It has been clear for some time that Android will most likely be the OS that makes or breaks BlackBerry despite its own BB10 OS. The Priv phone was made and launched to spearhead the attempt to drag BlackBerry out of the deep hole it’s been steadily sinking into the last few years.
Although specific sales are yet to be released by the Canadian OEM, the overall impression is that the Android-powered Priv has done well enough in its limited release to warrant a wider release. It was even enough to spark a sense of confidence and optimism in John Chen, the man who took over the job of saving BlackBerry in 2013 as the CEO.
Chen needed a win, and though there is still much to be done, the unique slider phone is off to a good start. We also knew that any success with Google’s OS would cast a proportionately long shadow over the future of BlackBerry’s own, BlackBerry 10 operating system.
Like the success of the Priv, Chen has kept most of BlackBerry’s future plans fairly cryptic. During CES, the current CEO did mention that hes is “cautiously optimistic” but is looking forward to bolstering their hardware lineup with at least one more Android device. However, with his comments barely touching on BB 10 led some to speculate that BlackBerry was all but turning its backs on its own OS and going all in with Android. Understandably this caused some commotion. In response, the CEO himself took to the BlackBerry blog to calm their supporters and millions of BlackBerry users.
“At CES 2016, BlackBerry has been busy discussing self-driving cars, global carrier support for PRIV and consumer healthcare apps. But as we shift our energies toward all these exciting opportunities, does that mean the BlackBerry 10 operating system is dead? Far from it.” – John Chen, CEO
The post goes on to explain that BB10 will see at least two updates in 2016: 10.3.3 and 10.3.4 with numerous improvements, focusing on security. There is still no mention of any new BB10 devices, but Chen does mention that he will continue to invest in the QNX-based OS and reveal a more detailed roadmap of hardware later this year.
“We’re innovating deeply in many new areas, as our many announcements show. Even still, we’re not abandoning the loyal customers who have contributed to our success.” – John Chen, CEO
The statements are fairly broad but it would seem that at least, BlackBerry 10 will stick around for at least another year. After that, it is safe to say that successful sales of the Android-powered devices will dictate the decision of retiring it for good. Time will tell.
Are you a BlackBerry user worried about the future of BB10 or are have you moved on to other options? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.
[button link=”http://blogs.blackberry.com/2016/01/showing-our-commitment-to-blackberry-10-at-ces-2016/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: INSIDE Blackberry[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
