Can RIM’s Marketshare Handle a Verizon iPhone on Top of Android Mania?
BlackBerry maker, Research in Motion, continues to strongly take its share of the smartphone market, but will Google and Apple cripple RIM in the long run? Though point changes are minor, RIM may have to come up with something soon since Google is continually launching new Android cell phones left and right, and especially with the rumored developing news of the Verizon iPhone. Although RIM is the leader in the enterprise market the company’s failed effort in delivering a compelling multimedia experience with the Storm and Storm2 has people wondering what they will do to sustain themselves.
Within a 3 month period according to TK [[Melanie this needs a source]], RIM increases market share with 4.1%, Apple gains by 1.2%, Palm loses by 3.6% and the largest changes by Google and Microsoft with a 153.6% gains and -20.3% loses, respectively. With the sudden growth of Google during the highly promoted Motorola DROID smartphone, RIM still managed to ship 3.3 million BlackBerry devices, 30% more than the previous year. Apple has 24% of the smartphone market share, still less than RIM, Apple only has one cell phone in the market currently available only with AT&T in the United States, compared to RIM who has multiple cell phones on all major carriers. Needless to say, Apple isn’t far behind RIM, but if the Verizon iPhone rumor proves true, perhaps RIM might have to dig a little deeper [[in what? New design? Better multimedia experience?}}. Android only carries 7.1% of market share but grew a strong 4.3% in the last quarter, giving a lot of space for Android to grow and expand.
Though RIM recognizes themselves as a leader in enterprise and messaging, and don’t directly compare themselves to multimedia devices such as the iPhone, they might need to improve their latest OS to better compete with both Android and Apple in the long run.
-Melanie Bie is a Site Merchandiser at LetsTalk.com
