BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has suggested the company has no plans to launch an iPad rivalling tablet, stating such a device just “doesn’t make sesnse.”
Having failed to ignite much interest in the tablet market with the original BlackBerry PlayBook, Heins has suggested a follow-on BlackBerry tablet following a similar route would not make sense, stating he believes that Apple ‘owns that space’.
With the Canadian company, formally known as RIM, having attempted to revive its smartphone standing earlier this year with the launch of the BlackBerry 10 operating system and subsequent BlackBerry Z10 handset, much speculation has surrounded the Apple and Samsung rival once again targeting the tablet scene, looking to rectify the shortcomings of the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Although Heins has suggested that the company has no plans on going head-to-head with the iPad, he has not ruled out plans on taking the tablet market in a new direction, teasing a potential release that could shake up the market. Whilst suggesting such a release is possible, the BlackBerry head has revealed it is unlikely to occur in the imminent future.
“I wouldn’t want to do it that way again,” Heins told the Australian Financial Review in reference to the PlayBook. “If I do something around tablets, I want it to be really substantial and meaningful, and quite frankly, it would need to be profitable as well.”
He added: “I think the profit pool is very, very thin. Kudos to Apple, I think they really managed to own that space, so it doesn’t make sense for me to just take this head on.
“I need to figure out, for my enterprise customers, for my consumers, for my BB10 audience, what can I do that provides them a mobile computing experience in the form factor of a tablet, which goes beyond just the puristic tablet experience.”
Despite having promised to bring the BlackBerry 10 OS to the ailing BlackBerry PlayBook, the 7-inch tablet is still waiting for the latest software addition, instead last month making the jump to the BlackBerry PlayBook update 2.1.0.1526 system.
Would you be tempted by a BB10 powered tablet or should BlackBerry simply cut its losses on the tablet scene? Share your thoughts on the matter with us via the TrustedReviews Twitter and Facebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
