RIM CEO Jim Balsillie revealed today that RIM’s BlackBerry App World has about 20 million registered users who download approximately 1 million apps daily. Apple’s iTunes App Store, in contrast, sees anywhere from 10 to 20 million app downloads every single day.
Compounding things for RIM is that BlackBerry App World only has 5,000 or so available applications whereas iTunes and Android house 185,000 and 38,000 apps respectively. It also doesn’t help that a large number of BlackBerry users are business oriented folks with little to no interest in downloading games or kooky utility apps. RIM’s firmly attached their wagon to email functionality, and though they’ve tried to branch out with the touchscreen Storm models, those efforts to compete with the iPhone have fallen remarkably short.
Still, RIM’s share of the smartphone market in the US still hovers a few points shy of 50%, but with the iPhone and Android handsets steadily picking up steam, RIM desperately needs a smartphone that appeals to the mainstream consumer. Emailing capabilities can only take you so far before its time to hitch your wagon to a different horse.
via WSJ (subscription required)
Tue, Apr 27, 2010
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