Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Disses Blackberry

1,986 views · Published 17 September 2012 · 1:09 · Indexed 29 September 2026

Channel: Slate · 2012 · Science & Technology

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It hasn't exactly been a banner year for BlackBerry and Research in Motion. The company lost over $500 million in the first quarter and BlackBerry sales were down 40 percent. The latest sign of how far the once mighty smartphone has fallen comes from an internal memo at Yahoo. 

Recently installed CEO Marissa Meyer has told Yahoo employees that the company will buy them a new smartphone and pay for the monthly voice and data plans, as long as they don't opt for a Blackberry. Yahoos can purchase from an array of devices, including the iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Windows 8 phone, and the Nokia Lumia 920. 

Offering shiny free phones is another sign of Mayer bringing the Google perk culture to Yahoo, as she tries to turn morale and the company's fortunes around. Her diss of the BlackBerry is another sign that it may be time to put Research in Motion's once ubiquitous smartphone on deathwatch.

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