Why does RIM not do a slider-type phone?

[RochesterBBUser]

I like the fetaures of the 8300 also, but every RIM BB has the same issue. Because they do a "candy bar" design, they can only make the screen and keyboard so big. Very little flexibility. I have attached a picture of a device Cingular offers. I would think this type of design would offer huge amounts of flexibility. I am not suggesting this particular phone is any good. I know nothing about it, besides the fact that one of my customers use it.

Thoughts?

[d_fisher]

My guess would be that a slider would go away from RIMs 'patented' keyboards (both QWERTY and Sure-Type).

[Pizzle]

bbsuggestions@<hidden>

***moving to General Blackberry Discussion***

[bcaslis]

Well I've tried these kinds of devices and truly hate them. It's a pain sliding it open and rotating all the times for some functions but using it closed for another. I would never ever look at a device by RIM with this kind of design.

[greggebhardt]

I have friends who use these type phones and in no time the phone becomes "sloppy" and the parts get loose.

[LunkHead]

I like the fetaures of the 8300 also, but every RIM BB has the same issue. Because they do a "candy bar" design, they can only make the screen and keyboard so big. Very little flexibility. I have attached a picture of a device Cingular offers. I would think this type of design would offer huge amounts of flexibility. I am not suggesting this particular phone is any good. I know nothing about it, besides the fact that one of my customers use it.

Thoughts?
Yuck!, Yikes!, and No Thanks!

:) :)

[ezrunner]

Give me qwerty and suretype candy bar styles. Sliders hmmm none have really impressed me too much

[No Longer Registered.]

Slider? ... That's like BlackBerry trying to be a SideKick (n)

[Unluky]

A guy I work with went to get a blackberry because he loved mine and the sales lasy talked him into that very phone. It is a POS and like what is posted above, after 5 months it is very sloppy/loose feeling already and the screen is already hazy from the touch screen scratches. He still sheepishly admits he should have listened to me and got a blackberry.

Besides that, his "sleek" slider is still 30% bigger than my old 7290 and 50% bigger than my new 8800. It is a total brick.

I would never buy a BB like that even if they made one. Just a matter of time before they break.

[dionnfr]

I switched from the Samsung I730, it was a pain, sliding all the time, phone to bulky, etc. etc.; Bought the 8703e and cant be happier; gave to daughter-in-law who used it for a week and went aout and bought a BB.

[dooks88]

I never liked my 8125. Too hard to for one hand operation. and forget trying to dial a number while driving.

[kelvin]

I never liked my 8125. Too hard to for one hand operation. and forget trying to dial a number while driving.

Gotta love those dial and drive people....

[mgerbasio]

Gotta love those dial and drive people....
Yea they're ruining it for us email while driving people.

Regards-Michael G.

[RochesterBBUser]

I would have almost bet that someone would have been supportive of a slider BB. Obviously, I was a bit mistaken about that. First time for everything. :wink:

[takeshi]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8800/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Sounds like it's just another mechanical point-of-failure as others have said. I'm sure I there was serious demand for such a gimmicky feature that RIM would implement such a model. I'm betting though, that most heavy emailing BB users use their keypads all the time so a slider would be pointless. However, I'm just guessing with no numbers or anything to back that up...

If you read the forums you'll see that a major selling point for the BB for many of us is the reliability of the OS and the hardware.

[greggebhardt]

Gotta love those dial and drive people....

It is how business is done in the USA!

[rambo47]

Question: Why doesn't RIM make a slider Blackberry?

Answer: Because it would suck. Hard.

[xxaarraa]

A more pertinent question is "Why doesn't RIM make a suretype flip phone?"

[LunkHead]

A more pertinent question is "Why doesn't RIM make a suretype flip phone?"
Flip phone????

Just as bad as the slider in my opinion.....

[Jagga]

Flip phone could be done okay but it would kill the ability to get your information quickly & navigate any menu with ease on an external screen. Totally goes against anything RIM is about. I believe nobody hear wants the ability to read emails/mms/sms time/date, etc on an external screen when for data entry or modifications have to open the phone & try to balance it in one hand to work with.

Nokia Comm E90 is your replacement for possible BB Connect, imho.

Slider. I don't want to see RIM copy a format that HTC pretty much pioneered, and even Samsung is beginning to copy. It lessons the company's spirit. A Candybar slider just might work, however the phone keys, menu, escape, and trackball MUST be on the top. Suretype keys would work the best on the hidden part of the slide (UP/DOWN, not left/right slide). Now you gotta think what happens to the mini-usb port? what happens to the placement of it and the volume keys and side keys?

Most importantly the build quality of such a unit and its stability of contruction over a year period of time. Much market research will need to be done. Speakers will have to be smaller & possibly less powered if RIM wanted to stay within the same thickness or even another 10mm thicker of the Pearl/8800. Now the clincher ... will you be willing to sacrifice significant battery life for such a design? I wouldn't.

[Fungineer]

A more pertinent question is "Why doesn't RIM make a suretype flip phone?"
like the Samsung t790?

because then they couldn't license their BBConnect and SureType technologies to other companies. :D

I honestly think RIM is pretty savvy - they make reliable handsets with good features and leave off the gimicky stuff to others - and then run their own service on those other's phones. I thought the BBConnect program was going to be the death knell for RIM's HW when it first came out, but it seems more like a plan to make BlackBerry the only push-email service you want.

[dooks88]

Gotta love those dial and drive people....
you must pull over when you dial. or you just turn your phone off when you get in the car....right?

[xxaarraa]

like the Samsung t790?

because then they couldn't license their BBConnect and SureType technologies to other companies. :D

I honestly think RIM is pretty savvy - they make reliable handsets with good features and leave off the gimicky stuff to others - and then run their own service on those other's phones. I thought the BBConnect program was going to be the death knell for RIM's HW when it first came out, but it seems more like a plan to make BlackBerry the only push-email service you want.

Bought the T790 and returned it.

Its a good phone, BBConnect is reliable. But its just too plain - fit and finish not up to scratch.

[sandman02002002]

Slider phone no thanks. side from what was said you can never get a hard case to fit it right. then if you work in dirty and wet place (ok outside) you will be droping your phone. Have been there. it sucks. the bb is great will not go back. how can you keep you phone clean? otterbox makes some great case. for outside work like me

[takeshi]

A more pertinent question is "Why doesn't RIM make a suretype flip phone?"
Because they're also prone to breakage. I'm sure that they could sell sliders and flip phone BB's but they wouldn't want to deal with the support nightmare.

[archer6]

Because RIM is not quick to buy into fads. They have a reputation of durability, quality, and longevity. Why mess with success?

[MajSingh]

(n) Slider BB (n) I guess the market is potentially there but my opinion = (n)