BlackBerry CEO - Slams iPhone as No Longer Innovative - news

 When you're in third place, it's hard not to talk about the guys in first and second, so it makes sense that BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins needs to answer questions about Apple and theiPhone as he continues his media blitz to promote the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. His recently shared his thoughts on the current iPhone and iOS, and they're predictably critical.

Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Heins first gave credit to Apple for creating a groundbreaking product six years ago.

"Apple did a fantastic job in bringing touch devices to market.... They did a fantastic job with the user interface; they are a design icon. There is a reason why they were so successful, and we actually have to admit this and respect that."

Then came the not-too-subtle swipe at where the iPhone stands today.

"History repeats itself again, I guess.... The rate of innovation is so high in our industry that if you don’t innovate at that speed you can be replaced pretty quickly. The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about, is now five years old."

Heins went on to highlight multi-tasking as an area where the iPhone suffers and the BlackBerry Z10 excels. BlackBerry's new smartphone platform, BlackBerry 10, has several features that stand in stark contrast to the iPhone, such as its Hub that consolidates all email and messaging as well as the lack of a home button.

However, Heins' assertion that BlackBerry 10 has 70,000 "native" apps is a little misleading. Many of those apps are BB10 ports from Android versions, which do not provide the best possible experience. With its half-decade head start, iOS has about 800,000 apps. Heins said BlackBerry 10 would have 100,000 apps in time for the U.S. launch of the Z10, due later this week.

Is Heins right that the iPhone is old hat, and new platforms like BlackBerry 10 are the future? Tell us what you think in the comments.