It's been anything but smooth sailing for the good ship RIM of late.
Despite the unveiling of BBX at BlackBerry DevCon - a merger of the forthcoming BlackBerry 7 OS with the QNX-based platform currently bedding in on PlayBook - more attention has been paid to the recent internet access and BBM blackout suffered by BlackBerry users across the globe.
It's a blackout YouGov claims has damaged the brand's reputation to a hefty degree, with the number of existing BlackBerry customers who would consider picking up another handset in the future decreasing noticeably.
First one's free
Findings from SMIX - the Smartphone, Mobile Internet eXperience study branch of YouGov - indicate before the blackout, 69 percent of Blackberry were 'considering' sticking with the brand.
However, that figure has since fallen to 57 percent.
The number of consumers who 'expect' to purchase another BlackBerry handset has also fallen by 11 percentage points, down to 42 percent.
Also of note: 69 percent of those surveyed maintained Blackberry still offers a 'good' service despite recent problems, while 57 percent believed that RIM handled the situation badly.
"Whilst BlackBerry may have a loyal following, their handling of the blackout has severely undermined confidence amongst consumers and while they may be forgiving once, if it happens again the brand could find itself in serious trouble," said YouGov consultant Russell Feldman.
"The emergence and popularity of Android devices is seriously starting to challenge BlackBerry's share of the market, and with the iPhone starting to focus in on the business market, BlackBerry could soon lose out.
"One only has to look at Nokia's case study to see what happens when a company fails to invest and gets left behind the technology curve."
Add to the news the recent assessment that BlackBerry could be wiped out of the US market entirely by the end of 2012, and it's clear RIM's current situation is anything but sweet.
Data & Research
When Matt was 7 years old he didn't write to Santa like the other little boys and girls. He wrote to Mario. When the rotund plumber replied, Matt's dedication to a life of gaming was established. Like an otaku David Carradine, he wandered the planet until becoming a writer at Pocket Gamer.
Related Articles
Special Report
Jul 14th, 2022
44% of gamers would accept advertising in exchange for free services in the metaverse
Top Stories
News
May 8th, 2024
Q4 2024 was EA’s strongest for mobile, but it still only earned them $307 million
News
May 8th, 2024
Krafton teases AI-developed games as "limited" voice actors, writers, and level designers get the boot
Feature
May 7th, 2024
Mobile Mavens: The industry has its say on Squad Busters ability to draw in “untapped audiences” with its “influence from a range of genres”
Feature
May 7th, 2024
Hot Five: Supercell’s Squad Busters supremacy, Brawl Stars bounces back, and a games industry journey at King
Feature
May 7th, 2024
April 2024 mobile game charts: Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile loses launch momentum and Brawl Stars’ astronomical rise
Events
Valencia Indie Summit 2024 | Europe | May 16th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Israel Mobile Summit 2024 | Middle East | Jun 6th |
WN Conference Istanbul 2024 | Jun 11th | |
DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |
Develop: Brighton 2024 | Europe | Jul 9th |
Devcom 2024 | Europe | Aug 18th |
Gamescom Cologne 2024 | Europe | Aug 21st |