Back to business: RIM will lose consumer market, analyst says

By on May 27, 2011 at 2:01 PM
Business May 27, 2011

“We no longer anticipate Research in Motion recovering to participate in the mainstream of smartphone industry growth.” Those are the words of Matthew Robison, an analyst with Wunderlich Securities, which recently downgraded RIM’s stock. Robison argues that RIM is going to lose the consumer interest that it has built over the last few years. “Our long-term forecast anticipates a role supplying business-oriented devices, both mid-range and high end, as well as cloud-based services via the BlackBerry Network.,” Robison said. “We expect the consumer mix gained over the past two years to churn off, and that earnings will decline after 2013 and eventually grow again on demand that is largely associated with business users.” Robison said the PlayBook is selling well relative to other tablets, “other than the iPad,” but that “there’s little indication that the PlayBook has registered with consumers outside the loyal BlackBerry installed base.” We’ve leaked and had hands-on time with most of RIM’s 2011 lineup, and while there’s a definite spec boost across the board, the phones lack the appealing features of more robust iOS and Android devices. Worse yet, the company only revealed one new device during its annual BlackBerry World 2011 conference, and even that offered very little in the way of innovation that might attract the consumer market.

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  • Mkk

    Yea this is a bs Article…in my area bb’s are the phone of choice for people in there teens to 30s I live in Li NY….huge population

  • http://rmbo47.myopenid.com/ rmbo47

    RIM never set out to “win” the consumer market. Just participate. Apple won’t “win” it either, nor will Android. But it’s plenty huge enough for everyone to succeed. 

    • http://twitter.com/homescrub homescrub

      if you think those markets won’t win it, you’re fucking blind.

      you’re the guy who believed in the rapture.  please stop posting.

      • http://twitter.com/mugugaibu The Mengler

        Your desire for the market to be “won” is pretty foolish.  If one device actually wins the market, that means that all other device manufacturers have close shop and moved on to something else leaving a single device in the market.  If this were to happen, there would be no incentive for that manufacturer to innovate or do anything more for that device.  By having multiple devices in the industry adding features and ‘one upping’ each other you get the innovation that we have today.

        Each device has things it does well, and things it could do better.  iPhone has a slick interface, tight knit apps and lots of them.  Android is highly customizable and has lots of free stuff available for it.  BlackBerry communicates better than any other device out there, be it BES, BIS, BBM or even phone reception.  I can’t speak for WP7 as I haven’t had a chance to work with it yet.

        There is no point in hating the platforms you don’t use because in their way they help make the platform you do use better.

        Looking at history, RIM was on top.  Then Apple took the lead and now Google has it.  Who is to say that Apple won’t come out with something cool and take it back.  Or RIM.  Or Nokia.

  • elmorro

    Rim is not “IN” anymore. Oh well. Still gonna use their products, still like their products. Don’t care about the ‘subculture’ attachted to ‘platforms’.

  • http://twitter.com/westex74 westex74

    Three biggest lies Blackberry owners tell every day:

    1. You must be using it wrong. Mine never crashes and I never have to pull the battery.
    2. Don’t worry, they have a master plan. No really. Laziridis told me at Blackberry World.
    3. I type 6% faster on the BB keyboard. No, not 5%, I said 6%. Exactly.

  • Anonymous

    RIM did not adapt to what many people want in a smartphone now a days. They want Apps. Email & Calendar is something important too. Email & Calendar is something RIM can do perfectly. However…people want more now. That is just the way it goes. For some reason, RIM sat back while Apple and Android kept on adding apps. I am not a developer of apps, but for some reason more of them were attracted to making apps for apple and and android rather than for RIM.  Oh well….survival of the fittest. The Droid Army defeats RIM, now Apple is next. With Apple releasing one phone a year, it shouldn’t be a problem. DROID DOES!

  • Reverserchemistry

    Fuck all the FUN. if i want FUN i would play my PS3, XBOX 360, WII or my Ipod Touch.

    If i want to communicate, i would use my blackberry.BBM, Email Text. LOVE IT! the battery is phenomenal. its the best.

    i believe that you dong really need a lot of apps. i have lots of apps on my iphone but i dont use them too much.

    • Yoyo

      I can email and text on my Droid as well and unlike you i don’t need to be tied down to a subpar messenger that’s tied to ONLY BB which barely anyone i know has anyway, nah i use the normal text messaging system its alot easier and better. Oh and as for apps i got about 30 apps i use dailly :D

  • Anonymous

    I have sold thousands BlackBerrys for the four major carriers since 2002. They continue to be a standard issue device in the business world. Despite RIM’s best efforts to sell to consumers, it is not a device they prefer. RIM should continue to focus on the business professional and not waste resources on a consumer market that perfers Android and iOS.  

  • http://iaudiophile.net os10

    it certainly doesn’t help that most BB plans are +$10 more than equivalent non-BB plans, since you have to pay for “Blackberry Internet Service”. i’m on Android now but my 3 previous phones were Berries and i don’t miss them at all, too limited.

  • RICO

    RIM if you’re listening:  Please add or fix the following:

    -Major CODEC compatability (I’d like to see an app that adds codecs too if possible like K-lite)-Bridge Doesn’t detect media files stored in my phone. It’d be nice if they added the ability to transfer/copy files back and forth as well.-Can’t see/send sms/mms messages-Needs Swype-Universal Search like OS6/7-Turn-by-Turn voice guided GPS (I’d even be willing to pay for an App that can save the maps and updates on the PB as well)-Blackberry App world needs a back button in the MY WORLD in order to go back to the original page you were last at.-Spell Checker & add to Dictionary option like my phone.-File managing for my apps and bookmarks. Be able to rename my bookmarks and arrange them in folders like Windows)- That “Dot” in Android that easily helps you fix mispelled or change words.-Native BBM App- USB hosting to connect external devices like printers, Digital cameras and external Hard drives.-Camera Zoom when using the video cameraCamera needs to shoot pictures quicker- feels sluggish to take pics-Yahoo Messenger, Skype and OoVoO- what good is the front facing cam if you can’t put it to good use!
    On a different note- Here’s a few accessories/Apps I’d like to see:-A Dock that has full size USB, HDMI and possibly SDHC in addition to the microUSB. That way you can acutally have better use for it than the rapid charging one they currently sell.-a dock that lets you connect multiple devices to the PB via wifi/bluetooth such as a printer, camera, or hard drive.-Car dock for GPS-bluetooth Keyboard/mouse- An App to remember my passwords so I don’t have reenter them every time into the websites/apps login-A Torrent App-Music Downloading App like MP3 Music Download for Android-App to save to the Playbook-App that stream videos online-Netflix App

  • http://twitter.com/homescrub homescrub

    I left Blackberry in 2009, and I am never going back.  As a business owner, my current device, HTC Inspire 4G, does everything a Blackberry does.

    Nothing is perfect for the business world, only the person carrying a device that works for them is perfect.  Blackberry has yet to impress in building faster, stronger phones that can do what iOS and Android phones can do, which is innovate and continue pushing the envelope on usability.

    Sorry WP7, you guys are in the same boat as RIM is.

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