The Blackberry is, if nothing else, a great conversation starter. The conversation generally goes something like this:
“Wow! You still have a Blackberry?”
“Yup.”
“That’s embarrassing.”
Regardless of how the conversation goes, the word ‘embarrassing’ usually pops up at some point or another. The Blackberry, which was at its height of popularity three or four years ago, has now become archaic. It’s no longer cool to be BBMing, nor is it cool to wait three minutes for your Internet to load.
Today, it’s all about the iPhone. Internet that loads in seconds. Apps galore. You want to send embarrassing pictures to your friends that automatically delete after three seconds? There’s an app for that. You want to know when the next CATA bus will arrive? There’s an app for that too. Unfortunately, if you want to do either of those things with your Blackberry, you’re out of luck.
But how is this possible? How has a phone that was the it phone not even four years ago become irrelevant?
At the end of the day, all people want is something new. Skinny jeans replaced flare jeans. Facebook Chat replaced AIM. The list goes on and on. Cell phones are no different. People, without fail, flock to the latest and greatest. And as of now, that is the iPhone.
So can the Blackberry ever make a comeback? I think that depends on how long it takes them to come out with something that tops the iPhone. Blackberry has released touch screen versions of their phones, but the touch screen is only one factor in the iPhone’s appeal. In September, Research in Motion (the company behind Blackberry) revealed plans for Blackberry 10 phones, but did not include a release date for the new product (Austen).
In my opinion, the fate of Blackberries depends upon this release. If Research in Motion can release a phone that not only matches current iPhone features, but also brings something new to the table, they stand a chance of making a comeback. If the new phone does little more than copy the current iPhone model, Blackberries may soon find themselves as outdated as that Motorola Razr flip phone you begged your parents to buy you back in Middle School.
For my own sake, and the sake of what few fellow Blackberry users are still out there, I hope the Blackberry does make a comeback. Because although my BBM contact list has gone from around 80 people to 10 in the past two years, I still love my phone. I can call, text and email; what else does a girl really need? Plus, I’ve dropped my phone somewhere around 45 times, and my screen has yet to crack. Can you say that about your iPhone?
Didn’t think so.