黑莓放手一搏：转投安卓阵营？

    2009年时，黑莓还是智能手机领域的王者。根据IDC的数据，这家加拿大公司在美国的市场占有率达到令人震惊的50%，其全球市场占有率最高也达到20.1%。

    然而自那时起，这两项数据就开始持续下滑。上周初，互联网统计公司comScore宣布黑莓在美国的市场占有率仅有1.5%，而其操作系统的全球占有率已经不足以在国际数据公司的报告中独占一栏了。

    另一方面，谷歌安卓移动操作系统的市场占有率却在同期稳步提升。同一份报告显示，安卓以52.2%的市场占有率引领美国市场，全球市场占有率则高达78%。

    从表面上看，除了互为竞争对手之外，安卓和黑莓似乎没有什么交集。不过上周四，路透社报道援引匿名消息源称，黑莓正考虑推出一款搭载谷歌安卓系统，而不是它自己的黑莓10操作系统。

    后来接受《财富》采访时，黑莓表示不会就谣言发表评论。一名黑莓的发言人通过电子邮件表示：“对于那些谣言和猜测，我们不予置评，但我们依旧致力于黑莓10操作系统。该系统在安全和效率上的优势无以伦比。”

    这并非黑莓与安卓的第一次交集。黑莓在2013年初推出黑莓10系统时，也兼容了安卓应用。接纳来自其他平台的应用，是为了充实黑莓的应用列表，这正是公司迫切需要的。然而，由于兼容性问题，在黑莓10设备上使用安卓应用的体验十分糟糕，这项措施最终未能激励开发商支持该公司，也没有让黑莓获得其亟需的用户群。

    据称，这款黑莓安卓混合型设备的外型类似于黑莓在3月的全球移动通讯大会上展示的触屏滑盖键盘手机。该产品将提供黑莓久经考验的键盘手感，这是黑莓忠实用户仍旧希望拥有的，同时还将拥有安卓用户想要的触屏体验。从这款设备的照片中的确看不出它有什么独到之处，不过人们还是忍不住猜想它使用起来恐怕不太称手。

    在3月的那场活动中，黑莓还顺带宣布，该公司计划推出一套名为BlackBerry Experience Suite的核心应用包，这进一步表明公司已经意识到自己需要吸引黑莓生态系统之外的用户。

    黑莓或将与谷歌携手开发新设备，这一新闻并不令人惊讶。我很早就听说黑莓在开发一款应用，它能将任何安卓智能手机上的应用转换成界面和体验更适合黑莓10设备的样式。

    随着公司着手推行这一理念，对操作系统层面，尤其是公司常年来引以为傲的安全特性缺乏控制力，可能会推动公司深入挖掘潜力，为自己的设备开发出新的操作系统。

    如果传言被证实，该产品就能解决黑莓10设备缺乏应用的问题，尤其是如果公司还决定引入Google Play Store的话。

    到了这个地步，黑莓已经没有什么可失去的了，采用一个被证明能够吸引用户的平台，带来的只有益处。将安卓的成功与黑莓在硬件制造上的长处结合起来，很有可能促成一次成功的联姻。

    就像有句名言所说：“如果你打不过对手，那就加入他们的行列吧。”（财富中文网）

    译者：严匡正

    审校：任文科

    In 2009, BlackBerry was king of the smartphone world. The Canadian company was sitting atop the smartphone market with a staggering 50 percent market share in the United States; peaking at a 20.1 percent global share, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

    Since then, both numbers have been steadily declining. Early last week comScore announced BlackBerry’s market share was a lowly 1.5 percent in the United States, with its global OS share no longer significant enough to warrant itsown column in IDC reports.

    Google’s mobile operating system, Android, on the other hand, has seen a steady increase in market share over the same time frame. It currently sits atop the U.S. market with 52.2 percent and 78 percent share globally, according to the same report.

    On the surface, beyond being competing platforms, it would seem Android and BlackBerry have very little to do with one another. But on Thursday, Reuters published a report citing anonymous sources who claim BlackBerry is considering launching a new device that runs Google’s Android software, instead of its own BlackBerry 10 operating system.

    BlackBerry later told Fortune that it wouldn’t discuss the rumors. “We don’t comment on rumors and speculation, but we remain committed to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which provides security and productivity benefits that are unmatched,” a BlackBerry spokesperson said via email.

    The move wouldn’t be BlackBerry’s first brush with Android. When BlackBerry 10 launched in early 2013, it did so with the ability to run Android applications. Flirting with apps from another platform was an effort to boost the BlackBerry’s app catalog, which the company so desperately needs. However, the experience of using an Android app on a BlackBerry 10 device has been plagued by compatibility issues and ultimately failed to spur the developer support the company, and users, had so desperately hoped for.

    The BlackBerry-Android hybrid device is rumored to look similar to the touch-screen, slide-out keyboard device BlackBerry briefly revealed at Mobile World Congress in March. The device would offer the tried-and-true BlackBerry keyboard experience devoted users still crave, while simultaneously providing a touch-based experience Android users now expect. Granted this picture doesn’t do the device justice, although one can’t help but think it would be awkward to use regardless.

    Incidentally, at the same March event, BlackBerry also announced plans to release a suite of its core apps called the BlackBerry Experience Suite, further demonstrating the company’s realization it needs to look for users outside of its own ecosystem.

    News that BlackBerry may join forces with Google on a new device isn’t surprising. I’ve long heard whispers that BlackBerry was working on an application that would transform any Android smartphone into something that looks and feels more like BlackBerry 10.

    It’s possible as the company worked on the concept, the lack of control at the OS level—specifically pertaining to security features the company has long prided itself on—pushed the company to dive deeper and add a new operating system to its own devices instead.

    If the rumors are proved true, the device would resolve a problem regarding lack of applications for BlackBerry 10 devices, especially if the company decided to include the Google Play Store.

    At this point, there’s not much left for BlackBerry to lose, and everything to gain by adopting a platform that’s proven to attract users. Combine Android’s success with BlackBerry’s knack for making quality hardware, and it just might be the winning combination.

    As the saying goes, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”