₦airaland Forum

Image 1: Blackberry trying to make an only-touchscreen version after realising their mess. It was still a mess. The world was not about only BBM. They even had to create an Android app later on after refusing...until Facebook (Meta now) bought WhatsApp and killed it permanently.


Image 2: Nokia collaborating with PC giant Microsoft for a Windows OS for phones in their Lumia version, which still became a flop. Developers were not interested in creating apps for Symbian OS and Windows Phones.

Good day house.

I was just reminiscing with some guys the other day about the early 2000s and 2010s in Nigeria. Who remembers when holding a Nokia N-series, an E71, or a BlackBerry Bold 2 meant you had officially "arrived"? If you didn't have your BB PIN on your BBM status, you weren't popping.

Today, both brands are basically shadows of their former selves. We all know Apple and Samsung took over, but what exactly made these two giants collapse so fast? Let’s look at the real gist.

1. The Nokia Hubris: "Nobody can touch us"
Nokia didn’t just make phones; in Nigeria, Nokia was the phone. But their biggest problem was pride. When Apple dropped the first iPhone in 2007, Nokia executives literally laughed at it. They thought people would never buy a phone without a physical keypad and that it was too fragile.

Instead of jumping on the Android train early like Samsung did, Nokia stubbornly stuck to their Symbian OS. Symbian was okay for the 3310 days, but for the smartphone era, it was clunky and difficult for app developers to build on. By the time they realized their mistake, they made a desperate deal with Microsoft to use Windows Phone OS, which was another disaster because nobody wanted to build apps for Windows phones.

“Nokia overestimated the strength of its brand and underestimated how quickly the smartphone market would shift to software and app ecosystems.” - Harvard Business Review: Why Nokia Failed

2. BlackBerry's Stubbornness: "It's all about the keyboard"
Research In Motion (the guys that made BlackBerry) owned the corporate world and the youth market. But they made two fatal errors:

First, they believed people only wanted phones for emails and pinging. They completely missed the fact that phones were becoming entertainment hubs (for YouTube, games, and browsing). When they finally tried to make a touchscreen phone (the BlackBerry Storm), it was a buggy, glitchy mess.

Second, they held onto BBM for too long. If BlackBerry had made BBM available on Android and iOS in 2010, WhatsApp might not exist today. By keeping BBM locked only to BlackBerry devices, they forced people who bought iPhones and Androids to look for an alternative. Enter WhatsApp, and the rest is history.

“BlackBerry failed to anticipate that consumers—not business executives—would drive the smartphone revolution.” - Wall Street Journal

The Bottom Line
In the tech world, if you don't adapt, you die. It doesn't matter if your battery lasts for 5 days like our old Nokia battery, or if your keypad types faster than a laptop. The market wanted touchscreens and millions of apps, and these giants refused to listen.

Nairalanders, which Nokia or BlackBerry was your favorite back in the day? Let’s hear your stories! Mine was the BB Torch and the legendary Nokia 3310.


Supporting sources:

1. Harvard Business Review: "Why Nokia Failed"
2. TIME Magazine: "The Fatal Mistake That Doomed BlackBerry"

This video is helpful too. Watch Nokia ex-CEO speak about the matter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR5a_DBYSmI?si=tpqXLr6SoFs8ywXL

Seun:
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You didn't charge your parents, did you?

Spot a chronic liar on this trend and win integrity.

Very dangerous sets of blacks.

You should be ashamed of yourself for justifying hypocrisy like it's what you were born to do.

simpleseyi:
.
Wole Soyinka had been protesting against successive governments since the 1960s, he is now over 90 years. If you have any shame at all, you will not expect an over 90 years old man to help you fight for your right. He helped your great grandfather to fight for his rights, he helped your grandfather to fight for his rights, he helped your father to fight for his rights, he has been helping you to fight for your rights, now you want him to fight for your children’s rights, you should be ashamed of yourself

The problem of Nigeria is not the APC. It is Tinubu himself.

They protested when fuel was ₦65/ltr.


Now, they have lost their voices when it is ₦1400/ltr.

Disturbing, yet it is the truth.

That man is the major problem in Nigeria.

Pray4meJC:
Yes we did but you will continue to use the yellow box by inserting a jack to the port. The good part is the TV is running on 12v 5A Adapter.

Solution 2: Replace the TV board and all these stress gone. It will no longer run DC.

Overall the company deliberately did this to steal from their Nigeria customers.

Is stealing actually the right word?

It's branding please.

And that port that looks like the earpiece you quoted is a communication port. It's to ensure pay-as-you-go users don't use-and-run.

LG fund seizure to make him look weak because he lost to get Osun rigged? That old senile man, though!

Agbero system of govt; Tinubu's trademark.

He's talking to 'all women.'


Lol.

You never ready

I agree with Sowore.

Otti should put more effort.

A very old video.

El Rufai is now your saint friend? These politicians suck!

This Obi no just smart at all. Always the onyeoma CY guy with no strategies..

nedekid:
Do you know his son is also a board member of the company? Ofcourse conflict of interest, glaring corruption does not mater to you or many other Nigerians. Can the British prime Minister give such contract to a company he openly has interest in? Can't you guys see that the open air pillaging of this country is why we remain as we are while others are moving forward? Crude price is now over $100 per barrel, other oil producing countries are rejoicing, their currency appreciating, but for us in naija despite the new refinary it is woe. Even if local price of petrol increases, why has the naira not started gaining value and our reserves cuffers started filling up? Why has naira not broken past the 1k line? Oga it is all corruption, no money is enough for this man, we have handed over the whole country to a chicago style criminal organization, we handed over the treasury to gangstas, abi look at apc, is it not having all the hallmarks of mafia?
Anyway let's siddon look, grab what you can for the betterment of your self and family since it is now every man for himself, greed. Look at the assets of the late akala, someone that all his life was government patronage. Now imagine a whole country where all the politicians are "akalas".

I agree with you but our talks cannot change anything.

Nigerian Muslims go to Saudi for Mecca pilgrimages.

Saudi sees Iran as terrorists.

Nigerian Muslims support Iran and do not see them as so.

It is confusing..

Una go push Iran till dem Nuke am...den Nigerian Iranians go explode..and still do nothing but noise.

I have no issues with this. It has been long establisgd they are friends. Just let him do what he was paid to do.

iamL:
I know you will leave due to your job and wrong association here on NL. When the organization warns those that wants to remain faithful to Jehovah to be careful about their choice of employment and associates you proved them to be correct.

Enjoy your newfound freedom.

Have you ever lost a loved one to a JW doctrine only for them to relax its string later on and tag it the 'new light' without apologies, and then people like you come for the attack?

Actually, you all are always programmed to project blame first, discriminate, and defend the GB's decisions before anything else (even Jesus or God's word) before thinking.

For example, you saw sth wrong with wearing beards before, discriminated against it, even avoided those who did and saw them as unholy, but now you see nothing wrong with it because your programmer told you otherwise. You called them 'worldly people', but you have also become worldly, as you wear pants now too! Then what is the use of the Bible in your hands? The Bereans went back and examined the scripture against what the first-century Christians told them, but you guys do not. Your self-righteousness makes you believe you are the true religion... Well, it is just in your head.

You do not study to learn the Bible, basically. You study to strengthen what the GB wants you to uphold and defend its doctrines.

People you call false religion are still like you because you do everything they do, even when you hypocritically believe you do not. False JW prophecies? Child molestation? Homosexuality? High rates of adultery and fornication? Discrimination? And where is the love? Like you exemplify, you knew my job was bad, and you did nothing to help. Typical of you all in the KH! You wait to ridicule and mock and tell others to avoid people rather than help! This is worse than what the Pharisee did.

I am not having this conversation with you. There are many dirty linens you would prefer not to wash in public. Enjoy being programmed.

Janosky:
Oga, @ John 5:19,what did Jesus teach you?

What did the Bereans do?

That's why I left.

I like to think. I refuse letting others think for me.

Shame just dey catch me..

moscow007:
Peter Obi is not built for Nigerian Politics, what would it cost him to mobillise a massive protest and force the drug baron out of UK?

You can't beat this criminal enterprise by playing fair.

Spot on.

In the game of machine guns, he's playing bow and arrow and "pity me."

Royal Niger Company mercenaries and their bosses.

Stooges and puppets..