After shedding its old name “RIM” and retiring it for “Blackberry”, the new Z10 is more than just another Blackberry gadget; this is really the first phone by ‘Blackberry’ running the new Blackberry 10 operating system. It’s all NEW from the flow experience, to the Blackberry Hub experience, to the new keyboard—Lets just get right into it and see if this is the phone you keep for the next 3 years!
Who would ever have thought the day would come when our good Ol’ “Home” button will change to the “Home Swipe”? With Blackberry 10, you almost have to relearn everything you perceived about phone technology. Allowing you to peak at incoming notifications while remaining on your original page, the Z10 offers an extremely fluid operating system. Replacing the previous OS with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM, this thing absolutely flies, whether you’re opening up an application or playing a game.
RIM has spent a lot of time focusing on detail and any user will become fascinated with their consistency. When you swipe up to un-lock the phone, you get a cool shadow that follows your finger and yet these are just one of the many little things that will really make you appreciate the phone.
Great Super Bowl Commercial!
In an extraordinary marketing twist, Blackberry bought 30 seconds off the Super Bowl broadcast to advertise what the new Smartphone cannot do.
The commercial shows a man walking and playing with some of the features on the Z10. When he swipes the home button the first time, his sweater catches on fire. He swipes the home button a second times and his lower body becomes that of an elephant. “In 30 seconds it’s quicker to show what it can’t do,” says an announcer at the end of the video.
More interestingly is the unusual role Alicia Keys is playing as the Creative Director for Blackberry. Many have sneered at the idea that the Soul Singer can come to the rescue of the sinking ship. “Very smart marketing,” Victor Basta, managing director of Magister Advisors, a boutique M&A advisor in the technology field, told CNBC.com.
Competition?…Oh yeah, you again.
Just six years ago, Blackberry sat on the throne of Smartphone-dom. The two names were synonymous until Apple came along, followed by Android. Eventually, “inability to adapt” became synonymous with Blackberry. 2013 ladies and gentlemen, is comeback year! In relation to other phone giants, the Z10 is perfectly capable and comparable to the IPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3. In fact, expect to hear more of Blackberry’s new dominance whether mention is about the accurately fast keyboard or the removable battery.
Momentum is running high especially with reports coming in from carrier partners surprised at how many devoted IPhone and Android users are curious about the Z10.
Share your thoughts with us, but remember, the success of the Smartphone doesn’t solely depend on the OS or Hardware. Mobile Apps and content deals are also extremely important and this is a lesson that Blackberry has learnt and acted upon!
