Can the New BlackBerry Z10 Phone and OS 10 Save BlackBerry?

As most people know, the BlackBerry has fallen way behind other smartphones like the iPhone, Android and yes, Windows Phones (also jumping up in the fray but that’s another article). The question is: Can the new BlackBerry Z10 Phone and OS 10 sway new users to choose BlackBerry? This could be a major shift in the smartphone arena which may make people think twice before their next smartphone purchase.

The New BlackBerry Z10 Phone and OS 10: The Processor and Browser
The new, redesigned OS 10 looks nice and is faster with a dual core processor. The browser is also faster and similar to iPhone and Android. On the negative side, OS 10 is lacking in applications and features such as mapping and finding points of interest effectively. Because of this, it’s seen as not as robust as other smartphones.

The New BlackBerry Z10 Phone and OS 10: The Virtual Keyboard
On the plus side one of the big separators of the BlackBerry Z10 Phone is the virtual keyboard. In fact, it’s one of the best on the market. The virtual keyboard is quick to respond and built with the capability to automatically generate word predictions based on letters you type. Though the BlackBerry Z10 does not have a physical keyboard, there are rumors that you will have the option to get a physical keyboard with the later models due out this spring.

The New BlackBerry Z10 Phone and OS 10: The BlackBerry Hub
The BlackBerry Hub (which is an area for all messaging, email and social media accounts) is easy to use and fits well with the Active Frames area which contains all open applications. (Note: iPhone and Android have similar areas)

The New BlackBerry Z10 Phone and OS 10: The Summary
At the time of this blog, BlackBerry has not indicated if they will allow the BlackBerry Z10 to be managed by an MDM (Mobile Device Management) Service. They still offer a proprietary BlackBerry Enterprise Service to manage the device.

So, all in all the BlackBerry Z10 Phone and OS 10 is a nice, easy-to-use, single personal device. However, when it comes to larger enterprise-size deployments, it still needs to have the capability to be managed by an MDM. Otherwise the ship may have sailed on BlackBerry for new enterprise adoptions – only time will tell.