Chen said that one of the biggest mistakes of the previous regime was the inability to educate the market about the benefits of the BlackBerry 10. The company had a number of commercials and ads showing some of the features, as well as a high profile, but perplexing, Super Bowl commercial, but nothing was effective.
Chen said he wasn't simply giving his phones to the carriers for sale to consumers. He said he would back the launches up with marketing dollars and hoped the carriers would provide additional support.
Without an educated sales force, consumers are left with the pure out-of-the-box experience, and Chen concedes it is complicated to start using the phone, particularly for a longtime BlackBerry user. Chen said that with the new BlackBerrys, he focused on the "out of the box" experience, and thinks about the opening minutes that a person has with one of his devices.
"It's really about listening to the customer," he said.
While that may win over some hardcore users, the questions are still up in the air whether any new customers would support BlackBerry.
Chen reiterated that he was attempting to stabilize the company and its financial condition, and that remained his priority. Ultimately, even with a savior phone, it's all about being financially strong.
CNET's full coverage of Mobile World Congress"Even if I get the iPhone, if they know I'm about to go out of business, they won't buy the iPhone from me," he said.
Lastly, Chen weighed in on the T-Mobile squabble, in which T-Mobile specifically targeted BlackBerry users in a promotion to switch. BlackBerry fans were quick to criticize Legere, and Chen added his own thoughts in a response.
While the two sides have made up (Chen says their respective chief marketing officers are talking), Chen and Legere haven't met yet. Chen isn't too worried.
"I guess after he and I connect on MySpace we'll be fine," he said.
Topics: Smartphones, News, Carriers Tags: John Chen, Verizon, BlackBerry, Q20, CEO, mwc2014, T-Mobile, Z3, AT&TSign up here with your email
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