My prolonged relationship with Blackberry has parlayed from the BlackBerry 1700, introduced in 2003, to the BlackBerry Q10, released in 2013. Blackberry phones were designed to concentrate on wireless communication (email, mobile telephone and text messaging), which has satisfied my wireless consumerism for over 10 years. So, the iDea of their competitors capturing my iNterest with devices designed to offer an array of entertainment, while iNadvertently creating a host of petty crimes, was as iMpossible as my voting for Donald Trump. But, in August 2013, when BlackBerry announced its intention to sell the company due to increasingly unfavorable financial position and competition in the mobile industry, I feared the worst.
On June 29, 2007, when the first generation of iPhone, designed and marketed by Apple, Inc. (Apple), was launched, I was among the cautiously optimistic, waiting for all of the technological glitches to present themselves and the remedies and upgrades to prevail. But, when iPhone’s remedies and upgrades quickly spiraled into a massive fanfare with billions in revenue (resulting in sales of approximately 700 million iPhones to-date, according to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook at a conference on March 9, 2016), I refused to contribute to an Apple wireless device monopoly. In fact, I was adamant, because I needed to maintain my wireless device, preferred and self-described name, BlackBerry Chic.
In November 2013, despite previously announcing intentions to sell the company, BlackBerry’s interim CEO John S. Chen released an open message saying “We are committed to reclaiming our success,” and I was extremely pleased. However, due to the popularity of the iPhones and similar devices, wireless companies were forced to discontinue sales of BlackBerry devices, causing me to ultimately reconsider and shamefully purchase an iPhone.
Yes. This BlackBerry Chic is now an iPhone consumer. A broken AC power port on my 22-month old BlackBerry Q10, along with wireless companies such as Sprint®, discontinuing sales of BlackBerry devices, has [with the support of statistical data, being, 80% of BlackBerry users are now iPhone users] lead me to become a part of the Apple monopoly. Therefore, the purpose of my message is to out myself before the 80%ers, and the otherwise 2007 fan-craved iPhone users spot me with my new iPhone and label me as a two-faced, contradicting wireless phone user. Frankly… aren’t we all?
Copyright© 2016 Denrique Preudhomme. All Rights Reserved.
Note: Research and data obtained from various reputable news source.
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8 comments:
I held out and held onto my BlackBerry Bold until 2014. Prior to that, I could see no conceivable way that I could communicate without keys. Then there was the day in the elevator, when an older neighbor spotted it in my hands. "Looks like you have a phone that isn't very smart," he laughed.
He was right. I couldn't even do online banking on my BlackBerry, which forced me to go to the bank to deposit checks. Add to that, my mobile credit card processing company, Intuit, had to search in a dusty bin to find the right adapter so that I could process book sales. I finally I ran out of patience when Research in Motion kept promising but never delivering new models. When they finally returned to market, I didn't even look up from my iPhone.
No shame in my game. There shouldn't be any in yours, either. We didn't fail. BlackBerry failed its loyal fans. They were SO long catching up that the switch to the Android platform was too little too late. We'd all become accustomed to something smarter and faster than Research (Barely) in Motion.
Ha! Thanks for the endorsement, and the tale of your faulty Research (barely) in Motion. (Hilarious!) You are absolutely right about the apps factor. RIMs failed in that department, while technology kept growing.
Having the QWERTY is what kept me with BlackBerry. I could not fathom typing lengthy emails and articles on a touch screen, but, I am told I will adjust quite comfortably.
Very nice article. I, though, am and probably will always be an Android girl. Samsung all the way
My work phone is a Samsung. So, I thought it best to get the iPhone to not confuse the two. :)
My husband is on your side, Denrique. Even after he was not able to get any support from our carrier (T-Mobile) he refused to give in. After begging and pleading to no avail and his having numerous missed and un-retrievable communications, I decided to give him a smartphone for his birthday. Now he's a convert, but it took me a week to get him to the store to get it activated and the blackberry disconnected!
Ha! I feel his pain, Melaine. That is the effect Blackberry has/had on Blackberry carriers, a level of devotion that is unmatched to any other wireless device. But, they needed to put their Research In Motion to keep up with their competitors and the everchanging technology trends.
Alas, I know that was hard for you. But pretty soon it will long forgotten, in the way of the dinosaurs..lol. Great article!
Happy you found a phone that works
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