It now appears that the conclusions and predictions in my blog
article entitled “OUR Records Voice Decline for the Fourth
Quarter of 2010 - Postpaid, Data Services and Fixed Line Mobile and Landline
Saturday Night Fever for Telecom Providers” based
on the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) report comparing the Fourth
Quarters of 2009AD and 2010AD now have some basis in our current timeline.
This as
it now appears that the popularity of Blackberry’s are waning as Jamaicans opt
to go for smartphones as stated in the article “Jamaican loyalty to BlackBerry wanes”,
published Sunday May 20, 2012 by Steven Jackson, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.
This trend is now showing itself among Jamaican consumers who are opting
for a smartphone as their second mobile device as well as Google Trend Data.
Jamaican smartphone usage now stands at 50% of the market since January 2012AD
when compared to Blackberry’s.
This based on Tags attached to emails, SMS messages and search requests
sent by these smartphones i.e. “Sent by Google Android” often seen at the end
of smartphone email messages.
The results from Google Trends are summarized as thus:
2.
Samsung accounts for 25% of these
smartphone in Jamaica overtaking Nokia in 2011AD
In effect, a follow-on of the US and global trend as noted in my
blog articles entitled “Nokia + Microsoft vs HP Web OS -
Gartner's Ocean's Eleven Plan to Rob the Casino” and “Apple + Android beat
Nokia + RIM Globally - Regina Beaver's La Dolce Vita”.
Traditionally, Blackberry’s are prized for their email and Blackberry
Messenger service based on their unique PIN Code, which is used to route
messages to any Blackberry around the word via RIM (Research in Motions)
Blackberry Server Network. With two main Servers on in Canada and the other in
London and Domino Servers hosted in various Telecom Provider Networks around
the world, they are effectively a Data Service MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network
Operator).
For Jamaicans, the Blackberry has the advantage of cheaper replacement
parts, higher quality hardware and more importantly a fall in the price of
Blackberrys now as cheap as JA$15,000 due to Americans chucking them away and
upgrading their two (2) years Contracts to smartphones as stated in my Geezam Blog article
entitled “Android
smartphones may be king in 2015AD, but RIM Blackberry quality shines”.
To date, the Blackberry in Jamaica has been reduced to a phone many
males give to females as a gift in exchange for sexual favours as well as a
clever means of keeping track of females. With smartphones more for the male
intellectual crowd such as college students mimicking our counterparts in the
US of A as stated in my Geezam
blog article entitled “StudyBlue reveals Smartphones, Tablets make you smarter –
The Big Bang Theory on Google”.
However, Blackberry has been struggling of late in the Global market
ever since the apple iPhone came into existence. The smartphone boom of 2010AD
marked the beginning of the end of Blackberry as stated in my
blog article entitled “The 4G Revolution and
the Summer of 2010”!
At that time, it appeared that Blackberry was
destined to be dethroned, based on the early numbers at that time as
prognosticated in my
blog article entitled “Blackberry - Is the Writing now on the
Wall for RIM?” and “Blackberry Bashing -
The Phone I hate so much that I would give it away for Free”. Not
even the Blackberry Torch 9800 could help stop the slide in popularity of
Blackberry among Americans.
By the end of 2010AD, statistics from research strategy firm Strategy
Analytics indicated a rush on Google Android powered smartphones and Apple
iPhones and a snub to Blackberry’s latest offerings as stated in my blog
article entitled “Blackberry Torch 9088 and RIM - Its
clobbering time”.
Not even the hype over Blackberry coming Tablet towards the Fourth
Quarter of 2010AD, aptly codenamed the Blackpad as stated in my
blog article entitled
“RIM and the BlackPad -
to Infinity and Beyond” and “RIM and the BlackPad - RIM's Black Pad
and Steve Jobs the American Ninja” could
make RIM cool again. This as the final Product that launched in the First
Quarter of 2011AD as noted in my Geezam Blog entitled
“RIM’s PlayBook needs
to become a Real Tablet” was half baked.
RIM ended up having to recall one thousand (1000) of them on May 13th
2011AD due to a glitch in the new QNX OS that was
running on the RIM Playbook as recorded in the article “RIM recalling up to 1,000 PlayBook Tablets, published MAY 16, 2011 6:03 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News - Digital Media.
Blackberry’s had been banned in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as
authorities in the secular sate feared that its strong encryption made it too
easy for terrorists to organize themselves as stated in my blog
article entitled “BlackBerry and India - Shiva the
Destroyer”. An irony, as this is Blackberry’s main strength.
RIM’s Earnings Call on Wall Street in the First Quarter of 2011AD
indicated increased profits but lower than expected with Blackberry sales down
in the US of A and a 11% tumble in the value of RIM shares projected for the
remaining Quarters in 2011 as faithfully mused in in my blog article
entitled “RIM
decline and Android Ascendancy - No Country for Old Men”.
It only got worse in 2011AD, as Blackberrys usage by hooligans was
implicated in the organizing of the London Riots on Saturday
August 6th 2011AD as faithfully recorded in my
blog article entitled “Social Networking and
England Riots - We didn't start the Fire, it was always burning”.
Meanwhile sales throught 2011AD in the US of A and worldwide got worse
for Blackberrys with the launch of the Apple iPhone 4 on Telecom Provider
Verizon’s Network as stated in my blog
article entitled “Apple iOS 4 vs Google Android -
BlackBerry Shot the Sheriff”.
Blackberries being ditched left, right and center as people snapped
Apple iPhone 4 as chronicled in my blog article
entitled “Verizon
and the Apple iPhone 4 - The Golden Fleece”.
Towards the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD, Blackberry yet again decided to
ramp up their offerings with some news phones as listed in full colour pictures
in my
blog article entitled
“RIM Blackberry steps
up to 1.2GHz and Faster Browser - QNX and Qualcomm Voyage of the Dawn Treader”.
Low-end smartphones, but a positive development nonetheless, making me start
rooting for Blackberry under the quiet once more.
The trend towards Mobile Music driven by services such as Amazon Cloud
Drive, Spotify, Google Music and Apple’s iCloud service as stated in my blog
article entitled “Apple iCloud and WWDC - Iron Eagle to be
Top Gun in the Dangerzone”. That got RIM’s attention
and interest in Mobile Streaming with BBM Music at US$5.00 per month being the
result as stated in my blog
article entitled “BBM Music Service coming for US$5
monthly – The Sound of Music attracts Millennials”.
This has largely been the trend coming into 2012AD. Meanwhile Jamaica
has largely remained Blackberry Country. However, the presence of CLARO Jamaica
and their introduction of 3G Mobile Internet showcased to Jamaicans the idea of
Mobile Internet on their phones and the Apple iPhone 3G, then exclusively on
CLARO’s Network.
CLARO has since departed from the market, but the Apple iPhone contracts
went to Telecom Provider LIME, with the Apple iPhone 4 launched in grand style
on Tuesday June 14th 2011AD as given the full Press Release in my
blog article entitled “LIME and the Apple
iPhone 4 - The Young and the Restless Gone in Sixty Seconds”.
LIME Customer loved it so much that they launched the apple iPhone 4S on
January 13th 2012AD again as given the full Press Release in my
blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S to
debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the
Best of Both Worlds”.
These events acted as a spur for Jamaican uptake for smartphones. It was
also an early indication that Jamaicans were indeed interested in smartphones,
once the marketing and price were right, albeit price seems to have very little
to do with the sudden surge in interest in smartphones.
According to LIME Regional Head of Corporate Communications,
KalandoWilmoth, quote: “It is important to note that smart phone users choose a
device based on lifestyle demands. But a unifying feature of this group is the
need to always be online and connected. So, the price of the iPhone is a key
driver of the demand.
Along with a monthly plan, customers can walk out of a LIME store with
an iPhone for a little as J$5,199 plus GCT. Other well-known features include
the many apps and the personal assistant, Siri, the picture quality, and other
multimedia content.”
Truth be told, most people are unable to afford LIME Apple iPhone 4S
offering, but they like the idea of a phone with full blown Web Surfing, Apps
and Voice command. Not to mention there has been an increase in spare parts,
repair series for smartphones as well as improved hardware associated with
name-brand companies such as Samsung and Apple as stated in in my
blog article entitled “Apple iPhone and
Hardware Quality - The Count of Monte Cristo Hard Knock Life”.
For those missing Blackberry Messenger, there is an alternative in apps
such as WhatApp as well as built in option in Apple iPhone such as Apple
iMessage as explained in in my
blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S and
Apple iMessage - Timeline for Standardization of Instant Messaging”. So
many opt to have friends and family ship it down from abroad as they are
cheaper and you are not paying for your foreign relative’s benevolence.
As for the Data Service, these smartphones come with Wi-Fi, a benefit
mainly to low-cost Municipal Wi-Fi Networks such as Dekal Wireless as noted
in my Geezam
blog article entitled “LIME’s 4G Experience Centers challenge
the Rise of Dekal Wireless Dragon”.
However, this is driving fear into the hearts of the Big Telecom
Providers as stated in in my
blog article entitled “LIME's 4G Experience
Centers&Digicel's JA$8.99 One Rate Plan - Telecom Providers fear Municipal
Wi-Fi SkyFall from Broadcasters DSO”.
Albeit there may be a smartphone boom, very little of it benefitting
cash-strapped Telecom Providers, who often opt to piggy-back on Open Wi-Fi
Networks in New Kingston and use Municipal Wi-Fi Networks in Clarendon and
across the island Town Centers.
Thus there may be some truth to the article “Jamaican loyalty to BlackBerry wanes”,
published Sunday May 20, 2012 by Steven Jackson, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner as it
would explain the increasing trend towards smartphones, but the apparent
decline in Data Service Usage due to the Telecom Provider Data Plans being
overpriced.
It also explains why LIME has decided to drop its Data Rates come May 1st
2012AD and roll out a Gimme 5 Clone in the form of LIME XL Value Promotion as
stated in my
blog article entitled “LIME launches XL Value
Campaign and slashes 3G Mobile Prepaid Data come May 1 - Shadows of the Old
Republic as LIME does Baby Cham's Wine”.
All this comes at a time when Telecoms in Jamaica is getting exciting
again. First there is the Cross Network Calling Rates is set to drop as stated
in the article “Call rates to drop”, published Wednesday May 2, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner .
Add to that the looming legal battle between Telecom Provider Digicel and the
FTC (Fair Trading Commission) over their swap with America Movil that landed
them the Telecom Provider CLARO and its spectrum as explained in my
blog article entitled “FTC wins right to
pursue legal action against the Digicel-America Movil swap - Game of Thrones as
Mobile Data Candyshop beckons”.
Stay tuned as this unprecedented development unfolds in Jamaica as we at
Last fall in Love with smartphones.
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