BlackBerry is currently feeling very good about what it has been able to achieve with BlackBerry 10, the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry Q10. I recently reviewed the BlackBerry Z10 and came away very impressed with what the company did with its new mobile operating system. It's a breath of fresh air in the crowded mobile world. Unfortunately it seems like the success the company is now receiving might be going to its CEO's head, and his recent comments cast doubt on the future of the company during its comeback.
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins recently made a comment during an interview that completely contradicts what is actually happening in the mobile world. This type of comment should not have been made during a comeback or at any point for that matter, because it's the exact opposite of what is happening. BlackBerry's CEO sees a world without tablets. Seriously. Heins told Bloomberg:
"In five years I don't think there'll be a reason to have a tablet anymore. Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model."
Many analysts have already forecasted that tablets will overtake sales of laptops this year. Research firm Gartner predicts that tablets will overtake sales of desktops and notebooks by 2017:
"While there will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, especially those who use either or both for work and play, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device. As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones, they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis. The shift away from PCs and toward tablets is not a temporary trend induced by a struggling economic environment, but a reflection of a long-term change in user behavior."
Heins might not think tablets are a good business model because the tablet his company released in 2011, the BlackBerry PlayBook, was a complete failure for the company. He did admit in January that he is still trying to decide whether BlackBerry will release a PlayBook successor and the only way he would consider it is if it can be profitable.
It's not clear if these clouded comments are due to the success BlackBerry is currently experiencing with the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry Q10. He might want to try and focus on smartphones only. BlackBerry should know better than any company, once you become stagnant, you sink. The fact is, there's no denying that tablets are here to stay, and they will continue to grow whether Heins believes it or not.
I have a word of advice for Mr. Heins: I really like the BlackBerry Z10, so do yourself a favor and open up the BlackBerry Remember app and remind yourself that the tablets are going to grow whether you believe it or not. If you doubt it, open up BlackBerry Remember. That's what the app is for.
