By Christina Warren2013-05-13 19:09:32 UTCGoogle isn't the only company holding a mobile developer conference this week. BlackBerry's annual BlackBerry Live conference kicks off Tuesday in Orlando.
It's been a big year for BlackBerry. In the last four months the company has changed its name, released its first BlackBerry 10 smartphone (the BlackBerry Z10) and rolled out its first QWERTY BlackBerry 10 device, the BlackBerry Q10.
While the verdict is still out as to whether BlackBerry is truly "back" — and if it can realistically compete against the iOS and Android juggernauts — the company is certainly going into the conference in a better position than it did last year.
So what can we expect to see from BlackBerry at BlackBerry Live? These are our predictions.
The BlackBerry Q10 shipped with BlackBerry 10.1, the first point-release update to the BB10 platform. The update brought support for the Q10's screen size, as well as some enhancements to notifications, access to older email and support for promo codes in BlackBerry World.
Developer versions of BlackBerry 10.1 also indicate that HDR options for the camera and other usability improvements.
For some users, the biggest feature of BlackBerry 10.1 might just be the ability to install Skype from BlackBerry World on the device. BlackBerry Q10 owners can already download the app and users running leaked versions of BB 10.1 are reporting success at installing the app.
At BlackBerry Live, we expect the company to announce a date for BlackBerry 10.1 for the Z10. When actual users get the update will depend on how carriers want to roll out the update, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.
During BlackBerry's last quarterly earnings call, CEO Thorsten Heins commented that a lower-priced BlackBerry 10 device aimed at emerging markets — where BlackBerry is still a leading smartphone brand — was in the works for a 2013 release.
Images and specs of this device, which is rumored to be called the BlackBerry R10, leaked earlier this month. The device purportedly has the same screen size and resolution of the Q10, but has a smaller amount of internal storage and could have a slower processor.
The device also looks much more like the BlackBerry Curve line of phones (in other words, cheap), rather than stately and sophisticated like the BlackBerry Q10.
Perhaps BlackBerry will unveil the phone and explain more about its targeted market strategy — and price points — at BlackBerry Live.
Last year, BlackBerry (then known as Research In Motion), promised that BlackBerry PlayBook owners would get updated to BlackBerry 10.
During the BlackBerry Z10 launch, the company again reiterated that BlackBerry 10 would come to the PlayBook, but gave no concrete time frame.
Although the PlayBook OS is similar to BB10 (both are based on QNX), the platforms are different. This is problematic for developers that want to build apps for both platforms — and for users that want to use the same app on more than one device. BlackBerry 10 also adds improvements to the PlayBook 2.0's email, web browser and Android app support.
Despite Thorsten Heins's dismissive remarks about the future of tablets — as well as the company's previous statements that it doesn't plan to be in the tablet market unless it can make money (something it acknowledges it doesn't know how to do) — we expect the company to at least offer an updated timeline of BB10 availability for the PlayBook.
Apps are the lifeblood of the current smartphone market. A platform quite literally lives and dies based on the quality — and yes, quantity — of its app ecosystem.
While BlackBerry boasts that it has more apps at launch than any other smartphone in history — the truth is, most of those apps aren't very good. There are also lots of missing top-tier apps, including Spotify, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Snapchat, Pandora, Candy Crush Saga and of course, Instagram.
BlackBerry was able to deliver Skype for the platform and it even convinced WhatsApp to come back — but if it wants the next generation of app developers to target the platform — it needs to prove that the big players are there.
BlackBerry Live would be the perfect time to prove to developers — and to the world — that BlackBerry 10 has the support of the big players, or at least some of them.
I'll be at BlackBerry Live, covering the news and announcements from the floor. Feel free to tweet me your questions (or find me if you happen to be at the show) and let me know what you want to see.
What do you think of BlackBerry's chances in the current smartphone marketplace? Can the company still compete or is it too far gone?
What do you want to see and hear from the company at BlackBerry Live? Let us know in the comments.
Image by Pete Pachal, Mashable
Topics: BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, blackberry live, Mobile, Tech if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"tech","content_type":"article","top_channel":"tech","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Christina Warren","age":"0","pub_day":13,"pub_month":5,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"05/13/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Default","topics":"BlackBerry,BlackBerry 10,blackberry live,Mobile,Tech,Uncategorized"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/05/13/what-to-expect-blackberry-live/"],["image_src","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA1LzEzLzUwL2JsYWNrYmVycnkxLjZlZDI0LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/0adb56ce/4a3/blackberry-10-signs.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/05/13/what-to-expect-blackberry-live/"],["og:title","What to Expect at BlackBerry Live 2013"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:description","Find out what to expect from BlackBerry at BlackBerry Live 2013."],["og:image","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA1LzEzLzUwL2JsYWNrYmVycnkxLjZlZDI0LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/0adb56ce/4a3/blackberry-10-signs.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-05-13T19:09:32Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-05-13T19:20:38Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","Find out what to expect from BlackBerry at BlackBerry Live 2013."],["keywords",["blackberry","uncategorized","tech","mobile","blackberry-10","blackberry-live"]],["twitter:title","What to Expect at BlackBerry Live 2013"],["twitter:description","Google isn't the only company holding a mobile developer conference this week. BlackBerry's annual BlackBerry Live conference kicks off Tuesday in Orlando. It's been a big year for BlackBerry. In the ..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA1LzEzLzUwL2JsYWNrYmVycnkxLjZlZDI0LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTU2MHg3NTAKZQlqcGc/3a6b05bb/4a3/blackberry-10-signs.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/05/13/what-to-expect-blackberry-live/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/13eZWuH"]]};
0 comments:
Post a Comment