News circled the Internet yesterday as Nokia introduced its latest smart phone, early buzz around the new device was that it was going to be the “iPhone killer”, the Nokia N97. While Nokia’a footprint isn’t that large in Canada when you consider the number of mobile phone subscribers the competition is certainly becoming fierce. The launch of the iPhone on the Rogers network hasn’t helped the Waterloo-based RIM’s market share and it currently sits around $37 per share which is a considerable slump compared to just a few months ago when it was around $100. The Blackberry Storm was recently launched and company executives remain optimistic that sales of it and its cousin’s the Bold and Pearl/ Pearl Flip will help to keep sales “steady” into the forth quarter.
You can’t talk about the Internet without mentioning Google, and even they are making a play in the mobile space with the launch of their new Android platform, while there has not been a specific date as to when devices supporting the platform will be made available in Canada you can’t help but wonder what impact it will have on market share.
Personally I find there to be too many new devices being released in such a short time that it makes it virtually impossible, or at least extremely expensive to always have the “latest and greatest.”
As we move into 2009, the mobile device war will only heat up, especially as additional wireless providers start to offer alternatives to Bell, Rogers and Telus. It will be interesting to see how RIM counters the competition not just in the business to business space (which they have a very strong front print), but can they also grow the number of devices being used by consumers.
