In a previous post I discussed the obsessive fanboyism of iPhone and Android users.
Despite how annoying the fanboys are, they are good for business. These users are fiercely loyal to their brand, and when it comes time to buy another device most are likely to stick with their preferred operating system.
A recent Nielsen survey confirms this. It found 71 percent of current Android users plan to get another Google-powered device come upgrade time, while 89 percent of iPhone owners plan the same. However, only 42 percent of BlackBerry owners want another model.
That is a huge problem for Research in Motion. The BlackBerry needs some defining features that set it apart from the competition. The iPhone has the best music player and zillions of apps. Android has excellent Google integration and plenty of options.
The BlackBerry has…a great keyboard. The OS in its current form is dated and still best suited to the corporate users who once made it a status symbol. An overhaul is underway with OS 6 with a needed focus on a vastly improved browser and its messaging strengths.
RIM knows there is an issue; several San Francisco BART stations are plastered with BlackBerry ads. At Union Square I discovered a large promotional tent featuring BlackBerry phones and an emcee leading volunteers in wacky games to win a Bold. Much of the promotional material included the BlackBerry’s best feature: BlackBerry Messenger. It is an always-on instant messaging service that could make text messaging obsolete if enough of your friends are fellow BlackBerry users.
The problem is they probably aren’t. RIM needs a bold new approach that focuses on its new browser and instant messaging options. Another me-too app-centric phone just won’t win any converts.
The battle is far from lost. Smartphones are currently less than one-fourth of the mobile market, but Nielsen predicts they will grow rapidly to half by the end of 2011. BlackBerry isn’t gone; but they have work to do.
Update: Looks like this is already underway as RIM announced the BlackBerry Torch today.