by Now officially labeled as BlackBerry, the Ontario-based Research in Motion launched its latest operating system as well as two new BlackBerry smartphone models. Blackberry 10 or BB 10 was launched last January 30, more than two years after it has been delayed by technical problems. Meanwhile, the latest versions of BlackBerry that will run on its new OS, BB Z10 and Q10 were also introduced by the enterprise phone manufacturer.
For most telecom industry experts, this move is Blackberry’s “last-ditch effort” to reclaim its crown as the corporate community’s most preferred mobile handset. In 2011, Apple’s iPhone snatched “world’s #1 smartphone” from BlackBerry and knocked off RIM to second place. The 25-year-old company further suffered a major blow when it dropped to third place in 2012, after second placer Android.
Survey results from iPass show that most business professionals prefer/use iPhones over BlackBerry. The phenomenon of companies giving their employees the freedom to choose which mobile device suits them best might be a possible explanation why smartphones running on Google’s mobile OS were able to overtake BlackBerry.
Also according to the International Data Corporation, Blackberry’s market share dramatically plummeted from 10.3% in 2011 to a measly 4.6% last year. At least 51.1 million BlackBerry units were sold in 2011 while only 32.5 million units were shipped last year.
Its dismal performance in the world’s smartphone and OS markets prompted the BlackBerry maker to reinvent its flagship mobile handset and re-name itself according to its signature product. It released BlackBerry 10, a redesign of its outdated predecessor and dubbed as the mobile OS that “supports, learns and adapts the way (business professionals) work”.
Despite skepticism lingering among BlackBerry investors, the company was able to win over mobile app developers to architect enterprise and consumer-oriented apps and software. BlackBerry 10 was unveiled to the world alongside more than 70,000 apps available for download on BlackBerry World, the Smartphone’s app store.
Among the things to see in BlackBerry 10 are:
BB Hub — allows a user to manage all personal and business conversations, such as emails, social media updates and notifications and BBM messages, without having the need to leave a single “hub”. You can also take constant peeks to your BB Hub, which is just a swipe away.
BB Flow — enables you to finish your job effortlessly and efficiently since the BB OS makes running two or more features and apps at a time flawlessly possible.
BB Balance and Safeguard Technology — just like they say: BB is a balance of work and play. BB 10 secures and separates business apps and data from personal ones. That said, BB also protects personal and business data which are important to users.
Time Shift — BB 10’s camera feature allows you take group photos where everyone is portrayed as smiling with their eyes sparklingly wide open. Add to that the ability to make photo and video albums, complete with music and effects, into a quality HD movie via Story Maker.
BB Remember — gives your trusty BB the functionality of a personal organizer, collating memos, tasks, important websites, emails, photos, documents and other important files. It’s also like a to-do list, which enables you to create tasks, set due dates and monitor your project’s progress.
BB Browser — the handset’s cutting-edge browser supports HTML5 and is amazingly fast. BB users can enjoy smooth and responsive Internet scrolling and zooming. BB 10’s browser has many enhanced features which include multiple tabs, private browsing and reader mode options.
