I wonder if RIM understands how much is riding on the Storm 3.

[Slapnpop826]

As I look at the smartphone market it seems to me that 2011 will be a make or break year for RIM and it starts with the release of the Storm 3. the Torch failed to give RIM the boost they were looking for and they continue to lose market share to android phones and iphones at a brisk pace. I believe if RIM fails to deliver with the Storm 3, they will be so far behind in the consumer market that it may not even be worth pursuing any longer. A Storm 3 with a 1ghz processor, 8mp camera and 1gb RAM running a QNX OS and released in the first quarter 2011 should be their goal. anything short of that and I think they are doomed. Soon Verizon will not only be offering top of the line Android phones (Droid X, Droid 2, Incredible, Fascinate) but also the Iphone 4. The Storm 3 has a very steep hill to climb. I'm rooting for RIM.

[syb0rg]

Can i ask why an 8MP camera seems to be the magic number? Are you people aware that when it comes to mobile devices the more the MP doesn't always mean a better picture?

Other than that, i think they know, and that is why they have been quite with the details regarding the next wave of phones.

[pkcable]

I'm not so fascinated with the touch screen anymore. They are nice, but I'm more excited for 4G, and for the QNX OS. I'll take a look at the Storm3, but I might just wait for the 4G, QNX Bold, and if that has a touch screen all the better, but I really love my Bold's keyboard and would not want to lose it.

[Slapnpop826]

You are right 8mp is not a deal breaker, 5mp would be fine. I speaking more about just and aggressive approach as far as the hardware goes. I feel like the Torch was a major miscalculation when it came to the hardware specs. A better processor and screen would have probably commanded more attention for the device.

[syb0rg]

Originally Posted by Slapnpop826

You are right 8mp is not a deal breaker, 5mp would be fine. I speaking more about just and aggressive approach as far as the hardware goes. I feel like the Torch was a major miscalculation when it came to the hardware specs. A better processor and screen would have probably commanded more attention for the device.

IMHO opinion the Torch needed to be a Landscape slider w/ good hardware. HTC, Palm and a few others tried out the Portrait slider and those ideas didn't last. Has far a hardware goes. I think RIM need to refine they OS before pumping muscle into it. Hopefully QNX will solve those needs. I honestly feel the same way about Android. The OS is nice, but not refined. and pumping iron is nice. but you have to be able to use it.

[SevereDeceit]

I agree, OS6 on the Torch is nice, but I'm not much on the hardware. It's a Bold keyboard with a Storm screen on top. Ya gotta start somewhere though...

[crackcookie]

He is right, the storm doesn't have to have those exact numbers, but it must at least look competitive. Look at the Torch, they boasted about having a touch screen and slider. Tech that is old news, and then come with a 5.0 cam and meh resolution.

2008's specs aren't going to wow people in 2010.

If BB6 and the playbook are any indication, it seems as though Rim is here for the long run and will do what it takes to stay competitive.

[SevereDeceit]

As long as it's not a 'Refresh' I think it could do fairly well. Adding more memory and an extra megapixel to the camera is not an upgrade if you ask me...

[Skidooman93]

Originally Posted by Slapnpop826

the Torch failed to give RIM the boost they were looking for and they continue to lose market share to android phones and iphones at a brisk pace.

According to reports AT&T and RIM have been very happy with sales of the torch. Reporting that it has sold much better than expected.

Everyone here likes to compare sales of BB's to sales of android phones. You aren't comparing "apples to apples". Blackberry produces phones and operating systems. Android is only an operating system. Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, and others that I am too lazy to think about, produce phones that operate with the android OS. RIM sales need to be compared to the volume of devices that are sole compared to Apple, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and the others, not against all android devices sold. The best comparison is Apple to RIM. But as we all know Apple appears to be the "Pig in the pink dress" right now.

[Slapnpop826]

Originally Posted by Skidooman93

According to reports AT&T and RIM have been very happy with sales of the torch. Reporting that it has sold much better than expected.

Everyone here likes to compare sales of BB's to sales of android phones. You aren't comparing "apples to apples". Blackberry produces phones and operating systems. Android is only an operating system. Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, and others that I am too lazy to think about, produce phones that operate with the android OS. RIM sales need to be compared to the volume of devices that are sole compared to Apple, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and the others, not against all android devices sold. The best comparison is Apple to RIM. But as we all know Apple appears to be the "Pig in the pink dress" right now.

True, but from a consumer perspective it is not viewed that way. I hear people say all the time that, "my next phone is going to be an android phone". They don't usually make a device specific statement when it comes to Android. So you basically have Blackberry, Iphone or Android phone in people's mind.

[Skeevecr]

Originally Posted by syb0rg

IMHO opinion the Torch needed to be a Landscape slider w/ good hardware. HTC, Palm and a few others tried out the Portrait slider and those ideas didn't last. Has far a hardware goes. I think RIM need to refine they OS before pumping muscle into it. Hopefully QNX will solve those needs. I honestly feel the same way about Android. The OS is nice, but not refined. and pumping iron is nice. but you have to be able to use it.

If you think about the ergonomics of a slider then a portrait one actually makes a lot more sense than a landscape one, if you want a larger keyboard you can flip it and use the virtual one and when using it vertically you are able to use it comfortably in one hand unlike a landscape slider.

I think you might have the hardware and OS priority the wrong way round as well, regardless of whether the next releases are qnx or just qnx-ready the crucial thing is that they have to be competitive hardware.

[Snipperdo17]

Originally Posted by Skeevecr

If you think about the ergonomics of a slider then a portrait one actually makes a lot more sense than a landscape one, if you want a larger keyboard you can flip it and use the virtual one and when using it vertically you are able to use it comfortably in one hand unlike a landscape slider.

I think you might have the hardware and OS priority the wrong way round as well, regardless of whether the next releases are qnx or just qnx-ready the crucial thing is that they have to be competitive hardware.

I agree with the portrait keyboard. Everyone I know with a droid never used the landscape keyboard and I was the same way when I had the droid. It gets annoying when you have to turn the phone, slide the keyboard out, type, slide it back in, then turn the phone back around all just to send a text and continue what you were doing. RIM was right when they made the slider a portrait one.

[crackcookie]

Originally Posted by Slapnpop826

True, but from a consumer perspective it is not viewed that way. I hear people say all the time that, "my next phone is going to be an android phone". They don't usually make a device specific statement when it comes to Android. So you basically have Blackberry, Iphone or Android phone in people's mind.

Most consumers are just that, consumers, they aren't fit for business.

Rim's main audience is business. A lot of business users can't just up and upgrade their phones at a whim. Also, a lot of blackberry users.....are content.
I was content with my 9000, until I downloaded a few more apps and it slowed down.

Now Im content with my 9700 and its OS6.

I am out of contract, but I feel no pressing need to go out and buy the latest phone, simply because its the newest one out, and for some reason, I feel a lot of Blackberry users feel the same way. Yes, their Storm 2 is underpowered compared to the latest Droid, but they love their phone. And until it either stops working how it should, or there is simply a great advancement in the times, I don't see people just ditching their BB for the next hot thing, simply for the sake of having it.

[fmflex]

Just my 2 cents. I'm a long time, hardcore, business BB user. I even developed apps for BB when App World opened. I love my Storm, but I'm at a crossroad. BB no longer has the advantage that they once possessed. All smart phones can now do emails and messaging just as good as a BB. The BB is falling behind, and I'm on the verge of switching. iPhone is coming to Verizon, LTE is coming, and more awesome Android phones are being released all the time. I must say, as much as it pains me, that if by Feb/Mar, RIM doesn't release something really revolutionary (I hope for an awesome Storm 3) and by revolutionary I mean, LTE compatible, 1Ghz, OS 6, and a nice screen, I'm leaving BB. I get this feeling that I'm not the only one. I talk to more and more people that are abandoning ship in large numbers. A lot of them are IT people who are taking whole companies with them. I think the next 3-6 months will be crucial for RIM. If they don't do something quick, I'm going to start short selling their stock. That's my 2 cent.

[BunniesBerry]

I'm really sick of hearing the argument that RIM produces BlackBerries for the business costumer. RIM has now entered the consumer market with BlackBerries so they need to start selling phones with the consumer bells and whistles. By no means do I expect RIM to push out new BlackBerry models as much as we see new Android models. As it was mentioned earlier the Android OS is used by several brands therefore it's expected that there will be a wider variety of Droids produced by different companies. But RIM needs to start making phones with specs that are actually competitive to these other phones around them.(Personally I agree that RIM should get aggressive with the specs and start trying to set the curve as they are trying to do with the PlayBook) If I am going to pay around the same price for my BB I want it to do what the Droids and the iPhone can do. It's is only fair. And For those who say if you want those features then get a Droid or an iPhone to that I say there are far too many things I love about my BB to switch that easily. For instance the portrait vs. landscape keyboard debate. A mark of BB users who love their BlackBerry is the keyboard and the ability to use it with one hand. That will surely be lost if RIM makes a landscape slider, and I surely will not be buying it. Beside my love of the BlackBerry keyboard there are a number of other features that keep me tied to it, but I do agree that RIM is lagging and they need to step it up. I'm waiting for something that I find will be worth using my upgrade on and I hope RIM realizes that I am one of many doing so. There are plenty of BB lovers waiting to be wowed by a phone that is really trying to compete in the consumer and business market of today.