RIM once again ships 7.8m BlackBerries as new iPhone looms

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Research in Motion put pressure on Apple Thursday with word that about 7.8 million BlackBerries had shipped during its latest fiscal quarter, again setting a new record -- and dismissing the likelihood of new and cheaper iPhones as immediate threats.



The tally for its first quarter of fiscal 2010 is a sharp 44 percent jump from what the Canadian company sold just one year earlier and matches the all-time record for smartphone shipments set just before, in the winter quarter.



Since almost all BlackBerry devices are attached to subscriptions to push e-mail, RIM can also roughly say how many of its customers are new to the platform: just about half of these, at 3.8 million, were first-time subscribers. A small portion use prepaid services instead or else use their own non-push e-mail accounts.



The handset designer's finances were decidedly more mixed. Its net income shot up more than 33 percent year-over-year to $643 million, but its revenue actually dropped very slightly compared to spring 2008, at $3.42 billion. Part of this stems from a lower gross margin -- it built in 43.6 percent of headroom on prices versus 50.7 percent last year -- but is also blamed on a stronger Canadian dollar.



Like Apple, RIM doesn't break down its shipments by individual model and so wouldn't say how much its only touchscreen phone, the BlackBerry Storm, was adding to existing sales. Most of its phone additions during the March-to-May period were from lower-cost or mid-range phones like the more frugal BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230, which shipped for Verizon, and AT&T's edition of the BlackBerry Curve 8900.



The future and the impact on the iPhone



For its next quarter, RIM forecasts that it should add as many or more new BlackBerry subscribers as it did now, at between 3.8 million and 4.1 million, and a total of between 8.1 million to 8.7 million. The company in its financial conference call said it would almost certainly sell more during the second half of the year, when back-to-school, back-to-work and holiday sales would all come into play.



Most of its hopes in the short term are pinned on the summer release of the BlackBerry Tour, a "world phone" without a touchscreen that provides 3G on CDMA phone networks in the US and Canada as well as 3G for GSM carriers in Europe.



The predictions potentially spell continued second-place status for Apple. The iPhone maker shipped about 3.8 million iPhones in its last quarter; even with the surge of demand likely to take place with the combination of the iPhone 3G S and a $99 iPhone 3G, analysts expect Apple to ship 5 million iPhones during its quarter ending this month. Apple has already warned that its iPhone 3G S launch is staggered over the course of multiple weeks and begins with just eight countries on Friday where 21 countries had first access to the iPhone 3G in 2008.



And unlike Palm, RIM feels it can shrug off competition from Apple, particularly in the realm of price cuts. During its conference call Thursday evening, the company noted that sub-$100 smartphones were nothing new: the BlackBerry Curve, Pearl and Pearl Flip have all been available for $99 or less and, in some cases, for free. Executives didn't want to rule out Apple as a factor in the long term but admitted it was "kinda early to really tell" what if any impact a $99 iPhone would have. It has, however, found time to disparage the iPhone 3G and argues that the hardware is a rehash.



"iPhone 3G is a year-old product," the company says.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 77
    kreshkresh Posts: 379member
    It never ends. The same tired old thinking just never dies. Rim does not have to lose for Apple to win. Both can succeed fantastically.
  • Reply 2 of 77
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Does the reported quarter still include the giveaways?



    McD
  • Reply 3 of 77
    RIM SELLS 3.6 m, gives away 3.6m.
  • Reply 4 of 77
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
    And why on earth should RiM stop shipping as soon as new iPhone looms??

    It's corporate world. People from there don't care much about what phone's gonna please young fashionable ladies tomorrow.
  • Reply 5 of 77
    macnycmacnyc Posts: 342member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post




    "iPhone 3G is a year-old product," the company says.



    Someone should tell RIM that it's all about the software...
  • Reply 6 of 77
    macnycmacnyc Posts: 342member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01 View Post


    And why on earth should RiM stop shipping as soon as new iPhone looms??

    It's corporate world. People from there don't care much about what phone's gonna please young fashionable ladies tomorrow.



    i don't know about you but I know way more guys with iPhones than women.
  • Reply 7 of 77
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SuperMacGuy View Post


    RIM SELLS 3.6 m, gives away 3.6m.



    doesnt the carrier still make the purchase? and then make their money back (and then some) from the end user?
  • Reply 8 of 77
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macnyc View Post


    i don't know about you but I know way more guys with iPhones than women.



    the actual statistics are far closer than you think. last i read it was 52% to 48%. given the ease-of-use and the hip-factor of the iphone, it kind of makes sense
  • Reply 9 of 77
    res08haores08hao Posts: 114member
    rim just released a phone without wifi, something that all business users crave because they are stuck in airports and hotels so much. How innovative is that? It;s not.

    rim is strictly a physical keyboard phone and always will be. Millions of people love that so they will always be in business.



    the worst phone I ever had was a bb curve.



    if there was no iphone, blackberry would be stuck in the 90's.
  • Reply 10 of 77
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kresh View Post


    It never ends. The same tired old thinking just never dies. Rim does not have to lose for Apple to win. Both can succeed fantastically.



    Exactly.
  • Reply 11 of 77
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macnyc View Post


    i don't know about you but I know way more guys with iPhones than women.



    I'm male, and I was kidding.



    By way, "guys" (pl.) becomes increasingly more sex neutral nowadays.
  • Reply 12 of 77
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by res08hao View Post


    rim just released a phone without wifi, something that all business users crave because they are stuck in airports and hotels so much. How innovative is that? It;s not.

    rim is strictly a physical keyboard phone and always will be. Millions of people love that so they will always be in business.



    the worst phone I ever had was a bb curve.



    if there was no iphone, blackberry would be stuck in the 90's.



    1) The lack of WiFi is probably Verizon?s choice to lock in their services or perhaps a decision to appeal to more corporations. Seems like it would be an easy inclusion, but had never done WiFi on a phone before. Does the Storm 2 have WiFi?



    2) The keyboard is certain their big bonus. The corporate email in the iPhone will liekly just get better.



    3) The Curve is crap, but it?s cheap so it will continue to be popular.



    4) Part of this business surge for RiM and others does seem to be from the iPhone making smartphones more popular in general.
  • Reply 13 of 77
    ajitmdajitmd Posts: 365member
    What is holding back the iPhone is Apple restricted distribution model. In its infinite wisdom, Apple sells the iPhone in the US via ATT only. In other countries, it is also limited though more than one carrier may be involved. In the US, it did not sell to VZ and Sprint which have CDMA/EVDO tech. It is not that hard to implement this tech... actually easier than 3G UMTS which is a battery hog even for voice.



    If somebody is with VZ, Sprint and T-Mobile and wants to get the iPhone is forced to switch carriers. Besides contract impediments, there are issues like family plans, corporate plans, which increase the switching cost. If the iPhone was offered to multiple carriers, competition would drive the price of calling plans down.



    When the Phone came out, Apple should have sold via multiple carriers.. established a de facto standard for their operating system. I understand the logic why ATT was chosen... I do think it was right.
  • Reply 14 of 77
    msanttimsantti Posts: 1,377member
    Its safe to sat that Apple would lead in total sales if all 4 carriers had the iPhone.



    Of course, RIM has like 127 different models of Blackberry.



    Mike
  • Reply 15 of 77
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ivan.rnn01 View Post


    By way, "guys" (pl.) becomes increasingly more sex neutral nowadays.



    It depends on the context. For example, if you wrote, “Me and a bunch of guys are going to have an orgy.” I don’t think we’d think you were referring you and group of girls. But do what you want to do Ivan, it’s your life.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by msantti View Post


    Its safe to sat that Apple would lead in total sales if all 4 carriers had the iPhone.



    Of course, RIM has like 127 different models of Blackberry.



    Mike



    More carriers, more versions, more features, lower price, BOGO would all help sales. Unfortunately, some don’t realize that most companies have business models and actually try to make money.
  • Reply 16 of 77
    minderbinderminderbinder Posts: 1,703member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AjitMD View Post


    What is holding back the iPhone is Apple restricted distribution model. In its infinite wisdom, Apple sells the iPhone in the US via ATT only.



    Apple did it for a reason - in exchange for exclusivity, they were able to get ATT to agree to various technical and financial issues that they never had agreed to before, and probably never would have with out the exclusivity.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AjitMD View Post


    When the Phone came out, Apple should have sold via multiple carriers.



    They could have, but it likely would have meant not getting all the things they asked for (some of which are things that make iPhone stand out).



    I think Apple was probably smart to start with one carrier, but now that they are established and have the clout, I think it would benefit them to expand to other carriers as soon as they can.
  • Reply 17 of 77
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by msantti View Post


    Its safe to sat that Apple would lead in total sales if all 4 carriers had the iPhone.



    Of course, RIM has like 127 different models of Blackberry.



    Mike



    I'd buy one in a heartbeat if Verizon carried the iPhones.



    Apple would certainly sell even more if they had a flip version. Think of the Nintendo DS with 2 screens but the screens on a flip iPhone would be more seemless. Add a third screen when the phone is closed and on that same side as a camera and light for iChat video conversations. That's my ideal iPhone (communicator).
  • Reply 18 of 77
    ivan.rnn01ivan.rnn01 Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    It depends on the context. For example, if you wrote, ?Me and a bunch of guys are going to have an orgy.? I don?t think we?d think you were referring you and group of girls. But do what you want to do Ivan, it?s your life.



    Take my word for French girls do carry iPhones! They are particularly good at typing, btw.
  • Reply 19 of 77
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macnyc View Post


    i don't know about you but I know way more guys with iPhones than women.



    I know a lot of women are pissed they took them from the house.
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