Industry analysts are taking off their rose-colored glasses after examining the results of BlackBerry’s largely lackluster launch of their OS 10 platform. Original estimates had the newly renamed company (formerly Research In Motion) selling as many as 1.75 million new phones following the Jan 30 debut. Using words like “soft launch” and “modest demand”, analysts are now revising their estimates down by as much as 83%, putting BlackBerry’s comeback into serious doubt.
What this means for you:
It’s probably too early to call it, but BlackBerry really needed a big splash with the 10 launch and to keep surging forward with momentum to stay on par with upcoming anticipated Samsung and Apple launches on tap for Summer. Early reviews indicate that version 10 phones have caught up with the competition, but the technology hasn’t leapfrogged the competition, something BlackBerry really needs to do to gain any footing in this market, as they can’t outspend Google, Apple or even Samsung. If your company is heavily invested in BlackBerry and still supports it for corporate communications, you can’t go wrong with a Z10 or Q10, as long as your IT department has committed to keeping their BB infrastructure current. If they seem even the littlest bit wishy-washy on that subject, or they already support Android and iOS devices, you’ll make a safer investment in another platform.
