Skip to main content

‘It can’t do this, this or this’ – BlackBerry airs Z10 Super Bowl ad

Image used with permission by copyright holder

For a moment I was thinking, wow, this new BlackBerry Z10 handset really is something out of the ordinary, it can make flames leap from my body, it can turn my feet into elephant-sized plodders, it can teleport me in a puff of colorful smoke, it can even turn a truck that’s about to mow me down into a million rubber ducks. None of this was mentioned at the launch event last week, only something about Hub and Peek.

But then came the ad’s tagline to bring me crashing back to Earth, banishing any momentary thoughts of dumping my current handset: “In 30 seconds, it’s quicker to show you what it can’t do.”

Well, we knew we wouldn’t be getting a besuited Thorsten Heins sitting at a desk rushing through the spec list of the Z10, one of two new handsets the company needs to succeed if it’s to have any hope of returning to its glory days as a leading player in the smartphone market. Instead, the Canadian company went down the what-on-Earth’s-going-on? route, hoping to dazzle the audience with some wacky visuals and get people talking about the Z10. But what did you make of it? Did it feel like the right way to introduce a new product to millions with just 30 seconds to play with? 

BlackBerry’s chief marketing officer, Frank Boulben, told Cnet the mobile firm wanted to do something that “breaks the conventions of the category – if you do a traditional commercial at the Super Bowl, it will fall flat.”

He added that the slot was “a big wake-up call saying BlackBerry is back.”

The trouble is, in the US, BlackBerry won’t really be back until around the middle of March, when the long-awaited Z10 handset is finally expected to hit stores. Any buzz the Super Bowl ad creates will have long gone by then. Then again, we can expect to see a bunch more ads running between now and next month, hopefully telling us a little more about what the Z10 can do.

If you haven’t had a chance to see BlackBerry’s Super Bowl ad yet, check it out below and let us know – hit or miss?

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Don’t buy this new Motorola phone — get this other one instead
Renders of the Moto G 5G (2024) and Moto G Power 5G (2024).

the Moto G 5G (left) and Moto G Power 5G Digital Trends

Budget phones can slip under the radar when shiny, powerful flagships launch. But if you're in the market for a smartphone that gets the job done and won't blow a four-figure hole in your bank balance, then a great budget smartphone is the way to go.

Read more
Get 32% off the cellular model of the iPad Pro 12.9 this weekend
The iPad Pro on a desk next to a stylus and AirPods.

If you've been thinking about getting the iPad Pro with cellular connectivity but you've been hoping to buy the tablet from iPad deals for a discount, this may be what you've been waiting for -- a 32% discount from Amazon's Woot on the 12.9-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular model of the 2021 Apple iPad Pro with 128GB of storage. From $1,199, it's down to just $810, which is a steal price for this device with savings of $389. However, while there are still several days left on this offer, it's highly recommended that you proceed with the purchase immediately because there's a chance that stocks don't last that long.

Why you should buy the 2021 Apple iPad Pro 12.9
It's not the latest version of Apple's top-of-the-line tablet -- the honor goes to the 2022 Apple iPad Pro -- but the 2021 Apple iPad Pro is still a pretty powerful device by today's standards. That's because it's equipped with Apple's M1 chip, which promises fantastic speed and excellent graphics when you're working on your multimedia projects, multitasking between several apps, or playing console-level games. With its 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR touchscreen, you'll enjoy high-brightness and high-contrast content, and its mini-LED display provides deeper black levels and more vibrant colors.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: all the big changes, explained
Renders of the Samsung Galaxy A55 next to the Galaxy A54.

Galaxy A55 (left) and Galaxy A54 Digital Trends

Samsung has been on a roll with new phone releases in 2024. At the end of January, Samsung released the flagship Galaxy S24 lineup. It's fantastic, but not everyone can afford the latest and greatest flagship. Thankfully, Samsung also makes budget-friendly alternatives, and that’s the appeal of the new Galaxy A55.

Read more