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After Apple launched the iPhone, the market went crazy with pretty much every handset maker jumping to make an all-touchscreen smartphone. In the meantime, RIM continued to push its “candybar with a full QWERTY keyboard” phones and even managed to increase its market share. Now that the Interweb is all about the Android and iPhone, smart handset makers should launch devices ideal for BlackBerry converts, featuring the familiar form factor.
Some companies have already figuring this out and soon enough there will be an array of choice for those looking to switch boats from BlackBerry to Android — among the devices users will be able to choose are Motorola Pro, Motorola XPRT, Motorola Titanium, Facebook-centric HTC ChaCha (not a business phone per se), Samsung Galaxy Pro, Samsung Galaxy Y Pro and Samsung Galaxy M Pro. So aside from HTC, Motorola and Samsung – other handset makers doesn’t seem interested to pursue this potentially very lucrative market opportunity. If I were at Asus, Acer, Sony Ericsson, Huawei or ZTE – I would definitely want to get a piece of the action from the demise of BlackBerry (and the rise of Android). A device with a solid QWERTY keyboard beneath a touchscreen is what it takes to get some of the BlackBerry users to the Android bandwagon. Alternatively, a model like the BlackBerry Torch (or HP/Palm Pre) could also help, offering a sliding keyboard along with a bigger screen.
I can’t be the only one seeing this opportunity. It’s a common sense – many BlackBerry users are looking to switch to Android but they don’t want to give up their keyboards for an all-touchscreen form-factor. Why not offer them an alternative? What do you think?
About The Author
Dusan Belic
Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.
Related Phones
HTC ChaCha is mid-range Android smartphone with 2.6-inch touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard below it. Rest of the specs include HSPA and WiFi connectivity, 5-megapixel camera on the back, VGA camera… Read More »
Samsung Galaxy Pro is a candybar-shaped Android smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. It also comes with an 800MHz processor, 3.2-megapixel camera, HSPA and WiFi connectivity, GPS, Bluetooth, microSD… Read More »
Motorola DROID PRO a candybar-shaped Android smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. Features include a 3.1-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz CPU, 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, 512MB… Read More »
Motorola Titanium is the iDEN-based Android smartphone with a 3.1-inch touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard. In that sense, it looks like the DROID PRO, but it's more tough device, certified to Military… Read More »
Motorola XPRT is Sprint's version of the DROID PRO. We're talking about a candybar-shaped Android smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi connectivity, 5-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, GPS,… Read More »
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