While BlackBerry is narrowly holding on to the No. 2 spot in global smartphone sales, it has Android and iPhone breathing down its neck as more and more new smartphone customers flock to those two platforms.
But what about BlackBerry’s large installed base? Are BlackBerry users sticking with the smartphone giant or looking to jump to one of the newer platforms? That’s the topic of the latest TechRepublic poll.
BlackBerry 6 is RIM’s answer to the touchscreen momentum of iPhone and Android devices, and the BlackBerry Torch 9800 (right) is the first smartphone powered by BlackBerry 6 to hit the market. It features a revamped multitouch interface that represents an important step forward.
Is it enough to keep BlackBerry users in the fold? Many of them won’t have a choice because their IT departments will stick with BlackBerry — especially the devices like the Curve, which IT department can get in large quantities for free or next-to-nothing from wireless carriers if they sign big contracts.
However, more corporate environments are beginning to experiment with iPhone deployments, or are at least giving their users a choice of devices. And, beyond that, more users are starting to simply choose their own smartphones and connect them to the corporate network.
We’d like to hear from BlackBerry users on their smartphone plans for the near future.
