Here at ValueWalk we are not the only ones who have talked about the demise of Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB), now BlackBerry, which has on occasion seemed inevitable. On a particularly cheerful day, we’ve suggested it’s a simple matter of time before the Canadian company is bought up by one of the giants.
On a less than optimistic day, we and other analysis have simply predicted that it’s value, even with their patents, doesn’t measure up to its asking price and have just sat by awaiting the bugler’s rendition of “Taps.”
Today marks a day when we will shy from grim forecasts and celebrate a product that by most early reviews, has really outdone itself. This is not to say the release of both the Z10 handset and the BlackBerry 10 operating system doesn’t beg questions. It does.
Is this going to slow the company’s demise and perhaps even grow BlackBerry’s market share? Is this a product that will get BlackBerry users to return following their defection to Android and iOS? It’s to early to say.
Rather than making grandiose predictions and ill-informed guesses too soon. Let’s simply have a look at the Z10 and accompanying OS have to offer. Knowing that it won’t have the apps to compete with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as well as other shortcomings, let’s look at the positives.
-
At first glance, this is a beautiful machine reminiscent of the beveling you find on the iPhone 5 only bigger. It’s screen size is larger than the iPhone 5 and its display is noticeably sharper.
- GONE IS THE QWERTY KEYBOARD…..for better or worse the digital touchscreen keyboard is the business here.
- There is no “home” button. This is gesture driven. Lovely, if you’ve ever had your home button deteriorate to unusable as I have on my iPhone.
- The “Hub”, or home screen is easy to use, and even easier to find with a simple right swipe. This feature BB is calling “Peek” allows you to view the “hub” while running any program, a distinct improvement over its competition
-
The 8MP camera is great. This greatness is made better with their TimeShift feature. The camera shoots multiple images rapidly and allows the user to go “back or forward in time” to find the “perfect” shot.
Again the question remains will this be enough? Perhaps it will prove to be next month when BlackBerry integrates the best of the Z10 with the inclusion of a QWERTY keyboard for the purists.
