There were previously some major concerns floating around regarding allegedly delayed launch dates of RIM’s BlackBerry 10 devices, including the touchscreen and the QWERTY versions. According to research firm, Detwiler Fenton, the latest BlackBerry 10 devices aren’t expected to release before March while the QWERTY version isn’t expected to hit the market until June, although this data has been deemed as inaccurate according to a credible source.
RIM’s plans are to unveil its devices at the end of January, followed by a launch of these devices within four to six weeks’ time, suggesting an expected launch date of early-mid March. An official statement by RIM has confirmed this, and added that the touchscreen models will be the first devices to be available to consumers while physical QWERTY devices will be launched ‘shortly after’. This has, however, left the release dates of the QWERTY versions determinedly vague although BlackBerry enthusiasts may not have to endure too long a wait before these versions are made available as well.
RIM seems to have made a conscious effort of releasing both versions and, more importantly, in that specifically chosen order of release. The US consumer market has displayed a major inclination towards touchscreen devices, favouring iPhones and Android devices over QWERTY smartphones, and RIM seems to be targeting this very audience first. RIM, which has suffered some major setbacks to tech giants like Apple and Google, may need to match up to the benchmarks set by their competition if they want to have an edge in the smartphone market and the transition to touch-screen setups is a step in the right direction.
However, a full departure from physical keyboards would also be detrimental to its business base since the BlackBerry brand is recognized for its QWERTY keyboards and RIM could stand to alienate its loyal customer base with such a move. Faithful Blackberry loyalist have expressed skepticism with the new touch-centric interface, especially considering the poor track record and general reception of RIM’s experimentation with touchscreen user interface.
While the rising optimism surrounding RIM’s potential comeback device has helped the helped the company’s stock rebound in the past few weeks, there is a lot of cynicism about RIM’s long-term future in the market. The timing seems to suggest that RIM is expected to have weaker results in the fourth and first quarters and that the BlackBerry 10 devices will fail to make a significant impact until the end of the first quarter. However, while most speculations are still just floating uncertainties, there is the surety that the BlackBerry 10 devices will be released before June.
