tablet!
So now, Al, is it really out of the realm of possibilities that RIM still has something unique that is still unmatched in the mobile space? Why is everyone so afraid that the QNX based BB10 devices might actually succeed?
uh...because of BB's earlier worldwide outage and iMessage is faster than BBM on the test done here on Crackberry even when iMessage was first launched? Or is it because people are still making fun of PlayBook's browser?
You do realize that even Kevin wore an iMore shirt and lined up for iPad and uses an android handset as his daily device right?
Question: Why does RIM pretend that they are listening to their fans when, historically, none of the most-wanted features that its consumers want actually appears on any RIM product?
What is BlackBerry's strategy on China, Taiwan or Hong Kong market, where Chinese is the main language. While PlayBook is not yet officially available in China nor Taiwan, when will BB10 reach those huge markets? After a year of release, when will PlayBook get Chinese input? I am asking for both hand-writing and virtual keyboard inputs for Chinese. If you look at the user forum, hundreds of PlayBook users have already written in some threads asking for it for months.
Hello Al,
My understanding is that RIM is working to bring better Accessibility features to the BlackBerry PlayBook and subsequently the BB10 Platform. This concept, strategically, is essential to expanding a user-base (consumer or enterprise). By not excluding certain populations and adding features - such as TTS, Font Adjustment, Closed Captioning, etc - you also create a more user friendly and customizable experience for all end-users.
My question is, when can we expect to see these features? How will these features be "baked-in" to the core OS?
Thank You!
Another good question here. A lot of us get so far ahead of ourselves that we forget to mention even the simplest of things. These little features you mentioned truly do accentuate the user experience. I can't stress enough how important customization is for both software and hardware.
Of all the things that make the Blackberry the ultimate comunication device, how many (if any) will be lost in the shuffle from the cornerstone Blackberry going into RIM's future and what are those functions?
When will RIM provide it's employees access to the outside world?
+1
Will this questions thread falls on deaf's ears?
How can you integrate Blackberry devices into our lives and not just to make a phone call. Will you be able to have true integration with my televisions, radio, and other devices. Medical pacemakers that will send info to doctors or hospitals. A way to use Blackberry devices to place in vehicles to sense a crash and then contact emergency services or even have a service call the driver or passengers in the struck vehicle. Allow my Blackberry phone or 7 inch tablet to become a device that is a must vice just a want. Cell phones were once just a device to call someone but they have become much more than that. What does the future hold that will make me proud to continue to purchase Blackberry products. Will you have any marketing in the United States. How do you plan to bring the name Blackberry back into the US vocabulary? Will you be offering cloud based storage for Blackberry owners. I like the emphasis the RIM has on security of its products. Will security still be on the fore front of their BB10 systems. Will there ever be a way that we could integrate our new BB10 cell phones into running a tablet so we wouldn't necessarily have two different products but one product that could be separated into two? Using the tablet when it suits us and then just removing the phone and use the phone when we want to? How to integrate Blackberry into our homes, I have 3 people in my home that have BB phones. Any plans to use the power of several phones for a single purpose?
I love the last question. A very interesting thought. Potentially, this could be taken anywhere, for various purposes; anything from office work to gaming.
WHEN will we be able to directly sync Outlook Calendars and Contacts directly from my BB to the native Calendar and Contacts on the PB? Not looking for a Gmail/Google workaround. Simple question.
Ditttto can't really understand this one at all.
Any concrete decisions as to what the form factor of the first BlackBerry 10 phone will be?
My question would be
What is the future of BIS and BES with BB10 and Carriers?
and
Is there any chance a future BB10 phone will resemble the great mock up of the Blackberry Blade slider?
Will be next new version of BlackBerry OS, maybe 3.0 ( I mean BIG update), disponible for PlayBook?
Envoyé de ma tablette BlackBerry® PlayBook™.
Wow. These are all great questions. I'll do my best to run as many of them as I can by RIM's representatives. And I hope to see many of you at the session. Please stop by and say hello afterward if you do make it. And thanks to my main man CrackBerry Kevin for publishing this post!
AS
Just doing our share to make BlackBerry as good as it possibly can be.
Okay so I have a question and a suggestion.
First, RIM really needs to show its commitment to its BB 10 strategy and we all know that flawless execution is something that RIM needs to learn how to do with the introduction of this vital product line. So to not only show absolute certainty that RIM is commuted to BB 10 and to get the entire company united towards putting out a market leading platform, will RIM start to better integrate the companies that it acquired to create the new platform under a single corporate banner? I want to know that RIM is one whole and commuted to staying that way.
The suggestion since we know it will likely be calendar Q4 when we see the first BB 10 device launch, a great launch date from a marketing point of view would be 10/10 for BB 10. To borrow from the new CEO - let's rock n' roll this - and launch with a huge rock concert to kick off the launch or even a giant series of concerts in 10 major cities around the world to rock the whole world with BB 10. Maybe a concert a day for 10 days in the top 10 BB markets leading to a launch Globally on day 10?
No...we know BB10 will launch latter half of 2012 not later, so not necessarily Q4. Carrier testing in the summer more points towards Q3 imo.
10/10 would be very early Calendar Q4 and I doubt we will see BB 10 in Q3 as the SOC that is rumored to power it will not even start shipping in mass until Q3, then they need time to ramp up assembly and build supply to fill channels which takes months. I would venture a guess that if the rumored SOC is correct we won't actually see BB 10 until Nov/Dec time frame. I was just being optimistic in my suggestion that if they can get enough supply a really big Global kick off in October would really draw some attention away from that other phone likely to launch around the same time. I'd love to see RIM go all out and upstage that other fruit company lol
But as much as I hate to disappoint, since RIM has said themselves they have locked in on a certain LTE SOC - likely from TI - that offers the power and performance they are looking for that does not ship en masse until Q3, a summer launch is off the table. You may say new CEO new plan, but at this stage in the game the specs of the first BB 10 phone internally would be pretty much carved in stone for it to have any shot at getting out of the gate this year so I do not believe Thor would have done a last second switch-a-roo on the SOC just to get it out sooner as that would effect every other aspect of BB 10 and all elements of the OS would have to be tested with the new SOC, supply chain would have to be re-organized around the new schedule, re-certification with carriers, governing bodies, new round of internal testing to ensure they are going to meet desired targets for performance and battery life etc...
Believe me, I'd love to see BB 10 out NOW, but I'd rather see RIM really deliver a truly polished high performing powerhouse that really renews CONSUMER interest in the company.
RIM is going about it all wrong re-doubling efforts on Enterprise. The CONSUMER market dictates what the Enterprise market buys these days and the consumer market is orders of magnitude larger. If RIM can't generate consumer interest in it's hardware, it had better get out of the hardware business because business has changed and now those business people RIM caters to want to bring their CONSUMER driven phone purchases with them to the office.
I'm guessing you're referring the TI's OMAP5 for BB10 phones? They said we should see devices with the chip in Q3. I'm not pinning all my hopes on Q3, early Q4 as you say will be fine, but I think it getting out a month or even more before the next iphone really would give it the edge (presuming the software is polished ofc - if they're just waiting on the chip as they claim, this would indicate the software would be finished earlier and have plenty of time for polishing. Not so sure this last bit is the case though...)
Given the fact that the PLaybook is powered by TI Silicon (So the OS is already optimized for OMAP) and the time frame given by RIM on when the new chips will ship, yeah I'd put my money on OMAP 5 chips inside the first wave of BB 10 phones.
But I am with you on the notion that the SOC causing the delay may have only been the cover story and the real delay has much more to do with the OS it's self not being ready for prime time. But I suppose we will have a clearer view of that in less then 2 weeks at BB World and BB 10 Jam. I hope it's further along then we suspect and that they can really wow people because as much as we here on CrackBerry love OZ 7.1 and our traditional style BlackBerry handhelds, the market is slipping away from them and they really need BB 10 to make a big splash and get noticed.
Please ask, Does RIM listen to what there customers want? We are not making it hard for them we're telling them what we want.
Tell them set up a suggestion site and just LISTEN!
Why can I open up pictures and music files with blackberry bridge but I cannot open up video files? Is this not possible?
When should I expect the first wow tat built pim app for my playbook?
Why is there no beta zone for bb10 and playbook, we want to help....
Have you tried uploading a video to Facebook from the PB. Its funny because when you do this, the videos from your Phone show up. Weird, wish you could just pull up the videos on the PB from your phone regardless
With the over abundance of similarities in smartphones and smartphone features from Apple and Android, what are the three key features that will truly define and separate BlackBerry 10 phones from the rest?
Very good question, would love to hear the response.
+1
Please RIM don't say security, data compression and battery life. The USA consumer does not value these features. 500k plus daily activations of Android phones clearly indicates people do not care about the three features.
You are so wrong. Androids are just disposable phones with pizazz. Carriers love Android because they bring in the most cash. Buyer love the larger displays and leading edge hardware specs, even though they often don't meet expectations.
Android hardware vendors don't have to worry about the OS and they can churn over more devices with less engineering effort. Carriers can also sell more insurance!
At least Apple and RIM marry the hardware to the software to try to make the perfect blend.
+1
If BlackBerry could have sex with any other phone company, which would it be?
Further to that...
Would RIM be the guy or the girl?
so funny mate ! you made my day
Will BB10 phones make use of the noc benefit from compression data for pretty much everything hence better than any other platform for avoiding super duper roaming charges? Some people travels A LOT!
Hello
Will USB support ever be activated for the Playbook and if not, why was the driver included in the latest OS update?
+1
Why is RIM forever announcing release dates (PlayBook OS features, PlayBook mini keyboard) when it clearly has neither the means nor, apparently, the intention of achieving them?
depscribe
They no longer announce release dates.
Will you take into account the amazing concept BB10 phones that have popped up for classic qwerty keyboard i.e. BB Blade and Victory concepts?
BB Blade would be amazing.
Subject: Video Conferencing on Playbook
Question: Why has it been over a year and past two major consumer based OS upgrades for the Playbook, but we still only have the ability to do video conferencing Playbook to Playbook with no other video conferencing abilities to any other device (including desktops)?
Comment: Thank you for courting EA and other game makers. You should have courted Skype even sooner.
Will RIM enter new markets and what might those be. And what business strategies will they implement to make sure company is profitable in the future if carrier fees are reduced.
Another question, sorry for double posting xD
Is there a possibility of there being like BBM for Playbook itself? So you dont have to pair your BB Device to use it?
Cuz then... Playbook would be epic...er!
Maybe a larger Playbook? Like 10.1 inches is in the works? To compete with iPad? :O
Just switched some things around so I could attend this session
Previous RIMM CEO said BBM will be released as subsequent update on current wifi-only playbook. With new CEO, is this still including in plan? If yes, any hint when it will happen?
When RIM went touchscreen, they did so with SurePress to ensure efficient typing without a physical keyboard. Some loved it, some hated it, but it was extremely innovative, however it lacked quality software and hardware support.
Is SurePress officially dead, or will you allow the technology to make a return in BB10?
Now real questions, how do you intend to put a end to all the doom and gloom news stories being rehashed with little to no facts and misconceptions.
And no college humor isn't it. That first video ducked show how simple to add music etc not a dumb truck waking up the neighbors... I don't even think the music app was even given as much time as grandma dancing....
Funny catchy. But always informative...that's what you guys need to aim for.
Or fugg it embrace meme culture and start doing meme styled adds etc.
I don't want to be *forever alone* on bbm lol (153 bbm contacts really ) but you get the drift...
Does RIM plan to go BIG and BOLD(no pun intended), as this is absolutely necessary for thier very survival in the US market or are they going to shift focus elsewhere? Big and Bold being the prototype that was posted here a week or so ago>>>>>
On the Curve 9220 there is a dedicated BBM key, will we see dedicated BBM keys + dedicated Camera keys on future BB10 devices, and further on? That seems like a nice feature :)
Why can you not uninstall and reinstall facebook if you have a problem? Why can't you view your groups on fb (I'm group admin for two groups and find it impossible to do this on my phone?
Why can't you share posts?
Why is there so little support for fb for blackberry?
Try the blackberry beta zone. . .I'm sure if you voice these concerns there it would be noted!
Also try talking to Facebook? RIM doesn't make the app...
Actually yeah they do... Go into AppWorld and look to see who the app is "By". RIM also makes the twitter app for BlackBerry OS devices and several others
What plans do they have for OS7 user as it seem we will be left out in the cold. No bb10, no android apps. We helped you buy buying the phones and not all of us have the money to go and splurge on the new bb10 phones. How do we fit into your plans?
You'll get the same discount that HP, Lenovo, Dell, etc offer you when you buy a laptop and want another one a year later.
Doubt it.
i think the point was you dont get one from anyone else, so why would they do that?
lets be real about this, your phone will still do in a week/month/year what it does now, so if that isnt enough, then you have the wrong phone.
Agree'd.
They're still going to update OS7 after BB10 comes out anyways.
Would BlackBerry offer custom phones or tablets? Eg; a certain color combination or design on the hardware?
Seems legit. Considering their new colours and varieties for the new Curve 9220 :O!
Lets hope :D
Let me save some time for most. When where is skype and netflix and kindle and hbo go....
+1
These, Netflix and Skype, especially, are the most sought after apps out there. Why has RIM put so little effort into making them available, when it would only increase the broad appeal of their product.
When it comes time to upgrade, if every smartphone platform except BB is running Netflix streaming, I'll have to rethink where I put my dollars.
Because rim doesn't make netflix or Skype, or all the big name apps. Bug the developers, not RIM.
It's RIM's job to evangelize the platform to key developes and partners. Hell, it's RIM's job to subsidize the development costs for the key premier apps if necessary to have them present at launch.
If they don't have Netflix, LinkedIn and Amazon (which are all must-haves in my opinion) things look much worse for BB10. Heck, I'm still waiting for LinkedIn and Kindle for my 9930.
And please, no side-loading feedback here. I know there are work arounds, but RIM needs to step up and get these partners on board, or they stand no chance to capture mass market share.
whats skype ;)
Why is there very little to no marketing for Blackberry in the US? Especially in carrier stores.
Because we gave up on the U.S
...next question.
The answer is more subtle than that. It's we don't have a product worth pushing in the US right now.
Better question: What is the marketing budget for BB10 in the US? The answer to this question would reveal a lot, my guess is they wouldn't answer it directly.
Will there ever be a touchscreen with horizontal slider qwerty?
A question I'd genuinely be interested in the answer to - (if the speculation is correct) why go with a full touchscreen as the first BB10 phone and not the classic BB qwerty?
+1
I dunno...maybe because all touch is vastly more popular.
+1 - Yeah, I think the answer is pretty straight forward.
Not really, for RIM a slider would seem the more natural way to address the need/demand for a full screen. In fact to me a slider seems like the no brainer. Get the people who like full screens keep the people who love the keyboards.
I agree. Make the Blackberry Blade. Wouldn't need anything else.
Slider all the way...but I doubt Blade is feasible for production...let's keep in mind that concept products very rarely take into accounts the room required by internal components...and a slider of course will be quite a bit thicker...especially with RIM's keyboard which for obvious reason should have some depth the keys to allow easy typing...
All touch is the UI the masses have voted is preferred, so RIM must to have a an all touch as their flagship leadoff next gen product. That is of course what the last two years of development have been about: building a robust mobile computing platform with a visually slick gesture based UI. That will mean their lead product must show all of this off. Next gen HAS to LOOK next gen as well as have next gen computing power. Buttons just don't LOOK cool,slick,next gen no matter how practical useful and efficient they actually are. (Love typing on my Bold 9900). The majority have voted and the verdict is clear. RIM needs to dispel the same old same old perception of American consumers towards Blackberry with the lead out BB10 phone. Flagship equivalent qwerty (Q) version will follow shortly after I'm thinking (hoping?).
Sent from the awesome All Touch virtual keyboard of my BB10 preview platform BlackBerry Playbook
Except physical keyboard is pretty much the only advantage RIM really has when it comes to handsets...
If these new customers are only interested in the mainstream designs used by Apple and android, I doubt they would at all be interested in RIM's new handsets at all...since they can easily get an iPhone and an android handset with a more developed os and better app supports...
throwing away the only advantage is certainly not the way to come...
I am quite certain that if RIM launches its first batch of handset as touch only, its initial sales will fail miserably...since Playbook did tarnish its name quite a bit...
You appear to be lost. Go to the top of the page and slide right or left to find your real home. Go there now Jack, mommy is calling.
ha...you are the one who doesn't own a BlackBerry, and now you're telling the people who loves the keyboard that we are wrong and we don't like the keyboard?
You know what, the majority of your comments apply really to yourself.
RIM must stop trying to make a Blackberry that only BB purists want. We make up less than 10% of the smartphone market. RIM made a tablet for BB users and it turned out disastrous. RIM must start appealing to the largest common denominator, and that group wants a large touchscreen.
A: They want to wait until another company makes it popular again, then wait ~5 years before they return their focus to the classic physical kb.
because they're gonna try and play catch up - dumping the niche and going for the mass market, which im very disappointed in.
I agree. I find it funny that a current be bold add shows someone saying how hard it would be to answer the thousands of emails they get each day on a touch screen and the new BB10 phone is apparently touch only.
A side slider that would allow for a full size touch screen and a full keypad would be amazing.
I'll buy the new BB either way but I do have to say after going from an iphone to an android to a BB, I really do love the option of using the physical keypad on my Torch.
- Why does you company hate its users?
- You release a software update OS6 (back then), say its competitive to Android & iOS, but nowhere near
- OS updates are slow
- Why do you hate your users.
WHY ARE YOU SO SLOW TO REACT - make a decision already. Microsoft is doing way more to promote and lure developers than Blackberry is.