[neteng1000]

Wowzers. Talk about negative press

http://www.valuewalk.com/2012/08/spr...or-the-future/

In spite of an announcement in mid-July that highlighted RIM’s plans for four new phones to run on their new operating system, the CEO of Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) had no difficulties publicly telling the world that he has little faith in RIM’s ability to return to their heyday.



Who can blame him? RIM and their Blackberries have been iconic for years. However, their loss of market share without any real fight back can’t be ignored. Layoffs and talks of their imminent death, or at least sale, can’t be ignored. Think about it, their own CEO has recently questioned their direction, and if he doesn’t know what to do……

“We don’t think we will see Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) get back to the levels they were two years ago,”said Sprint (S) spokesman David Owens, “So we have to figure out where they’ll be going forward.”

That’s just tough to hear if you love your Blackberry, own Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) stock, or god forbid work for the Canadian company. Sprint has been a large part of RIM’s success for years, in the States, half the Blackberries you see have the Spring logo adorning them. When you hear the death knell being rung by a once strong proponent, you have to wonder.

“The challenge is RIM took on everything,” he said. “They took on the entire gambit: the storefront, the operating system, the manufacturing, and this caused them to be slow in reacting to the changes in the market.” He did, however, warn investors about giving up on RIM too soon and suggested that the Blackberry 10 has some nice features.

Considering reports that Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) had strongly considered abandoning their own OS and moving to the Android platform, you have to wonder how much of that is simple lip service.

Their phones expected to be released in January fail to give additional hope.

N4BB has got its hands on a purported leaked document showing both pictures and specs of RIM’s first two smartphones based on its new BlackBerry 10 operating system. Here are the key details: The new BlackBerry smartphone with no physical keyboard is known internally as the “L-series”, while the phone with a physical keyboard is known as the “N-series.” The L-series device features a screen that’s 2.16 inches (55 millimeters) wide with a resolution of 768×1280 pixels, or 356 pixels per inch. The N-series device features a display that’s 2.08 inches (53 millimeters) wide with a resolution of 720×720 pixels, or 330 pixels per inch. N4BB notes that both devices feature more pixels per inch than Apple’s iPhone 4S.

It’s tough for even the biggest optimist to find much love there.

[PJD642]

I love how they selectively leave out the two very important sentences from the quote, as follows: "I would not count RIM out. RIM keeps reinventing itself. BlackBerry 10, as we've looked at it, has some really good characteristics. We're excited to see what it can do."

Those were right before the “The challenge is RIM took on everything,” he said. “They took on the entire gambit: the storefront, the operating system, the manufacturing, and this caused them to be slow in reacting to the changes in the market.” Include those two lines and it completely changes the meaning of what he said.

COMPLETELY unbiased reporting there, eh?

[jasonvan9]

Dude seriously? That article is whack, more mumbo jumbo from a blogger who wants page hits... He miss quoted EVERYTHING!

"Considering reports that Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) had strongly considered abandoning their own OS and moving to the Android platform, you have to wonder how much of that is simple lip service."
Telling part of the story is just cheap and dirty... Should finish it by saying "RIM decided not to go with android cause it was mangled/ fragmented GARBAGE"

The simplest part of the whole article, going to N4BB to just COPY and PASTE the rumoured specs... He screwed that up! The full touch L-Series is to feature a 2.16 inch screen? Seriously? Did this guy even proof read this before he hit print?

Kevin needs to get this POS email address so we can all let him know how we feel about his writing techniques...

End Rant

[hootyhoo]

Dude seriously? That article is whack, more mumbo jumbo from a blogger who wants page hits... He miss quoted EVERYTHING!

"Considering reports that Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM) (TSE:RIM) had strongly considered abandoning their own OS and moving to the Android platform, you have to wonder how much of that is simple lip service."
Telling part of the story is just cheap and dirty... Should finish it by saying "RIM decided not to go with android cause it was mangled/ fragmented GARBAGE"

The simplest part of the whole article, going to N4BB to just COPY and PASTE the rumoured specs... He screwed that up! The full touch L-Series is to feature a 2.16 inch screen? Seriously? Did this guy even proof read this before he hit print?

Kevin needs to get this POS email address so we can all let him know how we feel about his writing techniques...

End Rant

This:

"RIM decided not to go with android cause it was mangled/ fragmented GARBAGE"

Is just your opinion. Why would that be in the article?

As for the 2.16 inch screen, the article clearly states that is the WIDTH of the screen.

[JasW]

Kevin needs to get this POS email address so we can all let him know how we feel about his writing techniques...

Yeah, that will accomplish a lot. Let's give his employers more page hits while we're at it. Be sure to click on the link to the Selena Gomez pics at the bottom of the article while you're at it so his company gets a few more click-through dollars.

[Admorris]

"I would not count RIM out. RIM keeps reinventing itself.

That's the funniest statement I have seen on here in months. Please explain how RIM has "reinvented" itself in the last 7 years? Their lack of reinventing themselves is precisely why they are in the predicament they are in.

Sent from my One X using Tapatalk 2

[kbz1960]

Do they really have to be number 1 to be considered? Well then Sprint needs to dump everything except the the number 1 seller.

[Sith_Apprentice]

Do they really have to be number 1 to be considered? Well then Sprint needs to dump everything except the the number 1 seller.

Does that mean that all of the cell phone users in the US should drop anything but Big Red because they are number 1? That would seem to be a poor move for Sprint.

[louzer]

These types of articles are what we've grown used to recently and there are plenty more of them to come leading up to and probably including the launch of BB10. But this type of statement from Sprint (when properly quoted) is not specific to RIM. Sprint has made similar statements about WP8. Sprint's stance is outlined better (and more fairly) by PhoneArena here: Sprint not likely to offer Windows Phone 8 model at launch.

The PhoneArena article makes a point that Sprint is in the process of finalizing their 2012-2013 lineup based on their huge investment (gamble) on the iPhone as well as making room for the upcoming Motorola Photon Q.

The statements they make about BB10 at least indicate that they're going to give even a single device a shot which is more than they are saying about WP8. The article references Usain Bolt's comments after winning the gold. The PhoneArena article ends with the following:

With all of its time and money spread out among Android, the Apple iPhone and RIM, Sprint does not want to spread itself too thin by offering Windows Phone 8 models without the platform proving itself first.

Sprint dug itself a hole by the depth and bredth of its committment to the iPhone. It leaves them little wiggle room for supporting the launch of non-hero phones. This means that they are carefully evaluating everything that is not an iPhone, Galaxy, HTC Evo, or Motorola Photon series phone.

At this point, Sprint has seen neither BB10 nor WP8. But comparing Sprint's statements regarding WP8 vs BB10, I'd be more concerned if I was waiting on WP8 for Sprint than BB10.

[travaz]

Wow talk about SPIN. Thats the same quotes and article that was mentioned on the blog yesterday.

[johnenglish]

The title is a bit much and the article offers a lot of personal opinion but the Sprint rep wasn't exactly goling crazy. David Owen was talking with tech journalists and when asked about RIM he said:

I would not count RIM out. RIM keeps reinventing itself. BlackBerry 10, as we've looked at it, has some really good characteristics. We're excited to see what it can do. The challenge is RIM took on everything. They took on the entire gambit: the storefront, the operating system, the manufacturing, and this caused them to be slow in reacting to the changes in the market. We don't think we will see RIM get back to the levels they were two years ago. So we have to figure out where they'll be going forward in Sprint's product roadmap.

Some better tritles I've seen are "RIM will never be the same again - Sprint" and "Sprint - Excited but unsure about BB10".

At the end of the day it looks like they're taking a wait and see approach. If BB10 turns out well then they'll probably offer some phones a few months after launch. If not, well then they didn't waste any money.

[scalemaster34]

The title is a bit much and the article offers a lot of personal opinion but the Sprint rep wasn't exactly goling crazy. David Owen was talking with tech journalists and when asked about RIM he said:



Some better tritles I've seen are "RIM will never be the same again - Sprint" and "Sprint - Excited but unsure about BB10".

At the end of the day it looks like they're taking a wait and see approach. If BB10 turns out well then they'll probably offer some phones a few months after launch. If not, well then they didn't waste any money.

Sprint maybe a little unsure about BB10 because RIM keeps moving the release date, and the fact that BB10 by its self does not address all of the shortcomings of the Blackberry platform.

But I bet that on whatever the release day is for BB10 devices, that Sprint has them too.

[johnenglish]

Sprint maybe a little unsure about BB10 because RIM keeps moving the release date, and the fact that BB10 by its self does not address all of the shortcomings of the Blackberry platform.

But I bet that on whatever the release day is for BB10 devices, that Sprint has them too.

I'd say that they're unsure of BB10 becuase it's an unproven OS and the company has bet their entire future on it. If it doesn't work then RIM is screwed. Add in the changing release date and the question of a BlackBerry ecosystem and get a good idea of why Sprint is uneasy.

[kill_9]

These types of articles are what we've grown used to recently and there are plenty more of them to come leading up to and probably including the launch of BB10.

Your failed assumption is BlackBerry 10 ever being released. There is absolutely no proof BlackBerry 10 OS and smartphones will arrive before the end of time. The track record of Research In Motion is cause for concern unless you are blinded by some distortion field.

[dbmalloy]

What I find amusing is the fact that Sprint may not be in a position to "push" other platfroms other than Apple.... Remember, these are the fine folks who committed to 20 Billion dollars (yes that is Billion" of Iphone purchases through 2014.... So even if BB10 is huge... they may have no incentive to push it..... Amazing how these finer details are omiitted in articles... so is it surprising Sprint is non-commital??????

[neteng1000]

I'd say that they're unsure of BB10 becuase it's an unproven OS and the company has bet their entire future on it. If it doesn't work then RIM is screwed. Add in the changing release date and the question of a BlackBerry ecosystem and get a good idea of why Sprint is uneasy.

If the OS is unproven, this should should be more reason to zip it so they don't get egg on their faces. No??

[louzer]

Your failed assumption is BlackBerry 10 ever being released. There is absolutely no proof BlackBerry 10 OS and smartphones will arrive before the end of time. The track record of Research In Motion is cause for concern unless you are blinded by some distortion field.

Yours is a failed assumption and mine is simply one of many possible outcomes. I'm stating a theory and you are pronouncing absolutes - i.e. "absolutely no proof". You'd have been correct if you said "I have seen absolutely no proof..." but you're saying that "There is absolutely no proof." Like all other manufacturers, there is a period before launch and leaks where it can be said that people have seen no proof of whatever is to come. Based on your assumptions and the state of things back in April, believing that WP8 would ever be released would be a symptom of the same 'distortion field'. I'm not saying that your assumption is not a possibility. I'm just saying that it's failed in that it states that it's the only possible outcome.

Once again, this is going to be a long few months coming.

[johnenglish]

If the OS is unproven, this should should be more reason to zip it so they don't get egg on their faces. No??

No, becuase they're being honest and realistic. The OS is a massive unknown and Sprint is being honest when they say that while it looks exiciting based on the info that's been released they are unsure given how must is resting on the success of this OS.

If the OS is released on time, and if it's released without flaws, and if the hardware that it's released on is fantastic and without flaws, then RIM has a good chance of stopping it's slide.

That's a lot of "ifs". It only makese sense that Sprint would say that they're unsure. Anything else would be foolish.

[louzer]

I wonder how Sprint is going to handle selling the iPhone 5 when, like the Galaxy S3 and HTC Evo 4G LTE, they are pitching the latest and greatest technology in phones, but promising that the LTE functionality will be available later.

[ccbs]

No, becuase they're being honest and realistic. The OS is a massive unknown and Sprint is being honest when they say that while it looks exiciting based on the info that's been released they are unsure given how must is resting on the success of this OS.

If the OS is released on time, and if it's released without flaws, and if the hardware that it's released on is fantastic and without flaws, then RIM has a good chance of stopping it's slide.

That's a lot of "ifs". It only makese sense that Sprint would say that they're unsure. Anything else would be foolish.

Yeah, this is pretty much it. It is a very realistic view on the prospect of BB10. If it ever gains traction, Sprint will join the party and bring them on. Otherwise, they will be contend to let someone else foot the bill of a failed launch. Given the financial shape they are in, Sprint makes a smart decision. Wait and see.
Rim however, will be in a difficult position. If more carriers take the wait and see approach, the one that signs them on will have much larger leverage over the pricing, launch and control of the BB10 handsets.

[berklon]

If the OS is released on time, and if it's released without flaws, and if the hardware that it's released on is fantastic and without flaws, then RIM has a good chance of stopping it's slide.

RIM already failed twice to release BB10 on time. Are you going to keep moving the goalposts every time they move the release date down?

And if all those conditions are met (ignoring the fact they delayed twice and pretending it's not killing them), I think the best RIM can hope for is to slow down their slide... not stop it completely. Like it or not, RIM is and will continue to be paying dearly for these BB10 delays - especially the most recent one.

I honestly think if BB10 does see the light of day (HUGE if), the biggest way to describe it will be "Too little, too late".

Prepare to be disappointed.

[Greenghost]

Does that mean that all of the cell phone users in the US should drop anything but Big Red because they are number 1? That would seem to be a poor move for Sprint.

U can't compare the two sprint does not hold les then ten % worth net share like rim yeah sprint received bad press but rim right now is stale and unusable since I've moved to Android. They needed bb10 yesterday

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

[randall2580]

The article states "...in the States, half the Blackberries you see have the Spring logo adorning them." - is that true? Its the first time I have ever seen that stated as fact and it's not something I would have guessed myself from personal anecdotal experience most of the BB's I see have AT&T or Verizon logos on them.

IF IT'S TRUE (big if as I don't know for sure and don't know where this author got that information from) Sprint's ongoing interest in BB10 might have an exaggerated affect on the launch of BB10 going forward?!

[MasterOfBinary]

Your failed assumption is BlackBerry 10 ever being released. There is absolutely no proof BlackBerry 10 OS and smartphones will arrive before the end of time. The track record of Research In Motion is cause for concern unless you are blinded by some distortion field.

I don't understand some of you guys. OK, there's a possibility that BB10 isn't released. I really doubt it, but I don't want to argue about that. So if it isn't released, everyone buys a WP8 or Android or iPhone, and the world continues to exist. But there's no point in bringing this up in every single thread. Apparently you're more pessimistic than the guys at Sprint.

[MasterOfBinary]

RIM already failed twice to release BB10 on time. Are you going to keep moving the goalposts every time they move the release date down?

And if all those conditions are met (ignoring the fact they delayed twice and pretending it's not killing them), I think the best RIM can hope for is to slow down their slide... not stop it completely. Like it or not, RIM is and will continue to be paying dearly for these BB10 delays - especially the most recent one.

I honestly think if BB10 does see the light of day (HUGE if), the biggest way to describe it will be "Too little, too late".

Prepare to be disappointed.

Like I said before, even if there was a thread about rainbows and lollipops someone would say BB10 isn't coming. Whatever.

I don't think it's the end of the world for RIM. They don't have to beat the iPhone's sales, but the mobile market is so big that there's room for three or four different phones. Some people (maybe not hardcore users, but the average people) don't really care what phone they have. And there are lots of people getting new phones all the time.

I don't think people here are deluded, we just choose not to think about thunderstorms all day. But you do what you want, keep on having a gloomy day. I won't.