RIM says no camera in BlackBerry 8800 is a "feature" for corporations

Mike Lazaridis, the president and co-CEO of Research in Motion (RIM), says the lack of a camera in the new BlackBerry 8800 (see left) is a "feature" for corporations, according to an article in The New York Times.  The 8800 is similar to the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 -- with a trackball rather than the scrollwheel, an MP3 player, microSD card and video viewing -- but without the 8100's 1.3 megapixel camera.

The article reports, "...Mr. Lazaridis said that corporate users concerned about security made it clear that they did not want a digital camera, which is not to be found on the 8800.  'There’s a very strong demand out there for BlackBerrys without a camera,' Mr. Lazaridis said.

"'Not having one, that’s a feature.'"

Disabling features not good enough

The Times' article points out certain features of the 8800 (like the 8100) -- the microSD card, MP3 player and video player -- can be disabled via a corporation's BlackBerry server software, as I've previously written.  The Times doesn't note that the 8100's camera also can be disabled but, apparently, that's not good enough for many corporations that don't want a camera -- period.

As I've written many times, although some corporations have legitimate security concerns, some corporations simply are concerned about being sued because of the possibility of an employee (or employees) taking inappropriate camera phone photos or videos of other employees.  As I've also written, the wireless industry -- both cellular operators and handset vendors -- have refused to market the value of camera phones for business applications.

As a result, this lack of marketing helps foster a one-sided (i.e., negative) view of camera phones because corporate executives often don't see the corresponding positive side.  Cellular operators and handset manufacturers that don't promote the value for business -- on the Web sites and in marketing materials -- are doing themselves and their customers a disservice.

Another QWERTY keyboard with camera?

RIM's first entry into the semi-consumer, multimedia, handset market with the 8100 was a very good initial effort.  The phone is not quite a true multimedia powerhouse because, among other things, it doesn't offer video recording capabilities.

RIM a few months ago was nice enough to send me the 8100 to test, and I like the camera.  I haven't yet posted photos I've taken with the handset (shame on me), but for a 1.3 megapixel resolution, the images are some of the best in its class.

I like the 8100.  It's a sleek, lightweight device that feels good in the hand and many people prefer its slim form compared to the wider BlackBerrys.  But I'm really a fan of the 8700 (see below) because of its full QWERTY keyboard that makes entering text much easier and faster (at least for me) than the two-letters-per-key 8100.

Hope springs eternal

There have been rumors of a QWERTY keyboard-based BlackBerry with a camera and other "Pearlized" features.  I guess we'll have to wait for a while to see whether that will be a reality.

Comments

[Basil]

In fact, I do consider it a "feature". I would eagerly agree to pay the same money as the device with camera costs for the device without a camera. That is not only about RIM's products - buying a qwerty-keypad smartphone without a camera (i.e. that is what I need) is not an easy task.

[Alan A. Reiter]

Hi Josh,

Thanks for the comment.

I certainly understand security concerns of corporations, governmental organizations, the military, etc. Of course camera phones and other imaging devices are banned for legitimate reasons. (Although sometimes for less than legitimate reasons!)

I find it somewhat amusing, though, that ** taking away ** a capability is considered a "feature"!

As for me, I'm eagerly awaiting a BlackBerry with a full QWERTY keyboard and a camera. Rumors say an 83XX device will have a full keyboard and camera, and another 83XX BlackBerry might have a camera, WiFi and perhaps GPS.

I'm waiting for one!

[Josh]

I can understand some corporations not wanting a camera phone, and perhaps some being happy with the capability of disabling it via policies, however, in the government arena, where blackberries are used quite extensively, there are additional concerns.

Areas that are cleared to a certain level cannot have camera hardware at all, and the antenna must be turned off completely (but the device can still be used as a PDA, which is still quite useful). Areas cleared to additional levels cannot have electronic devices at all, so it's not an issue, but the point is that having no camera on a phone really IS a feature, and one that I look for.

I look forward to the 8800!

Thanks,
Josh