I'd like to start this article out with a bit of disclaimer that this is a rare editorial from your friendly neighborhood BlackBerry Examiner. I don't editorialize often, so be sure to print this out and frame it. I'll jump right into it.
As we get closer to the BlackBerry 10 Launch Event in NYC on January 30, press is starting to build up all across the internets. Websites that usually neglect anything and everything BlackBerry are gladly reporting how "BlackBerry 10 is RIM's last chance," et cetera. While I would love to climb atop my soap box on that statement alone, I'll refrain for the sake of my journalistic integrity.
Instead I will address another popular statement that's floating cyber space these days. Nearly every website that reports on BlackBerry 10, with the exception of sites solely devoted to BlackBerry, are asking the question, "Can BlackBerry 10 stack up against Android and Apple?"
To those of you asking this question I would like to say, Android and Apple are not the competition for BlackBerry 10. To say that is to equate your local high school as competition for the Denver Broncos for the Super Bowl. They are in two different leagues.
You'll be hard pressed to find a bigger BlackBerry fan then me; I'm a proud member of BlackBerry Elite, the exclusive VIP program set up by RIM themselves. However, I'm not delusional. I know that RIM has been in trouble for well over a year now. Once upon a time, they dominated the smart phone world. But for reasons I won't go into, they fell behind. Way behind. Way way behind. As of right now, BlackBerry is most definitely not going to compete with iPhone or Android; it's simply not a fair fight.
The aforementioned operating systems are in an epic battle of the ages to become number one and they've got a commanding lead that RIM has next to no chance in beating. As much as I would love to say that BlackBerry 10 is going to be awesome and will take the world by storm and completely destroy all the competition, I simply don't believe that is true.
Here is what I propose. Let Android and Apple battle it out this year. Android can continue to put more power into its phones than is necessary or reasonable, and Apple can continue to slightly improve their products to the elation of their ever loyal fanboys. By all means, fight to your hearts' content.
Meanwhile, RIM will fight a different battle this year; the spot of #3. Yes that sounds lame, but it's an important battle. Many people don't believe we can have three mobile platforms and that consumers will only want to choose between Android and Apple. They write off BlackBerry and Windows Mobile 8 as the wimpy schoolyard kids who want to be cool but will never accomplish it. While Android continues to over saturate the market and Apple continues lackluster improvements, BlackBerry and Windows will duke it out to prove that we can in fact have three, and possibly four smart phone choices. Needless to say, I've got my vote in the RIM corner.
What are your thoughts on the epic battle of smart phones? Drop me a comment below and let's get a dialogue going! You can also hit me up on Twitter, Tumblr, or BlackBerry Messenger (PIN: 27FF29E3!
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