Will BlackBerry 10 break the Google—Apple combo?

A name change and a new version of the OS - is that enough to save a company? The opinion out there is divided. Yesterday in glitzy pan global launch RIM (now BlackBerry) launched its much awaited BlackBerry 10 range of phones, and it also announced that the company will be called BlackBerry and all brands will have this common name. "It's one brand, it is one promise", the company CEO Thorsten Heins said reflecting on the name change.

He further adds, "Today sees a re-invented BlackBerry launching an entirely new mobile experience. We are thrilled to be introducing BlackBerry 10 on the new BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphones, to deliver a faster, smarter experience that continuously adapts to your needs. Every feature, every gesture, and every detail in BlackBerry 10 is designed to keep you moving."

From a branding perspective, it is to be seen to what extent, the name change from RIM to Blackberry will work. Many feel it will only have a symbolic effect as RIM is often known only as BlackBerry. However it will bring in some cohesion and homogeneity in the long run given the company sustains itself in the few years.

BlackBerry 10 comes at a time in which both Apple and Google are in the advanced versions of their mobile OS and hold a significant slice of the smartphone pie. According to a latest research report by ‘Strategy Analytics', it said on a combined basis Apple and Google has 92% of the smartphone market for 2012.

But 2012 was not so benign for BlackBerry as it struggled to keep its existing portfolio of phones and tried to sustain its enterprise business for which Blackberry assumed a cult status. But from a market share perspective it has just 3.4% global share in OND 2012, and it's a massive decline compared to the last three years and moreover what's more worrying for BlackBerry would be during the same OND 2012 quarter, its North American market share was just about 2%. That's not good.

 

Coming to BB10, the company's release says,"The new BlackBerry 10 smartphones are elegant and distinctive, and the fastest, most advanced BlackBerry smartphones yet. They feature 1.5 Ghz dual core processors with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and an expandable memory card slot. They include the latest enhancements in high density pixel and screen technology to display clear, sharp, and incredibly vivid images. Both feature a micro HDMI out port for presentations, and advanced sensors such NFC (near field communications) to support mobile payments and the exchange of information with a tap of the smartphone. They also have a removable battery."

BB10 is the company's last ditch effort to pull back from the quagmire it is into right now, but it is not going to be an easy task as the road ahead is full of speed breakers set by Apple and Google and BlackBerry really need to navigate all those bumps to reach smoother terrain. It's easier said than done and Q2 CY13 will see whether BB 10 devices had captured the imagination of the consumers.