3G Blackberry Waiting on 3G iPhone?
In another round of the RIM vs Apple bout for smartphone supremacy, Scenta reports that RIM may be stalling their 3G Blackberry because of the impending release of the 3G iPhone. Though Fortune suggests that it is a technical glitch that is causing the delay, some rumor mongers are assuming that RIM is holding out on releasing the 3G Blackberry dubbed the 9000..er..8900.er..”Meteor” because it’s afraid of competing head-to-head with Apple’s next iPhone.
Admittedly, this rumor could just be analysts stirring news against RIM, but it goes to show how far Apple has come in becoming a player in the cell phone market. And if there is some truth to this speculation, its another knock on RIM and the rest of the smartphone industry. Innovating has never been their strong suit, copying innovation, well that’s another issue.
April 25th, 2008 at 6:10 am
How is waiting for Apple’s dog and pony hype show to blow over “lacking innovation”?
Are you actually implying RIM is waiting to copy Apple’s 3G technology at the last minute?
April 25th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Frighteningly I agree with Surur. There is never an advantage to being second to market unless you are going to copy-and-surpass. If apple does something interesting and surprising with the 3G iphone, it would take RIM a year to copy it. (And I’m pretty sure we all know what the 3G iphone will be at this point)
They are far better off releasing first if they could.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:31 am
The iPhone does seem to hog the limelight and you can see how coverage of RIM’s new device could get lost in a tide of iPhone 3G/2.0 reporting. OTOH, if a decent proportion of those iPhone stories include some reference to an imminent new Blackberry that will compete, that could give it a fair bit of free publicity and build some buzz. Perhaps RIM have earned a little from Apple?
April 25th, 2008 at 8:53 am
marcol -
so why not introduce it FIRST, is the point. once apple hype begins, rim won’t get any press other than “oh, btw, rim has 3g too.”
April 25th, 2008 at 9:53 am
It could just be that they are not ready. Unlike what many here seem to think, with only 0.6% of the market, the handheld world does not revolve around the iPhone.
Surur
April 25th, 2008 at 10:33 am
You mean RIM wants to sell “obsolete” (TM Surur) smart phones even longer than Apple??!!
LOL! Satiric genius again!
April 25th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Wait for iPhone hype to pass (ok this may be the weak bit of my argument
) but also piggyback it was my point. Most likely it just isn’t ready though.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:34 am
For sure, but in terms of media coverage the iPhone punches way, way above its market share.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Allow Gruber to retort: