Watching the interview earlier today with Andrew MacLeod, Managing Director for RIM Canada, there was a point at which he said "...the market's very focused on the first products. For us, it's a platform for mobile computing, and that's really the core objective of the company because that's going to define our future." What he's doing here is essentially reminding us that there is a difference between the BlackBerry 10 platform and the BlackBerry 10 product (phones/tablets).
While we all sit patiently and wait for the first BlackBerry 10 phones to come to market, RIM is hard at work perfecting not just their hardware, but also the BlackBerry 10 platform. The line that struck me most was this:
"Certainly it was not an easy decision to hold off on the launch of our new BlackBerry 10 platform, but for us it was critical that we get it right and we build a platform for the next ten years of RIM's growth."
What this says to me is that RIM is concerned more with the BlackBerry 10 platform as a whole -- wanting and needing it to be perfect out the door when it's launched. The platform itself is where the strong point will be - not in the first run of devices (although the first impression of these devices could make or break things as well). This is why there are unfortunate delays. Sure, we're all waiting on the BlackBerry 10 phones to be available, but RIM is essentially building a "ten year platform" for all of their devices.
We wouldn't want to see another PlayBook launch where the device was released with sub-par software and only updated months later. We don't want a half-baked OS running on great hardware. Instead, RIM is making absolutely sure that the platform is where it needs to be at launch since that is what will carry RIM from here.
BlackBerry 10 will ultimately tie into the QNX platform in various areas and be used in not just BlackBerry 10 phones, but also tablets, automotive and OEM products -- a bunch of places QNX is already (or planned to be) in use in the real world.
"Getting it right is more important than getting it out quickly."
This is really the message RIM is trying to convey through their "media day" today. They are going out to news outlets and letting them know where they are at and what they are ultimately working toward. I know it sucks because as consumers, all we really want are phones, but once the platform is ready we can hope for great things from BlackBerry 10.
Read more
RIM cuts down summer vacation for Ottawa staff; Bumps work week to six days
According to the Ottawa Citizen, RIM is now cutting down on summer vacations for its Ottawa employees and also bumping up the work week to six days. The increased work hours have been put in place to ramp up efforts to get BlackBerry 10 out the door in what is now Q1 of 2013. The new devices were originally set to launch later this year, but another delay means there are still plenty of...
The Mobile Shop joins the growing list of Canadian retailers offering BlackBerry 10 preorders
It seems almost every day now that a new Canadian retailer joins the growing list of places to preorder a new BlackBerry 10 device. The Mobile Shop (a cellphone store located in Loblaws locations) has joined the list and will now allow for BlackBerry 10 preorders as well. The details are still sparse on price points for the device however. The internal document from The Mobile Shop...
UK fans go hands on with BlackBerry 10 - The BlackBerry Elite Program gets an explosive start
Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to the BlackBerry Elite Program event that took place at RIM's UK HQ in Slough. The Elite Program has been set up to identify and empower the most passionate people in the BlackBerry community with information and opportunities for them to stay connected with BlackBerry. I'm not in the program myself but I suppose I got special treatment as we...
RIM still pushing BlackBerry 7 as two new promo videos hit the web
We may be getting closer and closer to the BlackBerry 10 launch event on January 30th but that isn't stopping RIM from continuing to promote BlackBerry 7. Over on their YouTube channel they have released a couple of new promo videos, each one focusing on a specific feature of BB7. BlackBerry Tag and Wikitude are featured once again and this clearly goes to show that although many...