News: BlackBerry CEO told his wife to stop flashing her Samsung at parties: LOL

This is clearly a case of working in Mercedes Benz and driving a BMW to work!!!

The CEO of BlackBerry had to tell his wife to stop parading her Samsung Galaxy at parties because it was 'embarrassing' him.

John Chen, the businessman trying to save the beleaguered smartphone company, said that he has struggled even to convince his own family that his devices are better than the competition.

The unfortunate revelation comes as Chen, 59, tries to convince shareholders that once-dominant BlackBerry, which now has just a 1 per cent share of the smartphone market, can keep making money.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Chen revealed that he eventually enforced the use of a BlackBerry device - but that she may well still be carrying on with Samsung on the sly.

He said: 'There were a couple of parties we went to and, when my wife brought out the Samsung, everyone kind of looked at me funny.

'So eventually I said she needed to use a BlackBerry. "No, I like my Samsung", she said, and I told her she was embarrassing me.'

When asked whether she still uses her Galaxy 'in secret', he replied: 'That, I wouldn’t know. There might be a lot of secrets I don’t know.'

Chen was tempted out of retirement to ride to BlackBerry's rescue after it's market share collapsed from 20 per cent to around 1 per cent after Android devices and iPhones lured customers away.

At one point, old-style BlackBerry Bold handsets with keypads were beloved of businessmen, politicians and avid texters, including Kim Kardashian, who still hoards old models.

The company laid off thousands of workers, while Chen led a turnaround plan which saved BlackBerry from extinction.

In a recent interview, he said: 'Once we turn this company to profitability again, I will do everything I can to never lose money ever again.'

'We will survive as a company and now I am rather confident. We're managing the supply chain, we are managing inventories, we are managing cash, and we have expenses now at a number that is very manageable. BlackBerry has survived; now we have to start looking at growth.' 

A year ago, the smartphone industry pioneer was in the midst of a painful restructuring, scrambling to find a suitor and trying to play down media reports of its 'death spiral.'

A year after Chen stepped in as CEO, BlackBerry has begun to act more confidently.

The company is hiring again and, though it has yet to turn steady profits, Chen is acquiring small companies and investing in growth.

'He stepped in to catch a falling knife, which is what BlackBerry was at the time losing $1 billion plus,' said Prem Watsa, whose Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd is a major shareholder and which helped bankroll a debt recapitalization that led to Chen's arrival.

'He came in and very quickly stabilized it and very quickly laid out a roadmap to breakeven.'

But despite the progress, many analysts are yet to be convinced. Thomson Reuters data shows that 25 of 37 analysts covering BlackBerry have a 'hold' rating on the stock. Only one has a 'buy' rating and 11 rate the stock a 'sell.'

And although its shares have strengthened since Chen's arrival, its Toronto-listed stock has been bound in the C$6 to C$12.50 range in the last 12 months.

In December, the company will launch BlackBerry Classic, a device similar to its once popular Bold smartphone. 

Nahhhhh, it just ain't right working in Etisalat and advertising MTN!!! #JustSaying