With its differentiated keyboard style, BlackBerry has grown from less than 550,000 subscribers in 2003 to 85,000,000 in 2014 globally. However, ever since the introduction of Apple’s iPhone and other smartphones, BlackBerry phones are considered as “outdated” and in need of reinventing itself with more unique features and functions. According to Ziran Wang’s article, “BlackBerry’s New ‘Unconventional’ Smartphone to be Revealed at MWC 2015”, BlackBerry decides to change their strategy from the differentiation for broad industry to the differentiation for focused market segments. BlackBerry will continue with its newest keyboard patents and “focus on only a few of its production” lines by getting rid of other production lines. Subsequently, BlackBerry is able to reintroduce its products with a more focused target market and create a fresher image.
Personally, I am not a fan of BlackBerry smartphones, but based on what I know from other BlackBerry users, most of them are besotted with the keyboard that requires pressing the actual keys, rather than a touch screen keyboard on most other smartphones. Therefore, my analysis shows that BlackBerry would be able to continue growing by focusing on promoting its original keyboard design, yet, at a much slower rate due to the existing competitors.
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