What is taking so long? Expectations and Limits of BlackBerry

First off, let me be clear: there are subsets of the population that absolutely adore BlackBerry smartphones. And with good reason: they never crash or stop working, they deliver up to the second email in a clean and easy-to-read format, and they offer little extras like BlackBerry Messenger to sweeten the deal. Heck, some people even think they're cool.

But BlackBerry has never demonstrated a consumer market domination that other manufacturers need to worry about. Popular amongst teenagers, but without the design features or fan-boy fervour of the iPhone, and without the versatility of an Android handset, it looks as though RIM won't be able to make any headway any time soon.

And, RIM execs take note, this is for one simple reason:

The technology you are offering is nothing new. In fact, in some cases, it is really old!

2G or not 2G? What a silly question.

It is staggering that the first BlackBerry smartphone to have 3G connectivity is the Bold 9700. One of the more popular models, the BlackBerry Curve 8520, is still only a 2G phone. All but the most basic of phones out there today sport the snappier 3G signal.

This matters for those BlackBerry Curve owners who want to be able to browse the web as they go - they'll find the 2G connection infinitely slow! So if you are considering a BlackBerry Curve, the best option is the 3G Curve 9300 - benefit from faster internet and an update to a more modern-looking interface. Great deals are available for both the Orange Curve 9300 and the T-Mobile Curve 9300, and this mobile is available on other UK networks too. You'd have thought that this model to be available at the same time at the Bold 9700 (the first 3G Blackberry, remember?)... unfortunately it wasnt. BlackBerry fans had to wait a whole year before getting their mitts on the 3G version of the Curve. Poor show, RIM.

No Apptitude for when it comes to the best apps

When the only game that you can play on the Curve 8520 is a clunky version of "brick-breaker", you know that your app store needs a bit of work. BlackBerry phones come with a legacy of supporting essential, but resource-light business applications, meaning two things: #1 they have an unattractive price tag; and #2 there has been no driving force to increase the processing capacity on Blackberries.

And look at the outcry when mobile gaming classics like Angry Birds are not available for BlackBerry phones - petitions have been set up, but to no avail - come on RIM, sort it out! Which leads me on to a related point...

Touchscreens: science-fact, not science-fiction!

RIM's reluctance to join the Touchscreen market was ended by a dubious foray into touchscreen-only Blackberries, the Storm and the Storm 2. Possibly the least user-friendly BlackBerries in existence, the failure of these 2 models thankfully led RIM to keep their top-notch keyboard, and attempt some integrated keyboard + touchscreen phones.

The BlackBerry Torch is the only successful model thus far, although we are keeping an eye on the Bold 9900 and newer versions of the Torch due out in the coming months. What is clear is that RIM dragged their heels a little bit when it came to trialling the Touchscreen. It cannot afford to be so cautious.

Looking ahead...

The folk over at RIM are not fools. They saw what happened to Nokia, and they know how fickle the modern consumer can be. With newer models on the way, plus a promised internal reshuffle, RIM are surely hoping that they can increase their share of the smartphone market over the next couple of months. They can only hope that they haven't left it too late.

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