[W Hoa]

This article (excerpt) talks about Nigeria specifically but speaks of the emerging market as well. The award-winning author and analyst makes some very interesting points.

How Nigeria may save BlackBerry | ITWeb

Consider this: in a market of 100 million phone users, where only 5 million use smartphones, and half of those are BlackBerry devices, what will happen when the market begins a mass migration to smartphones?

If the Nigerian market remains true to form and aspiration, that means a market of tens of millions of units available to RIM in the next two to four years. Now repeat that equation in Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world (Nigeria is at number seven).

Yes, the American market is critical, and it is where both innovation and opinion carry the most weight. But if RIM is building a new future, the foundations are emerging right now in developing markets like Nigeria.

[anthogag]

Great article.

The American market is proving to be the market that spurs development of BB10, a product that will sell in Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Nigeria,...boo-yah

[tjseaman]

Great Article thanks for sharing.

[johnenglish]

Places like Nigeria are not going to be buying the latest and greatest BB10 smart phone. They are going to be buying the bottom of the line smartphones whatever they are.

[FSeverino]

this sounds like what ive been saying for a long time.

sure the US is a big market, but it is NOT the ONLY BIG MARKET. I think the thing that is hurting RIM the most is AMERICAN PRESS... which IS the biggest of its kind!

[Tre Lawrence]

Problem being that OS7 devices don't sell that well. GSM 83xx Curves are extremely popular.

I tell you one thing... if folks were to go over there and see how owning a BB is perceived and the lengths young people will go to get one, they will quit using terms like iSheep. It's scary.

BBs carry INSANE resell value there. Inflation can't even kill the adoption. If RIM could somehow find a way to figure out how to be profitable, they could make some major pennies.

[Thunderbuck]

Places like Nigeria are not going to be buying the latest and greatest BB10 smart phone. They are going to be buying the bottom of the line smartphones whatever they are.

Actually, BB7 phones will likely remain on the market for a few qyears to come, especially for emerging markets.

[sportline]

the carrier subsidised, data hogging 1GB/month androids and iphones will bring down US carriers soon. at the end of the day blackberry will win again with carrier/network friendly data usage, and usable communication via bbm and physical keyboard in other countries.
imessage and gtalk doesn't work, and will never work unless the phones got physical keyboard and someone (carrier or google/apple) is building data center/network for the messaging system. which blackberry has already, worldwide, for years.
don't mind the high end phones - the US high end smartphone hype is a typical apple argument for US centric view.

[world traveler and former ceo]

Problem being that OS7 devices don't sell that well. GSM 83xx Curves are extremely popular.

I tell you one thing... if folks were to go over there and see how owning a BB is perceived and the lengths young people will go to get one, they will quit using terms like iSheep. It's scary.

BBs carry INSANE resell value there. Inflation can't even kill the adoption. If RIM could somehow find a way to figure out how to be profitable, they could make some major pennies.

Well said! ... I think this year will be the beginning of a breakout period for RIM ... with quality affordable phones for emerging markets .. and cutting edge transformational high end products - BB10 .. and Playbook .. a great multi-market strategy! ... the new RIM Management gets it!!! ...

[anthogag]

Places like Nigeria are not going to be buying the latest and greatest BB10 smart phone. They are going to be buying the bottom of the line smartphones whatever they are.

You missed the part in the article that talked about high-end phones also selling well in Nigeria

I think it showed a 50-50 split between Curve and Bold 9900 sales

[dbollman423]

The Revolution will be on your phone. Brought to the world at large by Blackberry!

[jrohland]

For the previous two years I spent a lot of time making BBM contacts around the world. Last year Nigeria was far and away the easiest place to make chat contacts. And interesting people. Every kind of personality. Many making the best of life in a fractured country.

[Tre Lawrence]

For the previous two years I spent a lot of time making BBM contacts around the world. Last year Nigeria was far and away the easiest place to make chat contacts. And interesting people. Every kind of personality. Many making the best of life in a fractured country.

Good people... great country. Basically, too small a place for all the people, 300 different ethnicities and several religions, but deep down, some great people, and i am proud to have naija blood.

[SlcCorrado]

This is great news! Thanks for the article and I enjoyed reading all the comments

[big_time2]

Problem being that OS7 devices don't sell that well. GSM 83xx Curves are extremely popular.

I tell you one thing... if folks were to go over there and see how owning a BB is perceived and the lengths young people will go to get one, they will quit using terms like iSheep. It's scary.

BBs carry INSANE resell value there. Inflation can't even kill the adoption. If RIM could somehow find a way to figure out how to be profitable, they could make some major pennies.

83xx devices are still popular in every country it seems. I see a lot of different phones on a daily basis, but I would say that 83xx series are probably 2 out of every 10 phones I see.

Granted, 83xx were probably one of the best build quality phones ever built.

[alnamvet68]

The interesting thing is that RIM apparently is still manufacturing currently discontinued smartphones...the 8100 Pearl, and 8300 Curve (both GSM) are very popular throughout South America.

[tshai]

Places like Nigeria are not going to be buying the latest and greatest BB10 smart phone. They are going to be buying the bottom of the line smartphones whatever they are.

†?ã†'s where you are dead wrong. Check statistics, inspite of high poverty in the country nigerians still find a way ??? spend money on some luxury items and ???? promise you BB10 snartphones will be ???? different

[niks1]

This article is spot on.

I was recently in Nigeria and I noticed everyone was using blackberrys. I think pretty much every phone I saw was a bb. I think I literally saw just a few nokias and thats it. As for the low/high end mix, there was everything. Rich people using curves, average people with 9900s and torches and everything in between.
The point is that in reality all those developing markets are embracing BBs in a way that they could never afford to adopt iPhones or androids due to their high data usage. BBM is also a key as it is much cheaper than sms and more convenient.

Nigeria is a perfect example of why I think RIM has a bright future ahead. It is a country with abundant natural resources and a large population that has more disposable income than an average American journalist thinks (not to sound prejudiced, just expressing my opinion). India, Brasil, Indonesia, even Russia all present a perfect opportunity for RIM to grow its user base and brand awareness. The US market, whether we like it or not, is reaching, or has already, full saturation, where brands are competing with bells and whistles instead of real value proposals. In developing countries where the (potential) user base is much larger and is growing faster, RIM is really the only smartphone with a true value proposal. When you add in the 'status' factor bbs have in those places, it really looks like a no brainer to me. Finally, most of those countries do not offer subsidies on the phones, so the phone really does represent an aspirational symbol as well (thus the surprisingly high percentage of high-end bbs in developing countries).
Anyway, I truly believe that Nigeria is the perfect example of a natural high potential growth market for RIM in particular, as I was really surprised as to attitude of people towards bbs over there. The bias of developed world journalism to look at only their own backyard is a very important part of the negative investor sentiment towrds RIM, but if they look around, I think they would be surprised to learn that it is RIM that has (possibly) very high, if not the highest, potential for growth among the vendors.

[Rootbrian]

ALRIGHT!!!!!

This gets me so excited! soon they're gonna be getting playbooks once they're in! Or they probably already have some from visiting other countries!

[howl078]

Places like Nigeria are not going to be buying the latest and greatest BB10 smart phone. They are going to be buying the bottom of the line smartphones whatever they are.

That's what you think, the article states that "Sales outside North America make up 70% of total revenue" and "the other remarkable feature of the Nigerian smartphone market: BlackBerry sells as many high-end models there as it does low-end Curves."

[marshmallowX]

Actually, BB7 phones will likely remain on the market for a few qyears to come, especially for emerging markets.

Simply self-deluding to think that Nigerians buy only bottom line  phones. Unlike the west where phones are gotten for free based on the "contract" tradition, in Nigeria and indeed most part of Africa, people buy their phones. These phones, particularly the smartphones like the  don't come cheap in any consideration. In the last Four years, the Blackberry smartphones have been in sporadic spiral demand in Nigeria and this has in no mean way impacted directly on the takings of RIM. I, personally made a business proposal to RIM about Two years ago, to extend the Blackberry AppWorld to West Africa and Nigeria in particular to deal with the frustration the Blackberry users were having with procuring apps for their  smartphones. Today, the story is different and I dare say without fear of misconception that the future of RIM is profoundly knitted in the emerging markets for which Nigeria is an enthusiastic force and player.

[speculator2000]

After living in California for almost 20yrs and using iPhones, I got my first blackberry when I moved to Nigeria last year because everyone I know here has one and it is cheaper to communicate by BBM since the plans are all you can eat texting via BBM. In the developing world where most telcos don't have unlimited SMS, Blackberry does well because of that. And I must say, people here are way into phone models than they were back in the States. While many still use older models, just about every person who can afford it uses the latest models and many who can not afford it (judging by their jobs) still have latest models too. Go figure! I just think they place a premuim on phones more than anything else here. Perhaps because they are so image concious and know that you are more likely to see their phones than their cars or apartments, lol. Any how, many people here have playbooks too and iPads. I have 2 playbooks and I got them without RIM opening a store here, so you can only imagine what it would be like if they cater specifically to the market.

[abucool10]

Places like Nigeria are not going to be buying the latest and greatest BB10 smart phone. They are going to be buying the bottom of the line smartphones whatever they are.

nigeria has always been a loyal bb fan... everyone i know be it in uni or high school u have to hava bb, or u will bve cut out social wise, not to mention super cheap unlimited plans that for less than 10dollars a month.... and noo we buy high end bb, we love RIM down here.every single person i knw has a blackberry and more than half use ttop of the line bb which is 9900@ present....
i have been waitinng for RIM to open an office in lagos..they should have done this long time ago.. and we nigrians dont buy phones on contract, we buy them straight up..

[OzarkaTexile]

So BlackBerry wins in areas where limited wireless infrastructure encourages managed solutions like BBM. And once BBM adoption hits a certain level, it's a severe disadvantage not to have it.

But RIM still continues to miss out on the worldwide market, growing slower than the industry as a whole.