BlackBerry 10 now available
The BlackBerry 10 has been officially launched this week, after nearly a year’s worth of delays. Research In Motion, which has changed its name to BlackBerry, has successfully launched its latest, highly anticipated mobile device, which has a very strong focus on mobile gaming. For nearly the entire lifespan of the BlackBerry, the platform has catered to business professionals and enterprises in various industries. Now, however, the platform is beginning to expand its capabilities.
New BlackBerry adopts focus on mobile gaming
While BlackBerry has never been exclusive to business professionals, it has not won the favor of a wide range of consumers because of its lack of consumer-oriented features, such as mobile gaming. The BlackBerry 10 was initially slated for a 2012 release, but Research In Motion decided to delay the launch of the new smart phone several times due to emerging competition in the mobile device market. During these delays, the company hosted several events in which Android developers were encouraged to port their mobile games over to the BlackBerry platform, making these games available for the first time on a platform apart from Android. Many of these developers were provided financial incentives to participate in this campaign.
Mobile gaming may attract attention of new consumers
The BlackBerry 10 boasts of a wide range of features that are likely to be well-received by diehard BlackBerry fans, as well as appeal to consumers suffering from iOS and Android fatigue. Given that the device has become more accommodating of mobile gaming, it may see a great deal of interest from tech-savvy gamers that have long been interested in the platform but had chosen either the Android or the iOS to satisfy their gaming interests.
BlackBerry 10 designed to last more than a decade
According to Research In Motion, the BlackBerry 10 is designed to have a lifespan of at least 10 years. This is significantly longer than most of today’s mobile devices, which have a lifespan of a little over one year. The device’s stronger focus on mobile gaming may come in handy if it is meant to last for over a decade before a new BlackBerry device is released.
PayPal continues to snub NFC technology in mobile commerce
It is no secret that PayPal is not a fan of NFC technology. The technology enables mobile devices to collect and distribute information over very short distances. While the technology has seen use in marketing, its most well known for its uses in mobile commerce. NFC technology can effectively turn any mobile device into a payment platform, allowing consumers to make purchases for goods and services using nothing but their smart phones or tablets. While the concept of mobile commerce has becoming very attractive to consumers, PayPal believes that its reliance on NFC technology is a fallacy.
Use of NFC technology may lead to failure
In the past, PayPal has been somewhat outspoken in its opposition of NFC technology. Recently, however, the company has been growing more aggressive in its stance on the matter. According to David Marcus, president of PayPal, the technology may actually be harmful for the retail industry, which has come to embrace mobile commerce in a big way. Marcus suggests that NFC is not the right technology to facilitate mobile payments from consumers and that the more retailers focus on its use, the more likely they are to meet failure.
Poor experiences create tension in mobile commerce
Marcus suggests that NFC technology created a very limited experience for consumers, especially with their relationship to a retailer. Despite the somewhat simplistic nature of NFC technology, Marcus claims that consumers often have a bad experience when making purchases with NFC-enabled devices at retail stores. The president of PayPal notes that this experience is largely due to the fact that consumers are forced to make use of physical NFC terminals in order to make a purchase, rather than make purchases wherever they are using their Internet connection on their smart phone or tablet.
PayPal investing in alternative solution
PayPal has been investing heavily in an alternative to NFC technology. The company has been working on building a multi-channel solution that will allow consumers to make mobile payments without having to interact with a physical terminal or checkout system. The solution that the company has been investing in is meant to facilitate payments in-store and online, providing consumers with more flexibility in their mobile commerce interests.
