The BlackBerry was once the smartphone of choice for business people the world over. However, as companies like Apple and Google entered the smartphone race, BlackBerry (previously known as RIM) struggled to keep up. This year, the company launched BlackBerry 10, a brand new operating system designed to put BlackBerry back on track. So how are things going so far?
It's a little too early to say, but some of the numbers covering the first month of BlackBerry 10 availability are disheartening. The latest Kantar WorldPanel figures for the three months ending February 2013 show that BlackBerry actually lost market share in the United Kingdom from January to February. WMPower User cites Kantar in reporting that BlackBerry actually dropped from 5.8 percent of the UK market to 5.1 percent.
Of course, it's unfair to say these results are indicative of how BlackBerry 10 will fare in the long term. Aside from the fact that these numbers cover only the first of the operating system's availability, the only BB10 phone available is the touchscreen Z10, which isn't exactly a traditional BlackBerry. The Q10 will be the first BB10 phone with a hardware keyboard and will be released in April/May, and BlackBerry has a host of other BB10 devices scheduled down the line. It'll be interesting to see where the numbers stand at the end of the year.
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