No VZW storm = RIM dead on VZW?

[Stides]

There are other posts in other sections about this article but I think it is most relevant here. Despite its mixed reviews the storm was a big seller for RIM on VZW. I can't help but think that the lack of a newer more competitive storm is a big reason for this and it will get worse before it gets better if we have to wait much longer. It just seems like people are dropping berries, and more specifically storms, on VZW to get droids like you would not believe. I personally know of 7 storm users who have defected to android in the last 3 months. These were people that previously loved blackberry. I have one friend who is fighting to keep his blackberry because his entire company is switching to android. I've been struggling with keeping the berry myself. While my small personal experience doesn't prove a trend, this article and crackberry forum posters also support this. The Android forum on crackberry is loaded with storm users who have switched to droids, droid pros, and the droid x on VZW.

Android dominates Verizon smartphone sales; BlackBerry tanks | BGR | Boy Genius Report

[lustingxlove]

I love blackberry, but one possibility is maybe because there are so many different manufacturers that make android phones. Motorola, HTC, LG, now Samsung. While RIM is the only one making BlackBerries. I am a BlackBerry gone android gone BlackBerry again. I think the media is going towards pusing android phones too. But do BlackBerries really need advertising? I think no matter what there is still always going to be a target group that will always choose BlackBerries. After all BlackBerry trumps in a lot of categories that some may take for granted. Such as email. I know I definitely took that for grated when I switched. I saw this article on crackberry and it's one of the best I've ever read and I totally agree 100%. Enjoy

http://m.crackberry.com/hierarchy-sm...ent-back-black

[BBStormOS6]

VZW will be carrying Storm3 it will hopefully live up to Android and IPhone quality! RIM needs to step it up falling way behind every day with 300,000 android devises being activated every day

[Sosai X]

RIM and/or VZW need to get off their collective asses and start making some announcements regarding a S3, because Android phones will continue to eat their lunch if people don't know there's something worth waiting for.

[SaMaster14]

I heard somewhere that BBM would be available on Android devices coming next year (a VZW manager said that the PIN service would be places on droid phones and would be interchangeable between BB and Droid devices).

Now, that statement came as a shock to me... but if that somehow did happen (and i could keep my BBM contacts but use a droid phone), I would probably jump ship ...

[Stides]

RIM does have a hard time competing against all of the manufacturers chruning out android devices. RIM is only one company. However, they do offer several different form factors at several price points on multiple carriers. The iphone is only made by one company, has one form factor and is only on one carrier and just passed RIM in U.S. market share. RIM has no excuse. The consumer market is growing much faster than the enterprise end. Companies are also letting employees buy whatever they want and allowing them access to corp. email via exchange. So even in the corp. world consumers are making some of the decisions about phones. They are walking into stores and blackberries are not catching their eye. Phones with big screens and tons of apps (many of them are free or .99, not $2.99 and up like bb app world). Not to mention android and ios are making inroads into the corp. world. If RIM only caters to corp. customers and the traditional hard core blackberry user they will be relegated to a small player.......nothing compared to the the dominant force they once were. They need a strong presence in the consumer market to continue to grow.

[grahamf]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

I heard somewhere that BBM would be available on Android devices coming next year (a VZW manager said that the PIN service would be places on droid phones and would be interchangeable between BB and Droid devices).

Now, that statement came as a shock to me... but if that somehow did happen (and i could keep my BBM contacts but use a droid phone), I would probably jump ship ...

RIM tried that before. They're no longer doing it. 'nuff said.

Although I think it was because Nokia no longer included it into it's devices, not because RIM stopped supporting newer devices.

[johntkong]

Thing is that BBs become a tool after the newness wears off. I have a BB Tour and it gets the job done but is unable to do a lot of things the Droids can. I would purchase a Torch if it weren't on AT&T. RIM may very well not be interested in moving beyond their corporate niche so as consumers we need to decide what we want. I personally want a phone that can work and play.

I've got a Droid 2 coming today. I'll keep my Tour around as a safety blanket.

[lnichols]

Originally Posted by Sosai X

RIM and/or VZW need to get off their collective asses and start making some announcements regarding a S3, because Android phones will continue to eat their lunch if people don't know there's something worth waiting for.

Why would VZW care if Android sales decimate RIM sales? They are still selling the phones, still getting the data plans, etc. It is up to RIM to make something that Verizon will sell and that people want. If the rumors are true about the VZW iPhone coming out Q1 are true then that won't help out RIM sales either. And based on Dan Hesse's comments when asked about the iPhone recently it sounded like Sprint may be in negotiations to get the iPhone too, and I can't see why we wouldn't see one on T-Mobile either if Sprint gets it.

[pcgizmo]

No Storm means RIM is dead on VZW???? This is a joke right?

Storm was big seller?? I'm sure that's debatable! Those early Storm OS's were awful, and a lot of people returned them within the 30-day window.

Originally Posted by lnichols

Why would VZW care if Android sales decimate RIM sales? They are still selling the phones

Exactly, VZW is selling what sells. Refreshes are for successful devices like Bolds and Curves. Storm just isn't in that category.

[Stides]

Originally Posted by pcgizmo

No Storm means RIM is dead on VZW???? This is a joke right?

Storm was big seller?? I'm sure that's debatable! Those early Storm OS's were awful, and a lot of people returned them within the 30-day window.



Exactly, VZW is selling what sells. Refreshes are for successful devices like Bolds and Curves. Storm just isn't in that category.

It wasn't a joke. Just more of a statement/question to start a discussion. That is why there was a "?" placed after No VZW storm = RIM dead on VZW?. I think it symbolic of RIM's inability to get a new device out of Verizon that hurts them. Peopel would gladly look to a CDMA Torch or a new Bold Touch instead of a storm 3. However, all of these phones may take a while to arrive on VZW.

The storm sold over 1 million units from late November 2008 through January 2009. That's no where near iphone numbers but that is a lot of phones sold...even if some were returned. I also remember reading that return rates for the storm were average compared to other phones on Verizon. It was a a big reason why lots of people got their first blackberry. Sadly, many of them are not staying with blackberry after their upgrade. If you look at this site the storm forums are huge and pretty active.

I hate to agree with anyone from engadget because i think they love to bash RIM, but this article pretty much sums up how many bb users feel......

Editorial: RIM seems to be as lost as my BlackBerry -- Engadget

Tons of users here and bb bloggers (salomandrin form bb leaks, the guy from the bb geeks, crackberry's own Craig Johnston) have starting using android devices for these reasons.

No release of a compelling device on arguably the largest carrier in the U.S. will hurt RIM. The writer of the article above is on VZW.

[baspeed]

I got a 9530 and just want my f*cking Storm 3. Is this so freaking hard?

[Sosai X]

Originally Posted by baspeed

I got a 9530 and just want my f*cking Storm 3. Is this so freaking hard?

Amen to that!

[VideoEngineerAJS]

Originally Posted by baspeed

I got a 9530 and just want my f*cking Storm 3. Is this so freaking hard?

Ditto, except since I was elligible for upgrade in October I will go to a different phone if a dual core and LTE capable phone comes out before the Storm 3.

[pcgizmo]

Originally Posted by Stides

It wasn't a joke. Just more of a statement/question to start a discussion. That is why there was a "?" placed after No VZW storm = RIM dead on VZW?. I think it symbolic of RIM's inability to get a new device out of Verizon that hurts them. Peopel would gladly look to a CDMA Torch or a new Bold Touch instead of a storm 3. However, all of these phones may take a while to arrive on VZW.

The storm sold over 1 million units from late November 2008 through January 2009. That's no where near iphone numbers but that is a lot of phones sold...even if some were returned. I also remember reading that return rates for the storm were average compared to other phones on Verizon. It was a a big reason why lots of people got their first blackberry. Sadly, many of them are not staying with blackberry after their upgrade. If you look at this site the storm forums are huge and pretty active.

I hate to agree with anyone from engadget because i think they love to bash RIM, but this article pretty much sums up how many bb users feel......

Editorial: RIM seems to be as lost as my BlackBerry -- Engadget

Tons of users here and bb bloggers (salomandrin form bb leaks, the guy from the bb geeks, crackberry's own Craig Johnston) have starting using android devices for these reasons.

No release of a compelling device on arguably the largest carrier in the U.S. will hurt RIM. The writer of the article above is on VZW.

RIM has the Bold and Curve on VZW so they're not dead. Storm on the other hand, has a bad reputation to overcome.