“Apple has launched its new iPhone decisively into BlackBerry’s business market, by improving security, e-mail and allowing third-party software to run on its platform. But this is not a challenge Research in Motion, maker of BlackBerry, is going to take lightly. Its most consumer-friendly phone yet, the Bold, could launch next week, while a multimillion dollar marketing campaign, ‘Life on BlackBerry,’ sees it make a more determined push beyond its corporate core,” Tim Bradshaw and Rob Minto reports for The Financial Times.
MacDailyNews Take: Besides blowing multimillions of dollars on marketing, here’s what RIM will be doing in the near future:
• Pretending that antique technology wrapped in an iPhone-like exterior is innovation
• Talking up physical keyboards over touchscreen keyboards until they finally produce a device with a rudimentary touchscreen keyboard to tout
• Like every other mobile device company and non-iPhone carrier, totally ignore and never mention Multi-Touch™, especially vs. their single-touch-screen offerings
• Trying to keep their central email server online up in Canada
• Watching their market share lead erode dramatically
Bradshaw and Minto continue, “Apple has set a target of selling 10m iPhone 3G devices worldwide, which could be tough in a weakening consumer environment.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple will easily sell significantly more than a mere 10 million iPhone units in 2008. iCal us. (Note: the actual goal is 10 million iPhones – original model and iPhone 3G – sold in 2008, not “10m iPhone 3G devices” as Bradshaw and Minto incorrectly report.)
Bradshaw and Minto continue, “Richard Windsor, analyst at Nomura, said BlackBerry’s attempt to crack the consumer market has ‘not been particularly competitive… The Apple experience on their device is second to none. Rim has a lot of work to do to catch up’ in scaling up its manufacturing and distribution capability as well as design, he added.”
Bradshaw and Minto report, “Nokia’s senior vice-president of devices, Søren Petersen, has been scathing about BlackBerry’s consumer push. ‘Selling to women is about more than making it pink,’ he told the FT in June, referring to a colourful edition of the BlackBerry Pearl, its device that’s most like a regular phone. But he also dismissed the iPhone’s security and business features as ‘not worthy of discussion.'”
“Andrew Brown, analyst at Strategy Analytics, thinks Nokia has failed to capitalise. ‘Apple is in a good position to slaughter the lot of them because they’ve kept it pretty simple and accessible,'” Bradshaw and Minto report. “Steve Jobs, Apple chief executive, has claimed Apple made $30m (£15m) from 60m downloads in the first month that the iPhone was available.”
More in the full article here.
As usual, Nokia sounds bitter, defensive, and scared, as well they should be. And, RIM simply does not have the chops to compete effectively with Apple, so they will try to make their inferior hardware look like iPhones, couple it with their totally outclassed software, and hope to market their way to an ignorant, nonsustaining user base. Note to RIM et al.: Those who are unable to distinguish between a real iPhone and a pretend one are much more likely to have far less disposable income than those who can.
There is going to be some MAJOR buyers remorse when the average joe get’s home and un-boxes his blackberry to find it’s little more than a chunky RAZR with an email app…
Oh how they will look upon their friends’ iPhones with regret..
I have first gen. iPhone and love it. But I do worry that larger corporations might have some reticence in giving employees iPhones to replace a BB. The bean counters may not see past the vision of their people playing Monkey Ball and having Light Sword fights in the hall. And if the iPhone is not a secure as BB, that gives them another excuse.
@HMCIV
“I’m narcissistic like that… even though I don’t actually know what narcissistic means.”
LOL. I needed the humor. Thanks
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I find the transition from .Mac to MobileMe to be a fascinating step. Was this just a fortunate convergence for Apple, or did someone have a plan years ago that contained this seed? The AppleTV ‘hobby,’ as another example, recently took the next step in terms of functionality, solidifying its function within the Apple vision for a digital home. Given the way that Apple products tend to work together, it certainly makes one curious about Apple’s current forward plan…
I also wanted to point out that Apple *generally* responds quickly to major issues like the MobileMe problems. Apple is far from perfect, but better than many other companies. And I believe (realistically or not according to your viewpoint) that Apple is honestly trying to supply superior products while still, of course, making a healthy profit.
I also wonder greatly about the validity of comparing MobileMe to the RIM functional architecture, since MobileMe is very new. Clearly Apple could and should have done better, but I am willing to cut them a bit of slack for a new product. Does RIM offer all of the functions of MobileMe? Can anyone relate their experiences with the first few months to a year of Blackberry service in terms of functionality and reliability?
Many people are routinely highly critical of Apple, and I suppose that the intense scrutiny and high expectations are burdens that Apple has to bear. But I am frankly very tired of the negativity. Relax, take some time off and don’t get so emotionally tied up with the latest (or pending or rumored) Apple product release. It will either work well or it won’t. It will either do what you want or it won’t. And it will assuredly cost more than you would like to spend (doesn’t almost everything?). And, if you really want to make a point, vote with your dollar and not your mouth.
Road Warrior (NLI),
Thanks buddy.
I’m finally back to work after being on sick leave for eight weeks, thank goodness. I don’t have much time to blabber now, and I’m too darn tired anyway. Hold the fort R.W.
theloniousMac,
Yeah, that was one JoTs best.
“Those who are unable to distinguish between a real iPhone and a pretend one are much more likely to have far less disposable income than those who can.” MDN.
Just curious what the hell is this!!!! I cannot believe that some one would write this garbage. Or is MDN turning into an elitist only club. I suspect that MDN has some growing up to do. I have been an Apple supporter since 1991, but if RIM came out with a contender I would look at it. Since I live in Canada and will not deal with Rogers. Apple has not left me with alot of options. That does not make me poor, uneducated or (add what you will). Apple has produced something wonderful with the iPhone, but it is useless without a carrier, maybe an iPod touch.
“RIM plans iPhone lookalike-not-workalikes”
After all reports of iPhone hardware and MobileMe software issues that sounds like a compliment to RIM.
“RIM simply does not have the chops to compete effectively with Apple”
It has wider selection of their flagship device models than Apple does. It caters to different tastes yet keeping same blackberry experience.
There are things iPhone does better than BlackBerry but it wasn’t blackberry killer a year ago and it does not today.