BlackBerry Accessories

 

The Indian smartphone market is still in its nascent stage with more people showing interest in possessing one of them. However the reasons behind not so good sales figures for smartphones including iPhone and BlackBerry range from government intervention to the company’s actions.

In the case of iPhone which sold well in the grey market the blame falls squarely on Apple which let go of the highly lucrative Indian market which I feel abounds with people ready to splurge on anything fancy making it a status symbol overnight. A strong opinion is that the iPhone was priced very high compared to most other countries. But in India price is never a deterrent, what with takers for the Nokia N96 which is priced higher. Apple did not try to explain why the phone was expensive in India where subsidizing handsets does not exist. Its partner companies did not market the iPhone well enough to make it a ‘must have’ kind of product. Interested people were enthused by off-shore reports of iPhone selling like crazy there, what it can do etc. and they devised ways to possess one, many buying from Europe and unlocking it in India, where anything is possible.

Actually I received 3 orders from friends who were serious about buying an iPhone during my recent visit to Dubai (but it was more expensive there than in India). This only shows that interest exists but suitable channels don’t. I hope Steve Jobs & company will take note of this!    With RIM’s BlackBerry the story is different with government intervention regarding encryption levels. There arose a scene of uncertainty regarding BlackBerry phones’ usage in case things went rotten with the government. This may be one of the reasons for the poor show of BlackBerry sales in India, so I feel.

Some good news for smartphones. “Did your company give you a BlackBerry phone? If yes then it is a good company.” Executives sport a fat pocket with a BlackBerry or iPhone peeping from inside. It has caught the fancy of most people who enjoy showing off that they can see and send email from their pockets. Many buy it for the sake of owning one as the spending power of Indians is only increasing. Many may not use it beyond email. Nokia will continue to hold sway over the Indian market as their entry strategy was well planned and they landed with models catering to every class, section and society in India helping them gain 70 percent share of the mobile market in India. The Indian mobile market will climb steadily with many opting for mobile phones for low  end and higher end models instead of landline phones. Nokia will have to fight it out with other entrants all of whom want a slice of the big Indian mobile market pie. If the economy stabilizes as promised by the Indian Prime Minister and Finance Minister by next year then there is no stopping anyone, including myself, from buying an iPhone which I look forward to purchasing in January 2009.

"Sorry, Mr. President. Please surrender your BlackBerry."  

According to NYT the President is going to have to say good-bye to his BlackBerry come January and thats not going to be an easy thing to do. Its all for national and presidential security of course but Im sure that he must be thinking how am I actually going to do it when D-Day comes?

Check out the full article here. The only other US President to give up a BlackBerry was George W. Bush but BlackBerrys have come a long way in the last 8 years and giving up one is much much harder than it looks. WARNING: Dont try to do this at home! You might injure yourself. 

Image: NYT 

Its November and the year is coming to an end. (And what a year its been!)  Research in Motion stock is down again - I heard on CNBC this morning. Their showpiece, the BlackBerry Bold 9000, is already out on AT&T but for a hefty price of $299 (which includes a rebate of $100 and requires a 2 yr contract). Price that versus the iPhone 3G that is at $199 and its a no-brainer for most of us who are going to be cost-conscious for the rest of this year and well into early 2009.  The BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip phone is also out without much fanfare. I personally think this wasnt the right time for them to introduce a flip phone - 5 years ago it might have really hit it big time but that era has passed.  So, really the outlook for RIM is stormy and I use that word because it just so happens that I think RIMs best chance for a turn-around in this economy is going to be with the new BlackBerry Storm 9530 touch screen device coming out this month on the Verizon Wireless network.  If the Storm can be a hit, with a price tag of under $200, which is in line to compete well with the G1 and the iPhone, then RIM can start to breathe a sigh of relief. However, we really wont know for sure until the phone actually hits the market and until the holiday shopping season is over.  For now, I think the folks over at BlackBerry are standing around with baited-breath hoping and praying that they have done the right thing by introducing their first touch screen device. The key is going to be getting a new base of customers (mostly non-enterprise) to look at their device - "the iPhone crowd," if you will, and also to convince their existing loyal base to try out a touch screen phone.

The iPhone takeover is still gaining strength now with a new report from JD Power and Associates. JD Power and Associates, a really important and big boss business, ranked the iPhone highest in customer satisfaction for business wireless smartphone users.  Apple set out to build a smartphone for consumers that hopefully business users would eventually adopt and it worked! Apple beats RIM again. Blackberry has something more to worry about. If being outsold wasnt enough, iPhone overtaking Blackberry territory will do it. IPhone scored 778 out of a scale of 1000. Blackberry came in second, scoring only 703. This survey is significant due to two reasons, JD Power has a good reputation for reliable research and this survey mainly concentrated on business users. This study is based on responses from 1,388 business wireless customers who currently own a smartphone device. The study was conducted between August and September 2008. Source:Gizmodo

Internet Retailer The BlackBerry Partners Fund LP, a $150 million venture capital fund formed to focus on applications and services for the BlackBerry and other mobile platforms, has signaled m-commerce is an industry to watch—and is putting its money where its mouth is. With thousands of applications from which to choose, the fund decided on an initial three, including mobile shopping mall Digby Inc. The fund has granted Digby $5.5 million in Series B Preferred Stock with the BlackBerry Partners Fund and existing BlackBerry shareholders. “Around the world, people are becoming increasingly reliant on mobile devices in every facet of their lives, whether for business or personal use,” says Kevin Talbot, co-managing partner of the fund. “To capitalize on this unprecedented market opportunity, the fund is helping entrepreneurs drive innovation and develop cutting-edge mobile applications and services with a compelling user experience. Our goal is to be the primary destination for entrepreneurs that are building behavior-changing smartphone applications and that are determined to be the architects of the mobile ecosystem of the future.” Digby hosts shops for various retailers, including FTD Flowers, Godiva Chocolatier, Vermont Teddy Bear and Capalbo’s Giftbaskets. It also builds m-commerce sites and downloadable mobile applications for retailers. “We’re thrilled to be working with the BlackBerry Partners Fund to advance our business to the next level,” says Dave Sikora, founder and CEO of Digby. “Their knowledge of the mobile market and experience with building successful companies will play a critical role as we expand our marketing and sales activities.” The fund, started in May, also invested in buzzd, a location-sensitive city guide and social network for mobile devices, and WorldMate, a mobile travel company targeting frequent flyers and road warriors.

So voting season may be over, but this is one that they should definitely take to the polls! It seems that as per some very informative leaked documents from RIM, the company might be pondering the usefulness of a pre-paid BlackBerry service in USA, as they have done overseas. BGR reported on this yesterday and heres one of the slides to give you an idea of how much of a market pre-paid really is...   Pre-paid has a negative connotation in the US but in Europe and Asia, where freedom from carriers and contracts is important, it can be a good thing. American carriers can also benefit from pre-paid and remove some of their customer liabilities. Finally, in todays flexible work & social environments pre-paid can be a very good thing. Plus it helps users stay within budgets, which is important in times such as our current economic woes. Last but not least, it will help get a device into many, many more hands and for RIM BlackBerry that can definitely seem fetching at a time when many smartphones are trying to make a name for themselves in the wireless space.  One more plus for the customer! The devices can be sold at retail stores other than wireless carriers. This can be more convenient and really open up for some good-ol fashioned competition. Right now if you want a phone from carrier xx then thats really the only place to get it unless you buy unlocked.

 

John McCain is falling behind Barack Obama, democratic presidential nominee, in more than just the polls. It seems that he not only doesnt own a BlackBerry (GASP!) or any other smartphone but he has to get his wife, Cindy, to help him access the web. Can this really be true? 

Senator McCain, dont fret! Its not over yet. Theres still time to turn the election around and learn how to use a BlackBerry. Give us a call at Fommy and we will set you up with a great BlackBerry, iPhone, or any other smartphone that strikes your fancy and well show you how to use it too!!   source: MercuryNews, images from candidates websites

The Blackberry Bold went on sale this past Sunday. The price for the Bold is $300 with a two year contract. So lets compare it to the other popular phones out there. The iPhone 3G is running at $199 and the G1 at $179, both with a two year contract. Sounds to me like the Bold is just a bit over the affordability line. In todays economy $200 is pushing it. I mean, you still have the plan and activation fees to worry about. Even though, the Bold is an impressive smartphone, with and awesome screen, and overall style, I just dont think that many people will choose to pay $300 for it when they can get an iPhone for a hundred less. I think they should have lowered the Bold price a bit at most to $250, since it is the latest Blackberry out, and the price just looks more affordable. Blackberry is supposed to hit AT&T stores November 4th, maybe they will present it at a lower price? Lets hope so, because right now the Blackberry Bold is roughly about $100 too much. Now, if the Bold was available at the same price or in between the above mentioned phones, this would truly be a battle of the fittest.

The holidays are just around the corner and Im curious to know which mobile phones will be in high demand this season. Ive compiled a list of the top 5 handsets I think will be popular on this years wish lists. Lets see if your fave made my list. On the number one spot, of course, is HTCs G1 anyone who has played with this sweet phone is sure to be craving some android action this Christmas. Not to mention, the rumored white version of the G1. Next on the popular list has to be the almighty iPhone 3G, I think it is an awesome phone and Im sure a lot of people agree with me on this, even though, the G1 currently has the spotlight. Third on my list is the Blackberry Storm. Although this device isnt out yet it is expected to be out sometime in November, and its Blackberrys first touch screen, need I say more? The Blackberry Bold comes in a t my #4. This baby packs a vivid screen with awesome features like a leather-type backing, perfect for people with a sense of stylish business. Last but certainly not least, is the HTC Touch Pro, a nicely styled phone with an interface to die for. Basically Im basing my top 5 on the most talked about and latest phones that are within most of ours reach. So these are my top 5 picks this season and consider it part of my Christmas wish list too.

Avian Research LLC carried out a monthly retail store survey which polled 100 service representatives at different retail stores to see what devices were most popular out of the four major carriers in the US. I can only remind you that this is mainly a popularity and not a sales poll. Also, when you narrow it down to the four major carriers in the US, only one of them carries the iPhone (which actually makes the iphones #2 spot impressive). RIM came in at #1, which Avian thinks that it did, because of a promotional sale on the Curve at Sprint Nextel stores for the month of September. Most of the top 10 were also smartphones and LG also surprised us with the most handsets on the list. Check out the full list here and see what the fuss is all about. source:rcrwireless