[AJFSTORM]

I have a Storm and while it has gotten better with OS updates, I'd say that at least 8 times a day I'd like to smash it on the ground . It is easily the most frustrating piece if electronics, not just phone, that I have ever owned. The ONLY reason I went with the BB is because, like millions of others, I didn't want to leave Verizon for an iPhone on ATT. And because of this, RIM has gained millions of non-business users, like me AND my kids AND every one of their friends . I think their phenomenal success in the last year or so has been due to this, not because they have the best products in the marketplace by any means.

But, I think things are going to change DRAMATICALLY over the next year with all of the Android phones becoming available on all of the phone services. Also, at some point in the future, the iPhone WILL be available on networks other than ATT. I know that when I am eligible to upgrade next year, I'm going to try an Android phone this time, if not an iPhone if available on Verizon.

So the title of this thread may be a bit over dramatic, because I'm sure that RIM will still be around for years to come, but I think that they will lose huge market share over the next year and may never regain it .

[JoelTruckerDude]

Only time will tell !!

[ecarlclay]

I'm a geek............and a POWER user of my Blackberry- I tried the first two android phones....and ended up wanting to smash those on the ground when I needed to make a phone call or enter data....quickly and flawlessly.

For that reason, RIM will always be around. Android is cool- but it's a toy. Blackberry is tool.

[rayporsche]

Well opinions vary dramatically, some well informed and some not., there are several models for different applications......now you need to decide if you want a business tool or a play tool. My 2 cents !

[Coraya]

I do agree that RIM has to get there act together especially now that they're targeting the average consumer like myself. I love my phone. It helps me when I need it. I can read the news, watch videos, come here on crackberry. I can do a lot. And all I have is an 8530. The thing is that RIM is slacking. Why is it that I have SD card thinner than a grain of sand that contains 2gb of memory, but my phone has 5% of that memory? The iphone comes with up to 32gb, hence they're thousands of apps and colors and shapes that make them up. RIM can accomplish this but they find that since the market is doing well right now, working on that kind of project is unneccesary. Unless I'm completely wrong and within the next year, we'll have blackberry phonesd with that type of memory and processor. It'll be a huge jump but it would definitely put the iphone in the dust. In my opinion that is.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Ricktye]

Exactly! If you need/want a toy, by all means, get an iPhone. If you need useful device, get the BB of your choice.

Many times (like home computers) people seem to think because a devive won't run 3rd party applications, there is something wrong with the hardware. 9 times out of 10, it's not the hardware but rather 3rd party software. Device makers spend many $$$$ developing their systems to work the way it is designed, much software is "designed" by someone at home with a lot of spare time. They really don't know/understand the inner workings of the phone and hence when this software is installed, the device freezes, reboots etc and gets blamed for being the culprit!

JMO,
R...

Well opinions vary dramatically, some well informed and some not., there are several models for different applications......now you need to decide if you want a business tool or a play tool. My 2 cents !

[Spawn12]

What i dont get is why do people slate a phone that they are not happy with??. I mean last dec i went for the S1 but within a few days i returned it as i wasnt happy with it...sure i knew RIM would release updates for it but honestly i couldnt get on with it. So off i went to get a 9000 Bold which i thought was the bees knees...awesome phone and device...did everything i wanted it to but with minimum of fuss. Sure it had its little niggles but i learnt to live with them whereas the S1 i just couldnt...

Forward to this yr...i have the S2 and absolutely love it...much better and faster than the S1 and for it just works brilliantly...i also have the 9700 Bold2 which itself is another awesome device...sure both have their issues ie 9700 has some build quality issues on it but on the whole im more than happy with it even though ive been through 2 of them but the one i have now is rock solid. Same with the S2...it has a few bugs here or there but none that would make me want to jump ship to another device.

Oh just to add we here in the UK, have had Android devices for about a couple of yrs...i even took out a new contract with Vodafone back in may for the HTC Magic and yeh sure its a lovely phone but within a week i was stupidly bored by it...its a toy nothing more and doesnt do half the stuff my BB's...but i sold it earlier this yr and the money i got from it...i just went out and bought a new S2 from vodaphone.

So your claim of RIM going downhill is a bit far fetched...i dont think they will disappear anytime soon...ok the multimedia side of things are slow or behind say the iphone...but if i wanted a toy then id go with iphone or the Android...and trust me android have a bit of work to do so saying that i wouldnt get another one but rather go for the iphone.

But time will tell...i reckon RIM got caught out and now playing catchup...which im sure they will...but what you got to remember is that RIM devices are built on security whereas iphone and Android arent...you honestly think RIM is going to ditch the security that they offer in order to compete with the iphone/Android devices??..no i dont think they will...they are trying to find a happy medium and with the S2 i think they are getting there slowly but surely.

[AJFSTORM]

Exactly! If you need/want a toy, by all means, get an iPhone. If you need useful device, get the BB of your choice.

Many times (like home computers) people seem to think because a devive won't run 3rd party applications, there is something wrong with the hardware. 9 times out of 10, it's not the hardware but rather 3rd party software. Device makers spend many $$$$ developing their systems to work the way it is designed, much software is "designed" by someone at home with a lot of spare time. They really don't know/understand the inner workings of the phone and hence when this software is installed, the device freezes, reboots etc and gets blamed for being the culprit!

JMO,
R...

I'm probably more jaded than most because I use a Storm, which seems to be the worst of their offerings .
But, I certainly wouldn't call the iPhone a toy just as I wouldn't call my Storm a useful device . Ever try texting on a Storm? Their touchscreen is far from useful.

And why can't a phone be used for both business AND entertainment? That's what we are using our computers for right now isn't it. I'm sure my kids are not using theirs for business. And if you have kids, I'm sure you've seen how they'll go from one fad to another at the drop of a hat.

I do agree that 3rd party apps can cause the most problems, but that's exactly why Apple keeps such tight reins on their apps.

Like I said, I'm sure RIM will be around for a long time, but their recent success has come from non-business consumers who wanted a smart phone and BB WAS the best choice at the moment. There are more choices now and more on the way. RIM is VERY slow to react; witness how long it took them to deal with the Storm1. The regular consumer base is much larger than the business base and if they want to keep market share, they'll need to satisfy them.

[freakboy2539]

Blackerry is awesome no doubt! But its been said a million times the OS is outdated and boring. And sorry to say it the Droid dont fall into the toy group. I know many buisness people with them and i use mine for school email and such. I do believe with the new open GL Rim can make a come back and be back where they were but as of right now this very moment Sorry not happening.

[fabuloso]

There is already a thread on these discussions in the News and Rumors forum.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[AJFSTORM]

Blackerry is awesome no dount! But its been said a million times the OS is outdated and boring. And sorry to say it the Droid dont fall into the toy group. I know many buisness people with them and i use mine for school email and such. I do believe with the new open GL Rim can make a come back and be back where they were but as of right now this very moment Sorry not happening.

Like I said, kids will dump their BB's at the drop of a hat.

[ecarlclay]

You know what's funny- I drooled, I mean drooled over the G1. And then I got it. Just not that great if you use Blackberry. Then I drooled over the MYTouch......still not the same. For business anyway, the blackberry is kinda like the blue-collar guys push to talk- you use it every few seconds- and you need to press certain buttons and they work flawlessly every time- that's RIM- heck- look at the phone- I've got 40 hotkeys!
On another note- I think the newest IPhone is to die for in terms of the rich user experience for general use, and I have read more and more corporations are issuing them- that seems weird.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[freakboy2539]

Like I said, kids will dump their BB's at the drop of a hat.

Blackberry is still a great device! Just not for people who want a device that is fun but productive at the same time. i dont see all kids dumping there BB alot of them got them because there parents bought them for them or whatever the case.

[jlsparks]

It would be interesting to know the length of RIM's contract with US governmental agencies (and State agencies, as well.) I would imagine they're set to expire on a staggered basis. Query: What alternative does the FBI, for example, have to BlackBerrys that would meet Federal rules regarding secure wireless transmissions? I'm not aware of any. RIM may see a decline in their "consumer market" devices, but recent history doesn't bear that out. Android phones have been out for a year, and during that year RIM has increased its worldwide share. The Curve was the best-selling smartphone in 3Q2009.

In my mind, until/unless RIM loses some/all of their major contracts (eg: government & Fortune 50), they're not going anywhere but up. When you have a user base like that to build on you can afford to screw around a little on the consumer side. Don't take this as a defense of RIM; I could point out many faults (IMO) in their business model, approach towards continued growth on the consumer side, BES/BIS, and on and on (truncated emails too :P). But at the end of the day they are still, and will remain, a force to be reckoned with.

[freakboy2539]

jlsparks you my friend are 100% correct! I agree totally!

[Tim_UK]

But its been said a million times the OS is outdated and boring.

It may be, but it's not any less useful or functional as a result, I know I couldn't do much any quicker on an android or iphone os device than I can on my BB.

I've noticed since the 8900 came down in price and the 8520 was released I've seen a lot more people using Blackberries, including a lot more kids and younger people. Remember that Android handsets are a few years old over here now, and that the Iphone is available on virtually every network now so it's not down purely to people not getting the iphone due to network preferences.

I reckon RIM will step their game up big time over the next 12 months off of the back of this recent (and still growing) success and will hopefully be in a good position to really make some special devices. I really hope they can nail the web browser but I reckon there'll be a major overhaul of BB OS before they get that spot on.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ellegee]

Like I said, kids will dump their BB's at the drop of a hat.

Everybody dumps their phone at the drop of a hat. I think the reason there has been such a push from carriers to offer plans without contracts is that our attention spans are so short. We all have a desire for the latest and greatest device out there but the fact of the matter is that Berry users tend to really like the Berry form factor and the ability to customize every aspect of their device. I think BB owners like you, who bought the Storm because you really wanted the iPhone but wanted to stay with Verizon, are a lot less happy than the rest of us who chose the phone we really wanted.
I'm glad there's an iPhone and a Droid out there. Competition is good for all of us. If that makes RIM step up their game then great! I'd love to have a flash player in my browser, but I can live without it, too.

[freakboy2539]

It may be, but it's not any less useful or functional as a result, I know I couldn't do much any quicker on an android or iphone os device than I can on my BB.

Youve obviously never used a storm that is leaking memory severly! My Tour was a great device...just not what i was looking for so i returned it! You will never here me put RIM down i just think that they could do alot more and make a better user experience as far as the OS goes. Now my droids physical keyboard i will not even say its as close to the quality of a blackberry! Now the virtual one smokes the Storm hands down! RIM def has form factor of a device down!

[ecksdog]

Fortune Magazine named RIM the "fastest growing company in the world".
I don't think their days are numbered.

[bippy]

Maybe try one of the other BBs. You may like it better.

[AJFSTORM]

Blackberry is still a great device! Just not for people who want a device that is fun but productive at the same time. i dont see all kids dumping there BB alot of them got them because there parents bought them for them or whatever the case.

I've owned my own business for over 25 years and I do use my BB for my business, but why can't it also work well for other things, just like our computers? Why does "productive" and "fun" need to be mutually exclusive?

RIM reminds me so much of IBM; so big and corporate that they become complacent, and lethargic and in the end they miss the big picture. Just the way IBM didn't capitalize on the huge consumer market, so will RIM IMO.

And just to be fair, I think that Apple isn't paying enough attention to the business market that they could tap into. I think they could both learn a lesson from each other.

[AJFSTORM]

Maybe try one of the other BBs. You may like it better.

I tried my kids' Curve but I need the larger screen of a Storm/Droid/iPhone . What I find most frustrating about the Storm is not that it sucks, but that it's so close to being great.

It's like Pamela Anderson's body with Judge Judy's head on it. So close yet so far.

[Cyrilmak]

RIM's days are numbered are you serious? All I can do is laugh at how ******** that sounds. Their dev conference was more successful than any other mobile phone conference on the planet. Then the BBA summit. At the rate they are pushing out updates and new API's for their dev kits I'm surprised anyone would even think their days are "numbered". Please spare me. The Bold 9700, new curve and Storm2 have been smash hits in sale numbers. As was the Storm 1. The Storm series has sold more phones than any other series RIM has made and that is a LOT of phones sold.

That's all the consumer angle - which RIM is new at.

Their audience is and always will be the corp and government world. That is where their bread and butter is. Between BES, tech support, and other services RIM will NEVER go anywhere. Every government agency on the planet uses a Berry, on top of most CEO's and businesses/enterprises/corps.

Saying that their days are numbered due to their NEW and NOT main audience - the consumer market ...

[jlsparks]

Fortune Magazine named RIM the "fastest growing company in the world".
I don't think their days are numbered.

I agree with your last statement, but for fun take a look at this => Countrywide Ranked One of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Companies by FORTUNE Magazine

How'd that work out? Rankings are cyclical and not always the best indicators or future growth.. in fact all they are in Fortune's rankings are a measure of *prior* performance. BTW, in 2003 Enron became the fastest growing and largest company in Houston, unseating Compaq. That didn't turn out well either

[Exiled Bulldawg]

It's very possible RIM will see a decrease in demand for Bberry devices if significant improvement in applications and web browsing aren't made. However, I think RIM has time to make these changes. My experiences with the Motorola Droid were generally favorable, except as a email device. I took mine back in three days, the email stunk compared to my Berry.

If one uses Gmail as their email account, I am sure the Droid works well. However, I used Yahoo and Hotmail, too. Using those services caused me nothing but grief. I have begun migrating my personal business e-mail to Gmail in anticipation of moving back to an Android platform. Gmail and Android work very well together. I wish my berry would synch with either Yahoo or Gmail, but since it doesn't I am preparing to move. Next time I leave, it won't interrupt my communication.

Also, the Android apps were pretty good. There were no updating icons, like Weatherbug or Berryweather does, which was annoying. However, any app one can imagine is available, and at a decent price, too. Of the few apps I played with, some were buggy by Berry standards, but at least they existed.

RIM needs to fix the browser, release a workable development tool and consolidate the number of OS's they have. It is insane to release a different OS build for almost every device. That said, some devices would be end of support by this. I think the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks. Fewer OS's and forcing the carriers to carry devices with common OS's would help the developers. Just my two cents worth.