No "Flash",...No Cash For RIM"!
This may not be your feelings, but I think the single most cause of folks flocking to Android and the iPhone is the simple fact that Blackberry devices were very limited in turns of providing users access to whatever content was available on the web. That said, the inability of BBs to play "Flash" vids was a major issue for anyone upgrading to a smartphone. Even though I consider the BB to be the first true Smartphone,...other mfrs brother cellphones to the market with way less capabilities than BBs,...'cept they were capable of providing a better browsing experience and once Aunt Martha got here hands on an Android or iPhone,...the tides shifted away from the solida capaiblities of RIM devices. We already know that BB 10 will be the shiznick,...but that's months away and mostly will be around the holidays of which,...better and better Androids and iPhones will be coming to the Market.
In addition, AT&T and T-Mobile and Sprint did not help RIM's cause by note launching LTE when Verizon initiated it's LTE upgrade roadmap. So, what did smartphone mfrs do,...they made more and more LTE devices and Verizon gained millions of new subscribers. I won't even go into the the distress the iPhone caused RIM or any other cph mfrs. I will say that every Apple device released has had some significant issues, yet folks are still willing to line-up for the next iDevice! That said, it is my opinion that the LTE capable iPhone will be an awesome device,...and if it came with a slider keyboard,...I'd have one in a heartbeat.
Lastly, RIM needs to find a way to get to know what customers really freak'n want! I'm surprise that my purchase of my BB 9000, 9700,...9800,...and 9810 did not link me to a survey asking for my likes and dislikes of the new BB devices. Sure you can get online feedback from forums and blogs,...but there's nothing better than direct info from customers. I mean, I just bought a new BMW,....of which I was asked to submit a survey of the total purchase experience!
RIM became cheap and lazy! They became cheap by not putting OS 10 on the fast track! The code writers should have been on a 24-hour code-writing-work day,...2-3 years ago, but now they are on a 24-hour schedule just trying to "catch-up",...but not realizing that they are catching up to yesterday,...as other developers are moving forward.
I will say this,...the "Smartphone" is capable of being the only device that one needs in their lives to replace every other handheld mobile device! It's just a matter of this software communicating with that software and they both have a mutual understanding of the tasks at hand!
The future,...as a result of "Smarter Smartphones",...first, TVs will not come with remotes,..they will come preloaded with Apps,...everything in your home that operates off the power grid will be able to be controlled by a smartphone as a result of "apps",...either via WiFi or BT. DLNA will be just like DNA,...everyone's home will be DLNA'fied.
Our homes will know when we've arrived,...just by having our smartphone in our possession,...at the same time,..our homes will be able know who violated our property,...should that person have any electronic device on their possession,...and who doesn't or won't have a smartphone,...an electronic signature (or trace of you) will be left wherever you go. This already exists today and can be expanded via software.
So RIM,...even though you developed the first Smartphone,..IMHO,...you allowed others to beat you at your own game,...and this is the real problem.
You simply got knocked out!
Now the real question is,...can you regroup your resources and answer the bell for the next bout!
Time will tell...