The evolution of the BlackBerry

In 10 years, the BlackBerry has gone from a PDA to the classic business smartphone and even a consumer device.

By Andrew Williams, 27 Oct 2009 at 10:15

Networking the social networkers

Such a trumping of competent alternatives suggests that RIM might be subsidising its courting of the fledgling smartphone crowd - undoubtedly partly populated by the younger generation, even if many of them seem to have better phones than we do half the time – using funds supplied by higher-spending Bold, Storm and Curve users.

Being able to do this demonstrates that RIM has created its own not-so-little mobile internet empire, not constrained by as many outside factors as carriers’ solutions, such as the overwhelming load placed on O2’s mobile internet service by iPhones streaming all sorts of music and supposedly funny video clips across the country.

This budget-busting BlackBerry move is a savvy one. While low-cost Android devices still command a premium of around £25 a month, and are beset by numerous functionality issues, the HTC Tattoo’s resistive - and therefore relatively finger un-friendly - touchscreen being a prime example, low-end prices are only going to descend further.

Take a look at 3’s £15 a month unlimited internet and text plans if you need any more convincing.

Convergence issues

One of the key issues BlackBerry faces over the next year or so is that the unique rails it runs on are going to be ever more frequently encroached upon as mobile internet prices start getting dragged down further by the sheer number of new phones that require – demand, even – a decent data allowance to reach anywhere near their potential.

The first waves of low-cost Android devices like the T-Mobile Pulse and HTC Tattoo are just the beginning.

However, while rival manufacturers – HTC, Nokia, even Motorola, and so on – are ever-more pumping out full touchscreen devices, few have tried to jump on the BlackBerry design bandwagon with a heavily-supported device.

We can only hope that RIM won’t change tack, too. The last thing we need is another manufacturer hunting after the ‘next iPhone’. Although RIM’s Chiarello says the company is always aiming towards a “broader market base”, something tells us this probably won’t happen any time soon.