BlackBerry CEO Backtracks, Says Still Committed to Smartphones

Blackberry

BlackBerry would consider exiting its handset business if it remains unprofitable, a Reuters article (bomb) reads, suggesting that the struggling Canadian smartphone maker will give up the business that created the foundation of the company (via Re/code).

The fact is, if you only read that short article, you will start believing it, too: “If I cannot make money on handsets, I will not be in the handset business,” BlackBerry CEO John Chen told Reuters.

What the article forgot to mention is that you should watch the full interview (video embedded at the end of the article), as the news agency took Chen’s words out of context.

To counterbalance the Reuters story, Chen published a post on the company’s blog reassuring customers that it has “no intention of selling or abandoning this business anytime soon.”

I want to assure you that I have no intention of selling off or abandoning this business any time soon.? I know you still love your BlackBerry devices. I love them too and I know they created the foundation of this company. Our focus today is on finding a way to make this business profitable.

We have to admit, though, that BlackBerry isn’t just a handset-only company, but it also provides enterprise services, software messaging, etc. What Chen was trying to underscore in the interview is the following: The company’s hardware business is struggling, but it may become profitable.

He does seem to be focusing more on services and end-to-end solutions, and he is eyeing future purchases as well in the security area.

So in the end, what’s the future of BlackBerry’s handset business? Well, that remains an open question.

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