eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
The world of BlackBerry is on the precipice of, well, something. If one asks folks at BlackBerry headquarters where the company is headed, they’ll say it’s to bigger and better things.
Those who aren’t so sure that BlackBerry is living in reality will look at the company’s latest announcements and product introductions and say that it’s still stuck on a path to obscurity for a possible rendezvous with extinction. The debate over where BlackBerry is headed and what we can all expect is decidedly a tough one to handicap.
But as BlackBerry prepares to start selling its Z10 touch-screen phone in the United States, it’s time to put focus on which of the new BlackBerry models are worth buying. The BlackBerry Q10, which was announced at BlackBerry’s late-January event, has all but gone missing in action. However, there are still some potential customers, especially those enterprise users who have used BlackBerry products for years, who are wondering if the Q10 with a physical keyboard is one they should wait on.
For those people, let’s make it simple: no, don’t wait. The future is in touch-screens and high-end hardware. And unfortunately for BlackBerry, the Q10 just doesn’t deliver.
Read on to find out why no one should want to buy the BlackBerry Q10:
1. There’s a physical keyboard
In a nod to its longtime customers, BlackBerry built a physical QWERTY keyboard into the Q10. Although that might excite some customers who say a physical keyboard is better, it causes all kinds of trouble for developers who want to get their apps to work across the entire platform as well as on other phone makers’ models. Plus physical keyboard is losing its value to customers around the world. That’s bad news for the Q10.
2. Smaller screen
In a world where HTC, Samsung and Apple are all delivering big displays, it’s somewhat surprising that BlackBerry is only offering a 3.1-inch screen in the Q10. The company’s touch-screen-equipped Z10 has a 4.2-inch display. Considering Samsung is expected to unveil a Galaxy S IV with a 5-inch screen, the Q10’s will look awfully small in comparison.
3. Is BlackBerry 10 for consumers or enterprise users?
BlackBerry has painted itself into a very dangerous corner. The company is well-known as an enterprise service provider, but at its BlackBerry 10 event, in which the Q10 was unveiled, it couldn’t quite answer a simple question: is the operating system, BlackBerry 10, along with its handsets, designed for enterprise users or consumers? So far, BlackBerry hasn’t answered that question. And the Q10 is in no man’s land hoping for an answer (and eventually, some customers).
4. Mum’s the word
Since the Q10 isn’t available yet, the Z10 has been taking center stage in all of BlackBerry’s marketing efforts. But that’s a problem. The Q10 is the device that old-time BlackBerry fans really want to know about. And so far, BlackBerry hasn’t said much. That silence on the device has to concern these potential customers.
BlackBerry Q10 Isn’t the Smartphone to Buy: 10 Reasons Why
5. The Z10 is coming first
The Z10 is arguably one of the biggest issues standing in the way of Q10 sales. The Z10 has sold rather well in Canada and other markets and is now on its way to the U.S. The Q10 is its less-appealing brother that no one has heard from in a long time. The Z10, in other words, is stealing the Q10’s thunder. And that’s bad news.
6. A new Galaxy S is coming
There is even more trouble for the Q10 on the horizon because it’s going to be facing off with several major competitors. Chief among them might just be the Galaxy S IV from Samsung. That device, which is likely to launch around the same time as the Q10, will likely lead all Android handsets in sales. The device will also make most other products—including the Q10—look bad in comparison.
7. So is a new iPhone
As if that’s not enough, BlackBerry will have to fight with the iPhone to get customers attention. Apple and Samsung have combined to generate all of the profits in the smartphone market these days. Since both companies are launching new products this year, how can they really be expected to lose that? Watch out, BlackBerry.
8. A scrunched down software experience
As noted, the BlackBerry Q10 comes with a 3.1-inch screen, while the Z10’s display is more than an inch larger. What that means is the software experience on the Q10 is scrunched down. That makes the device a bit less user-friendly and it’s an issue that can’t be overlooked.
9. A lack of apps
Apps are extremely important. And yet, according to recent reports, several prominent companies, including Netflix, have decided to not offer a native application for BlackBerry 10. That’s a huge problem for the Q10. Customers need to know that when they buy a product, they’re getting something that works will all of the applications they like. That’s not happening with BlackBerry 10.
10. It’s already the other BlackBerry
In order for the Q10 needs to be viewed as a top-of-the-line, must-have product if it is going to generate enough sales to be profitable. But even at the BlackBerry 10 unveiling event, BlackBerry acted like it was the other device—the product that, against its better judgment, it had to offer to placate its old customers. It’s sad that BlackBerry is treating the Q10 like a poor stepchild because it means that buyers will ignore it too.
Follow Don Reisinger on Twitter by clicking here