Is RIM immune to Apple’s iPhone?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 04:40 PM EST
"BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is again bearing fruit," Priya Ganapati reports for TheStreet.com.
"A positive outlook from its analyst day Monday, the launch of a new consumer-targeted phone called the BlackBerry Curve and signs that the company has more products awaiting launch dates this year seem to have revived investor interest," Ganapati reports.
Ganapati reports, "There's also a realization that RIM's business could remain unaffected by the upcoming release of Apple's iPhone, whose features are likely to appeal to a different audience from RIM's, say analysts."
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft's, Nokia's, RIM's, Motorola's et al. talking point #1: "iPhone's no good for business." Well, we'll soon see what really happens, won't we?
Ganapati continues, "In the last few days, RIM has launched a new phone, a sign that the company isn't letting up on innovation."
MacDailyNews Take: That depends on how you define "innovation," Priya. Are you using Microsoft's (same as RIM's) definition or Apple's?
Ganapati continues, "On May 3, RIM released the BlackBerry 8300 Curve phone, a version that has the multimedia capabilities of the Pearl handset as well as a full keyboard."
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft's, obviously. Microsoft's, Nokia's, RIM's, Motorola's et al. talking point #2: "iPhone doesn't have a keyboard." Good luck with that one, guys.
Ganapati continues, "When Apple announced news of its iPhone in January, many investors believed that it would eat into the market share of cell phone makers Nokia, Motorola and RIM. iPhone, which offers a touch screen instead of a keyboard and combines iPod features with those of a phone, is expected to launch toward the end of June."
Ganapati reports, "Some analysts believe that it could take up to two years to sort out any kinks in the iPhone and for wide consumer adoption of the device. Also, the iPhone's multimedia features are likely to appeal more to consumers rather than to business users."
MacDailyNews Take: Two years to sort out kinks? Puleeze. Who paid for this article? And, again, Ganapati blithely (ignorantly?) reprints Microsoft's, Nokia's, RIM's, Motorola's et al. talking point #1. (Priya, you forgot to repeat #3: "iPhone's too expensive.")
Ganapati continues, "And that could mean that companies such as Motorola and Nokia, which have a greater stake in the consumer market, will feel the effects more than RIM, whose customers are largely businesses."
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Listen, they don't call it "CrackBerry" for nothing. RIM will hold on longer than most, with that much we agree. RIM has an established market and they make what seems like a fine product until you hold it next to an iPhone. But, the whole "iPhone's not for business, iPhone's just for consumers" line is just garbage thrown out by a group of companies that have been badly shown up by Apple.
Plastic keyboards with buttons festooned all over the device whether they're involved in the device's use at the moment or not? Two-faced candy bar pieces of junk? User Interfaces designed by colorblind dyslexics with ADD? Microsoft, Nokia, RIM, Motorola et al. have nothing else to offer against iPhone, but FUD.
These things happen when an entire industry has been instantly outclassed and shown to be 5-10 years behind the times, as Apple did to the mobile device biz with their iPhone unveiling. The fact is that business people will decide which device they want to carry and their businesses will adapt to it. Just as businesspeople and businesses did with "Microsoft-incompatible" Research In Motion's Blackberry. Apple's iPhone will be a success with business users.
Priya Ganapati should do a better job separating fact from fiction in her reports.

Let's judge products when they are released.