BlackBerry subscriber growth dips
A bit
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A extra 3.8 million BlackBerry addicts swelled RIM's coffers in the three months to May 30, the firm's financial report revealed on Thursday.
The total BlackBerry subscriber base is now about 28.5 million. The rate of growth actually dipped slightly however, from 3.9 million net new subscribers in the three months prior.
Competition in the smartphone market is only set to intensify in the next few months, with more Android-based devices hitting shops and the continued resurgence of Palm.
Profits at the Canadian firm were up 33 per cent on the same period a year earlier, to US$643m. Revenues were up 53 per cent to US$3.42bn.
Wall Street didn't like the RIM's revenue forecasts for the next quarter however, and sent its stock tumbling almost 7 per cent, although it recovered by the close of trading. ®
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COMMENTS
RIM's challenge
RIM have done well to aim their newer devices at consumers, but their greatest challenge will be in the SME space, where MS Exchange (actual or hosted) reigns supreme.
Now, anyone with an ActiveSync enabled device - iPhone, Nokia, HTC etc. can have a BES type experience (real time push and OTA sync of mail, contacts and calendar) without the cost or complexity of RIM's backend infrastructure.
The carriers are accelerating this move away from BB by charging outrageous fees for provisioning BES (UK Voda want £25 pm on top on a voice plan).
RIM will always say its USP is data security, but leaving aside spooks and paranoid corporate IT types, the rest of us can now enjoy all the goodies that are still the foundation of RIM's business model, without paying for them.
To maintain momentum, RIM will need to change their game.
Rusty Spoons?
Personaly I would prefer keep using my curve, thank you very muchosoms... (haven't tried the bold).
I havent tried the storm yet either, but I've fiddled quite a bit around with the iPhone, and it seems to me that the biggest difference between a blackberry (curve/bold) is that the blackberries are tools to be used: phonecalls, messaging, email, listening to music on the way into work and watching movies/TV series before falling asleep in bed (ok, those last two arn't exactly work-related, but the crackberry does them very well indeed)... the iphone is an entertainment center first and a phone second (so each to their own).
the iphone seems better at playing games, probably better than the blackberry at music (although the blackberry does music rather well as well... and no need for itunes... just plug in the usb cable, move the files (mp3, mp4, wma, whatever) over and go), and obviously it has (or had, it _is_ becomming a bit common now) that wow factor and the touchscreen.
because I can send emails (fast) while traveling, as well as stay logged into MSN messenger 24/7 and communicate with friends in quite a few countries I prefer the blackberry... the only bad thing so far is that I haven't been able to find any blackberry or J2ME apps that play my beloved SID (C64) Tunes :(... Iphone does.
Oh, and the iPhone is better at surfing with (better than my curve anyway, I haven't tried a bold yet).
I guess what I'm saying is that when I text, or email, or do techy stuff with Java I love my crackberry, but sometimes, late at night, when I want to surf the net while in bed (to read the register, obviously), or listen to the Last Ninja 2 sid tune... I sometimes wish my blackberry could be an ipod for a little while :)
But you can keep the rusty spoons!
Best phone I've ever owned
Blimey! You're not the fussy type then?
They're the biggest pile of poo going. Their claim to fame was email on the go, now there are very viable alternatives the whole point of a Blackberry is all but moot. The Blackberry's success was the Enterprise market, and as these mature and realise that there are more sensible alternatives I would expect RIM to start feeling the pinch quite badly.
Blackberry Bold? If its all the same ... no thank you very much. I'd rather scoop my eyes out with rusty spoons.
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