BlackBerry CEO Heins: Apple iPhone UI is old, shows lack of innovation
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Pulling no punches, Heins said that the rate of innovation in the industry is so high that if you don't catch up, you can be replaced. And as if to make sure that his target was clear, he noted that iOS is over 5 years old. Pointing out that BlackBerry 10 offers users a better multi-tasking experience than iOS, Heins made it clear that if his company doesn't innovate, it too can find itself losing buyers. "Launching BB10 just put us on the starting grid of the wider mobile computing grand prix, and now we need to win it," said the CEO.
"History repeats itself again I guess ... the rate of innovation is so high in our industry that if you don’t innovate at that speed you can be replaced pretty quickly. The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about is now five years old."-Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry CEO
Turning to the BlackBerry Z10, Heins said that BlackBerry World will be stuffed with 100,000 apps by the time that the device launches in the U.S. He also said that negotiations are taking place with Instagram and Netflix to get both of them to develop an app for BlackBerry 10. Previously, both sites have said that they would not be offering BB10 apps, but Heins said, "We are working constantly on getting these important apps on board."
As far as BlackBerry Z10 is concerned, Heins said that he could not talk about sales because of the quiet period that precedes the company's quarterly report, but did add that BlackBerry has been pleasantly surprised with the number of BlackBerry Z10 buyers that came from other platforms.
source: FinancialReview
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41 Comments
1. nobelset posted on 18 Mar 2013, 08:43 54 3
Respects to you, Mr. Heins. This couldn't be more true.
17. LonghornTech posted on 18 Mar 2013, 10:58 13 0
You know iOS' UI is stale when you can pull out a 5 year old iPod touch and barely tell the difference. About time someone calls Apple out, wish consumers would realize the same thing.
23. loyals posted on 18 Mar 2013, 11:46 6 3
lets hope they release new UI in next big update. then even 4 year old iphone4 will be having new UI then. thats one good thing about apple, givin timely updates !!
25. networkdood posted on 18 Mar 2013, 12:35 3 1
Stale UI on an outdated app launcher... What OS? Instead of iOS, call it iAL.
37. Mxyzptlk posted on 18 Mar 2013, 18:52 0 2
Right, this is coming from a company that has been losing market share for years and tried to produce their own iPhone killer that was DOA.
38. Mxyzptlk posted on 18 Mar 2013, 18:53 0 2
I can't believe people are actually buying this.
4. myboyblu posted on 18 Mar 2013, 08:52 6 9
Its funny to me that BlackBerry of all is saying anyone is lacking inovation. it has only taen them a couple of years to almost catch up. Good job on z10... but is it too little to late? 4.whatever little screen, 8MP camera (sooo last year), dual core processor...realy?!?
Prime example of pot calling the kettle black.
26. phonemirer posted on 18 Mar 2013, 12:45 1 1
its the only one phone os that has QNX as its kernel, also the correct ppi for a phone
5. xperiaDROID posted on 18 Mar 2013, 08:53 14 2
Mr Heins, you've earned our respect, you are the best!
7. FireDragon posted on 18 Mar 2013, 08:56 4 0
The rate of True Innovation was pretty high before the iOS I very strongly belive. Apple with iOS stopped that and cause really greater damage over all just for sake of filling their bank accounts to over-load.
Luckily the pace is setting back, although not as good as it could be if either Apple did something real to the industry than feeding sugar-coated products or if they let the real players take it up.
I am very well aware of how many of the users will not like what I am writing but just because they don't know doesn't mean it is not there.
9. zeropants posted on 18 Mar 2013, 09:08 3 0
It's true for the most part, they haven't done anything new for a while. However, I don't think the best source is the representative of a company that hadn't changed their fundamental device design for about a decade.
I just used my upgrade on an iPhone 5 because I am not a fan of the growing screen sizes Android is pushing. If they could have put out a 4.3" phone with the specs and care of an HTC One or even the SIII it might have changed my mind. I just don't want a 5" screen in my pocket. Admittedly, they are superior hardware at least as far as the specs are concerned, and the HTC One is at least on par with the iPhone for build quality.
10. quakan posted on 18 Mar 2013, 09:14 10 1
Blackberry FINALLY gets with the times and now they feel like they can speak up about someone's UI being old.
12. InspectorGadget80 posted on 18 Mar 2013, 09:23 3 1
Aint this a... even black berry ceo says ios is old & out dated. This guy is right too next too mr. woz
14. Bernoulli posted on 18 Mar 2013, 09:40 2 0
Dang that's nice, a company that respects others and suggests innovation, I shall get one of these beauties, let's all support BlackBerry! Break the sheep! :)
15. kushki posted on 18 Mar 2013, 09:47 1 1
True. However BB10 UI is not unique at all.... Jolla/Meego, Android, WebOS all fuzed together makes BB10
24. Xtasy posted on 18 Mar 2013, 12:06 1 1
Which is the exact reason that makes it so unique lol including the intelligent UI that no OS has at the time
16. taikucing posted on 18 Mar 2013, 09:57 5 0
lol... so true. Even Wozniak himself said that iPhone is behind on smartphone features.
18. roscuthiii posted on 18 Mar 2013, 10:59 1 1
I'd go with a different analogy than the 98lb weakling Alan. The situation is closer to an MVP athlete who lost focus and got himself injured. A second stringer gets put in and does remarkably well... has a winning season, wins the big game even.
However, once the star athlete has recovered and refocused, he's going to want his spot back.
19. rusticguy posted on 18 Mar 2013, 11:01 3 0
Aaah now i see the real meaning of
"There's iPhone (where iOS never updated) and there's everything else" (where everything's moving so fast that Apple doesn't even get time to plan anything ... last time they tried to speed up they goofed up -- in form of "Dangerous" Maps!!!)
20. archangel9 posted on 18 Mar 2013, 11:04 2 1
SO TRUE!Apple is basically having their a$$e$ handed to them by Android and Samsung but true facts echo from BlackBerry and Mr.Heins.Coming from BB myself this couldn't more true but I respect the fact that Apple has 6 years ago redefined the smartphone movement with their UI TIL 2008 when the Google G1 and Android came on the scene. Because of Apple's arrogance,they felt it no need to change and Steve Jobs knows that. As for BB,the old guard refused to conform and BB was near extinction but now rescued by the new guard that will put them back in the game.
22. shamataa posted on 18 Mar 2013, 11:34 1 1
Cool so that means everyone in the entire world agrees and Apple needs to do something and fast but i have my doubts.This is so true.
28. jcpwn2004 posted on 18 Mar 2013, 13:45 2 0
Apple's OS might be outdated, but blackberry's hardware is already very outdated as well.
29. TheMan posted on 18 Mar 2013, 14:05 0 0
He's stating the obvious. Was he wearing a robe? Because he sure sounds like Arthur Dent.
(Name that literary reference!)
32. apiskula posted on 18 Mar 2013, 15:29 0 0
Thorsten I cannot stand you. Your product will not make a comback and is pure trash. I would never want to purchase your garbage operating system, old phones, and terrible app store. Your company will eventually fail and blackberry will RIP finally!
33. JunitoNH posted on 18 Mar 2013, 16:03 0 0
Dear Mr. Heins:
Your statement may be true, to a degree, but wrap your head around this. Since October of the previous year, our company has had $121.3 Billions "in cash", how much does RIM, I mean BB has in assets, never mind the cash? The iPad mini was a success, and the iPad, is the best selling tablet of all times, by the way how are those playbook doing?
By the way, did you know the iPhone 5 line, has sold more than 27.4 million worldwide? Anyway, continuous success to you and RIM, I mean the "new" and improved BB.
Sincerely,
Timmy C.
34. krimHD posted on 18 Mar 2013, 16:04 0 0
i tot i was the only person who noticed iphone UI hardly has a diff. nicely said
35. bluescreen posted on 18 Mar 2013, 17:47 0 0
ok let me ask this....what good is it being able to do 3 things at the same time if u dont have the hardware in your phone to support what you want to do.....moldy berry should put better hardware in their phones first before they go talking about how old another companies UI is.....i dont like apple just making a point
39. 9thWonderful posted on 18 Mar 2013, 21:16 0 0
its kind of comical to see someone emerge out of irrelevancy to throw shots at a company, in spite of a 5 year old UI, has remained relevant. android lovers co-sign b/c of their own envious reasons. the Z10 UI seems like a conglomerate of the current top 3 (WP8, iOS, Android) instead of a fresh baked software. there's only one innovative feature related to BBM that i can say no one else has done. let's not mention the major flop the Playbook was. Apple usually falls behind the trend of technology, but Blackberry isn't even on the grid & hasn't been for awhile now so don't think this is a company that can make a statement against Apple's technological status. leave these kinds of statements for the big boys Blackberry...you're future is still unclear at this point.
40. garz_pa posted on 19 Mar 2013, 01:46 0 0
Give innovation some rest people. You guys in a hurry??
41. AlMal posted on 14 Apr 2013, 12:58 0 0
Not sure about the innovations, but Apples marketing is far better. Everyone is talking about iphones, not blackberrys.
