Why BlackBerry with Android makes sense to me.

(Photoshopped image)

Let's talk BlackBerry. Rumours and leaks recently have pointed towards BlackBerry devices running Android. While some may be wondering why they even bother, I am sitting here thinking of reasons why BlackBerry should do it.

The Flagship Smartphones: A Year Later

It has been a great year for the mobile industry. Pretty much all the flagship devices in the market has been refreshed for the year, and most of them are great devices that you cannot go wrong with no matter which one you pick. But that does not mean that the previous generation of flagship devices are now obsolete.

BBM (Beta) for Windows Phone Screenshots

The #BBM  Beta on Windows Phone actually looks really nice, and follow Windows Phone UI design guideline well. Here are some screenshots I took of this.

BlackBerry 10's UI

Here’s a theory why BlackBerry 10’s UI hasn’t been well received.

BlackBerry Z30 in Singapore

 The Z30 was officially announced for the Singapore market yesterday. It will be hitting our shores on the 10th of October with key partners at a recommended retail price of SGD 828.

BlackBerry: Wind of Change

It is not easy being a fan of BlackBerry these days. In fact it hasn’t been easy for years. Especially with the recent onslaught of negative press, not just from the media, but from BlackBerry themselves too.

What if Wayne Enterprises bought BlackBerry?

Inspired by CrackBerry’s “What ifs” series of posts, which explores the possibility that the “strategic alternatives” that BlackBerry talked about, might mean the sale of the company or partnership. I am sure most BlackBerry fans would hate to see that happening if it meant that BlackBerry as we know it now might cease to exist.

Updated Q Series Concept

I just realised that I have yet to post my updated concept here. Removed the BlackBerry logo to give the front a cleaner look. I think the keyboard itself is iconic enough to be instantly recognised as a BlackBerry. The AMOLED screen when off will blend in with the glass, giving it a sense that the display is larger than it really is. The rest of it would pretty much follow what I posted before.

OPINION: What Nokia is doing right

For anyone who follows mobile tech closely, it is no secret that both Nokia and BlackBerry are struggling to reinvent themselves. Both were dominant players way back when, Nokia with their feature phones, and BlackBerry with their smartphones. Both were late into the era brought forth by the original iPhone, and both paid a great price.

Mobile Computing

The recent leaks of the BB10 outside of the phone is definitely an interesting prospect. One that I am excited about.

BlackBerry S30 Concept

Personally, I am not convince that the market has a place for sliders. But I know there are a ton of people who are a fan of the portrait slider form factor. Since my dream concept series all uses a similar design style, It’s not that difficult to come up with a slider. It’s just a pick and mix of my Z30 and Q30 concept, plus a bit of sizing. I took a short break from work to come up with these.

BlackBerry Q30 Dream Concept

As a continuation of yesterday’s dream concept for the Z30, I present the Q30 dream concept.

BlackBerry Z30 Dream Concept

There is no way to gently put this. I do not like how the rumoured Z30 looks. I think that the bottom chin looks kinda out of place. But of course this is based on photos, and I have been wrong before with the Q10. (I thought it didn’t look as nice as the Z10, but now my opinion have been reversed.)

BlackBerry Q10

Finally decided to get the Q10, and loving it so far. :D

The Trinity of Communication Bliss

 We have heard time and time again from Thorsten Heins, CEO BlackBerry, about how BlackBerry 10 will provide a new user paradigm that will differ from the ‘in-out’ app paradigm that we have all been so familiar with. Suddenly (while over a cup of coffee this morning) it occurred to me that the pieces are finally starting to fit together, particularly in the aspect of communications.

The BlackBerry Hub Advantage

Over the past few days, I stopped using a BlackBerry completely as an experiment. In the past when I tried other platforms, I still always have a BlackBerry with me at all times. People often say that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. So here I am, Day 3, telling you what I miss most from BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry 10 Dream App: Group Share

This is my BlackBerry 10 Dream App, Group Share. The name and the picture above should be pretty self-explanatory. Not sure if this is possible with the APIs yet, but one can dream. (Miracast? WiFi Direct?)

2 Years of BlackBerry

Today marks the 2nd year since I bought my first BlackBerry.

BB10 Brainstorming: Active Frames

I’m sure most of us love how we could swipe up to close an app on the PlayBook. But on BB10, due to how the Active Frames has 2 vertical pages to scroll up and down, the same gesture can’t be implemented. And swiping to the left brings in the Hub, and the right apps. So pretty much up, down, left, and right are all taken.

BlackBerry 10 Brainstorming: Content is King

This is a screenshot taken from a Q10 showing the CB10 app (thanks, Snazy!), and how it truly maximise the available screen size. But why not do the same for all devices? Why just limit it to the Q10?