Blackberry

[ookpik]

I know of some long-term android users attracted to the Priv for its keyboard. For some reason only Blackberry has kept a physical keyboard as a phone option and many users are jumping at the chance to have one on a modern Android phone.

I can see that attraction for existing BB users who have been using a physical keyboard and prefer it. But how about new users who have grown up on touchscreens, i.e. the hundreds of millions of Apple and Android users? They've never encountered a keyboard on a smartphone. They can now type faster and more accurately on a touchscreen than they could on a keyboard. They're not going to be interested in a keyboard-based smartphone in the first place, let alone devote significant time to retrain their fingers how to outperform a touchscreen. 

And what about new generations of kids who've grown up on tablets and smartphones. They may well have developed little or no keyboarding skills as they grow up. Why would a keyboard on a smartphone be of any interest to them?

Moreover the number of BB users is diminishing. How many new customers has BB attracted in recent years? OTOH the touchscreen crowd has been growing rapidly and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. What's BB's hardware value proposition to these new generations of smartphone users?

By all means, if BB can fill a hardware niche market for existing customers then by all means let them do so. But I just don't see this as viable in the long run.