MWC 2017. Return TCL Mobile Blackberry – Blackberry KEYone
It is no secret that digging Blackberry sold their own brand of TCL Mobile, which already owns Palm and Alcatel, for the second mark comes out the most devices in the world. Buying Palm TCL Mobile said that I wanted to run this brand for the North American market, but this ultimately did not happen, the thought that harm would be more than kind. Attempt number two is entering the market with the trademark of Blackberry. And note that Blackberry is responsible for a division of TCL Mobile USA, reporting directly to the head office. It is clear that the regional offices of TCL are already familiar with the plans for the Blackberry products, but some specific tasks were not, moreover, brand promotion will deal with exactly the same team that is responsible for Alcatel. This approach has both pluses and minuses – the obvious plus that Blackberry may fall into the same channels, which are already sold by Alcatel. In countries with operator business model is a plus, in countries where market is open, as in Russia, it will not give anything. To expect that in a few months the attitude to change and the Blackberry brand will become popular, not. In previous years, Blackberry is constantly falling and losing your audience, first in the mass market, then in the corporate segment. Today the brand is perceived as an alternative, that is, serving the interests of those who want to buy Samsung or Apple, and looking at other options. You have to understand that in order to make Blackberry once again in demand, it is necessary to pass very big way.
The first thing that you notice after buying Blackberry, it is a change of communication with reporters. In Blackberry through to top managers was impossible, they just threw off emails to PR agencies, who in turn, did not understand the subject matter. Even personally knowing people and communicating well with them, it was impossible to get an official response – company policy! A huge bureaucratic mechanism that in words was turned face to the users and journalists, but in fact showed his fifth point. So it was not working and could not work. In the first month under the TCL Mobile, everything changed, people began to communicate with the press, has changed the approach – now TCL is interested in talking, understanding that is the key to future sales. PAH-PAH-PAH, but I think they have even started to listen to what they say – although, on the other hand, this is just part of the corporate culture of TCL that has never been in Blackberry. In that company worked hard-nosed managers that have not heard the voice of the market, not your colleagues, nobody. Apparently, the time has changed, although on the outside it is not visible fully. Have not yet seen.
The presentation in Barcelona the company held earlier than all other companies to show what they have done and what you have accomplished. It is no secret that the last few Blackberry models were cosmetically changed smartphones Alcatel IDOL, they went under the name of DTEK.
Overview of smartphone Blackberry DTEK60 (BBA100-2)
Model KEYone, by contrast, was created by a team of Blackberry, its development was started even before TCL acquired the brand. The announcement of this device, code name Mercury which is a kind of experiment and search of the way. In TCL Mobile, is there a clear understanding of how to develop the Blackberry brand, the company is ready to follow any path that will lead to success. Today, there are two concepts, the first is the creation of unique devices with physical QWERTY keyboards for those who do not need on-screen keys, that is the approach Blackberry. The second way is adding services from Blackberry in the production model, the establishment of a second line of devices from Alcatel under the second brand.
And if the first way Blackberry has any chance to become a notable brand in the market, have their own face and positioning the second approach, in my opinion, utopian, and will give Blackberry a few years of life, after which the history of this brand will end. People will not be willing to buy the Alcatel counterparts with the price of 30-40% higher. It would be difficult to explain that the high cost associated with the services and security of mass consumer is willing to pay for it. But corporate buyers have long and successfully used by other brands, having all the necessary software.
So, the model KEYone is a trial balloon. For her there is a certain level of sales inherent within the company if you want, this is a pilot project, the success or failure of which will depend on what path of development will Blackberry under the wing of TCL Mobile.
KEYone and what it’s for mobile – for whom it is necessary
The concept of a physical keyboard and touch screen are well known to us on BB10 smartphones, the company did it. But it should be noted that such devices are never wildly popular, they were perceived as a kind of exotic. In my opinion, the reason that Blackberry has missed the point of the blossoming of touch-screens in those days, models with combined keyboard and screen could become a bridge between the two worlds and keep the audience Blackberry. Today, most people are already accustomed to touch screens and keyboards on them are not experiencing any problems with it. And the fact that Blackberry was able to bring a physical keyboard to a new level, not that important – this need to mass market there. But the keyboard from an engineering point of view is remarkable – they support not only depression, but also have sensors, so you can slide your finger on a conventional touch screen keyboard only then the button is always in front of you. But for this you want to pay the size of the screen and its diagonal, plus always suffering geometry. Large screens are good for watching videos or for games, then this is not a place in the presence of a physical keyboard. It turns out that this is a compromise, not a solution for the mass market.
In the KEYone is the problem in full growth – the screen has a diagonal of 4.5 inches, resolution 1620х1080 points, 433 ppi. This is IPS matrix that is the solution I don’t want to call it flagship. The difficulty is that the cost of AMOLED-matrix of such a geometry would be too high, hence the need to use IPS. The phone is pretty decent for its screen-level models of an average price segment. An aspect ratio of 2 to 3.
On QWERTY-keypad the center key has a built-in fingerprint sensor. The unusual decision, which many may like. The aluminum case gives the phone weight, it is not lightweight – 180 grams. But compact enough – 149.3х72.5×9.4 mm.
Use the USB connector Type C (3.1) that has already become a sign of new models 2017. I was somewhat confused the filling of the machine – inside is a chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, RAM – 3 GB internal – 32 GB, memory card up to 2 TB. Iron is for models of intermediate level, including 12-megapixel main camera, which is clearly inferior to the flagships of 2016. 3505 battery mAh, supported QC 3.0, half-charge is achieved in 36 minutes.
Modest? Not the right word. That is, from the point of view of design and material everything is great, the device looks and feels unusual. But filling a smartphone belongs to the middle price segment, while positioning at the level of the flagship – in April, the model appears in the United States and Europe at a price of 549 and 599 euros. It’s just space cost for this unit, for the comparable money you can buy the same Galaxy S7 EDGE, Yes it can be found cheaper. And of stuffing, the perception of this device is much stronger than KEYone. In my opinion, TCL is trying to determine how and how much people are willing to pay today for Blackberry, to conduct a natural experiment. And I’m afraid that the results are not very encouraging, to think otherwise there are no prerequisites. So, in my opinion, this model will not be a key, which it is positioned. This is an old time Blackberry, which floated. Very nice machine for fans of the company, but absolutely unintelligible to the mass market. It is Android 7.1 with a bunch of Blackberry services that regular people need. As explain in the store the charm of a physical keyboard is difficult, at the level of consciousness it is perceived as something inconvenient and old. That is, the product again turned out for the disappearing audience of those who still love the physical keys, such people left in the world not so much.
Of sales plans KEYone on the Russian market yet, so the model will only be available in unofficial imports, which, however, fans of the brand in our country never bothered, they have over the years got used to it. What do you think about KEYone? I want to try this device? What looks to you the price?
Links
Overview of smartphone Blackberry DTEK60 (BBA100-2)
Overview of smartphone Blackberry DTEK50 (STH100-2)