Sprint Says RIM Will Never Be The Same Again
RIM may not get back to the levels it was at two years ago, says Sprint.
A spokesperson for Sprint recently spoke with journalists about the company's overall roadmap and where RIM's upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices will fit in. He said that the wireless carrier is definitely "excited" about the new BlackBerry products, but will have to take a wait-and-see approach before fully committing itself to the new lineup.
But the big news is the spokesperson's comment about RIM itself, saying that the BlackBerry company likely will not go back to the level it was at two years ago. As previously stated, BlackBerry 10 will be a "make it or break it" platform for RIM as it struggles to compete with Apple's iPhone, Google's Android platform and Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 8.
"I would not count RIM out," spokesperson David Owen said. "RIM keeps reinventing itself. BlackBerry 10, as we've looked at it, has some really good characteristics. We're excited to see what it can do."
But he points out that unlike Google, RIM approached the mobile market on all fronts, from software to hardware. Right now even RIM itself is trying to determine if it wants to take that route again, or invite device manufacturers into the mix so that the BlackBerry brand can thoroughly saturate the mobile market.
"They took on the entire gambit: the storefront, the operating system, the manufacturing, and this caused them to be slow in reacting to the changes in the market," he said. "We don't think we will see RIM get back to the levels they were two years ago. So we have to figure out where they'll be going forward [in Sprint's product roadmap]."
As reported last week, at one point RIM considered using Android before moving forward with the development of BlackBerry 10. But right now RIM is in an interesting position: does it continue to be Apple-like and produce its own hardware and software package, or license out its operating system? RIM doesn't have the economy of scale to really compete with manufacturers that can produce 60 smartphones a year. And taking on Apple can be risky in a legal sense as Samsung has figured out.
"There’s different options we could do that we’re currently investigating," RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said last week. "You could think about us building a reference system, and then basically licensing that reference design, have others build the hardware around it – either it’s a BlackBerry or it’s something else being built on the BlackBerry platform. We’re investigating this and it’s way too early to get into any details."
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Maybe Sprint is right. Maybe we'll see the birth of a new RIM by the end of the year. After all, RIM keeps reinventing itself, as the Sprint spokesperson stated.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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aftcomet I'm counting them out. The company has been so much fail in recent history that it's impossible to imagine them surviving. Their only hope in my opinion is to switch to Android.Reply
WP8, iOS, and Android is way too hot to handle. If they didn't have BBM, they'd already be roadkill.
Sad but true. It's their fault. Number one rule in the tech business (actually nowadays in any industry), you gotta be not one, but two steps ahead of the curve, and RIM fell back big time.
Good luck. -
festerovic I would hate for the company to go, but RIM's product(s) are behind the times and with the exception of a few models, are very lacking compared to Android/apple. I think they have survived off their name for some time now...Reply -
Pinhedd aftcometI'm counting them out. The company has been so much fail in recent history that it's impossible to imagine them surviving. Their only hope in my opinion is to switch to Android.WP8, iOS, and Android is way too hot to handle. If they didn't have BBM, they'd already be roadkill.Sad but true. It's their fault. Number one rule in the tech business (actually nowadays in any industry), you gotta be not one, but two steps ahead of the curve, and RIM fell back big time. Good luck.Reply
I recall another company which was near bankruptcy in the late 1990s. They made a few bad business decisions and were faced with overwhelming pressure from the giant that dominated their industry. Needless to say they're still around today -
It's been two years since they announced BBX/BB10? They purchased QNX and couldn't get it to gel. It has just stagnated since. It is sad to see.Reply
They need to put something out with BB10 something they can work the bugs out on. They really should have released it on the Playbook, it really wasn't functional, and add functions from there with a work in progress. Get people excited with that and work from there. -
phatboe Too all the doubters I say wait and see, just as the exec in the article suggests. You never know what RIM may have in store with BB10 and until they release new products I would hold off on any conclusions. BB knows that this is their last chance, if they fail this time the company very well may go out of business. BB knows what it is up against, now it is time for them to fight or die trying.Reply -
nugenttw Only because the "Giant that dominated their industry" bailed them out with massive cash infusions. They also made their money back with a product that was completely different than their previous offerings. Apple computers sucked, so they sold the crap out of mp3 players. Then they sold the crap out of phones.Reply -
glasssplinter This coming from Sprint which is circling the drain themselves...irony at its best.Reply -
colson79 As a user with corporate BB I would be happy to see RIM go away. Their current phones suck and if they were gone my company would be forced to find something else.Reply