Comments on: Apple Takes It On the Chin: BlackBerry Curve Surpasses iPhone in Popularity

By: Apple Takes It On the Chin: BlackBerry Curve Surpasses iPhone in Popularity :Robby MacBeath

Tue, 05 May 2009 14:50:27 +0000

[...] Apple Takes It On the Chin: BlackBerry Curve Surpasses iPhone in Popularity. Tags: Blackberry, [...]

By: fish

fish — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:54:44 +0000

it’s hard to stay at #1 when everyone already has your product…

By: Howie Isaacks

Howie Isaacks — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:29:44 +0000

A lot of buy one, get one free promotions have been ran for the BlackBerry. How many of those have been run for the iPhone? The BlackBerry isn’t so great if you have to give it away. People love free things, so they will snatch them up. I don’t think this is very impressive considering that the iPhone is sold by only one carrier in the U.S.. If the iPhone can take second place while being sold by only one carrier, that’s a lot more impressive than the BlackBerry being sold by multiple carriers with freebie promotions.

By: Eideard

Eideard — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:23:04 +0000

Lower prices? Har.

In my neck of the prairie, Blackberry is “Buy one, get one free!”

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:51:26 +0000

#2 or not, Apple’s iPhone has a lot going for it. But what everyone has to remember is that it’s still the new kid on the block compared to RIM’s long history with BlackBerry even with a 1 Billion apps downloaded.

While I am a happy BlackBerry owner (on my 3rd one now), I’d really like the option of switching to an iPhone given the myriad of applications for it (no question – way more than BB.) The major problem for me (and I’m sure a number of other users) is the lack of clean and secure Exchange integration. Even with the add-on Exchange software component, it won’t be allowed on my companies corporate network anytime soon.

How RIM and BES differ to the iPhone solutions is that it basically solves the security issue is with a periodic “push” of data from inside the IT network to the BB servers rather than opening a hole in the firewall to get at the data directly from the phone.

If Apple could come up with a similar solution that was acceptable for corporate users who rely on Exchange, I’m sure you’d see more people switch over. Given I rely primarily use my phone for business and second for personal use, I don’t see myself switching anytime soon either.

Corporate use is definitely where RIM definitely trumps Apple.

By: Josey

Josey — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:55:55 +0000

I figure some people are waiting to see what comes out this June before buying an iPhone. Seems like Apple is becoming victim to it’s own hype machine and schedule… that’s probably why they dropped out of Macworld for next year.

On a side note, I don’t really see the point of being #1 all the time… only one person can be #1 at a time… and it puts a target on your back… What I’m getting at is #1 isn’t always sustainable and not always worth it. Make a solid product that brings in profits. Who care’s about #1?

By: Chuender

Chuender — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:15:06 +0000

Quick correction – HTC is a Taiwanese manufacturer

By: HereAndNow

HereAndNow — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:09:18 +0000

I personally don’t have a need for a QWERTY keyboard but, for those that do, it is tough to beat a Blackberry. And from what I read in comments everywhere, it appears that once you are accustomed to a QWERTY keyboard, it is tough to go without.

Regardless of what the ongoing statistics are, there are some GREAT smartphone options on the market these days and it is only getting better.

By: Infophiliac

Infophiliac — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:04:03 +0000

Being #2 is only good if you used to be #3. There is no way around that.

If Apple’s decision to limit themselves to AT&T is limiting their ability to sell their product, that isn’t a good excuse; it’s a possible indictment of part of their business model.

If RIM ran a BOGO promotion, that means that offering discounts helps sell their product, not that Apple should be excused.

Obviously, Apple has a different objective in mind, to some extent, than merely selling the most units possible, but if we’re going to judge them by market share, which seemed to be the sole objective of this post, then there is nothing here to celebrate for them.

By: dave

dave — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:53:02 +0000

Well, I would take this announcement with a big grain of sand… Didn’t RIM run a “if you buy one, we’ll give you another one” promotion during this period?