Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) got the ingredients right this time. The Z10 can be said to be the best phone from the Canadian phone-maker, and several analysts are of the opinion that it has a great change against the iPhone. While iPhone 5 continues to be the most popular smartphone on the planet, some consumers are actually not very happy with the iPhone 5. The Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) device still has a decade-old user interface, though there have been small tweaks related to icons and backgrounds. On the other hand, there’s the latest Z10, which has some very innovative features like distinguishing work and fun home screens. In terms of handset quality, the Z10 leads. While the iPhone 5 sports a four-inch display with a 640 x 1136 resolution, the Z10 offers its users a 4.2-inch screen with a 768 x 1280 resolution. Even the pixels-per-inch are higher in the Z10, at 355 compared to 326 on the iPhone 5. These are few things that might attract a lot of prospective buyers.
Even Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) should feel threatened by the increasing demand of the BB10 platform. Previously, Nokia faltered because of the Symbian OS and then decided to go with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Windows Phone OS. Now, if the company’s choice of OS turns out to be wrong again, the Finnish phone maker is sure to be doomed. Android stands for fun and affordability, iOS stands for elegance, and BB stands for work (and now fun, too). But, it’s not clear what WP8 stands for, and this is where Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) can outsmart Nokia. If Research In Motion is able to position itself as a phone-maker for the business class, as well as the young, socially-inclined population, it will surely give Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) a run for its market share.
All these factors, when bunched together, clearly point to strong growth potential still in Research In Motion. Moreover, Research In Motion is in the midst of refreshing its product line and soon there will be many more BB10 devices at different price levels, and this is surely going to provide a great boost to the company’s growth.
The complementary
Though BlackBerry 7 has become old and, some may also consider, stale, it still hasn’t stopped feeding the phone-maker. Not everyone can afford an iPhone, Galaxy Note II, S IV, or even a Z10 for that matter. So, what to do with that segment of the market? The obvious answer is to offer something that’s second in line, the BB7 in this case.
In fact, this strategy is not at all new and is already being followed by Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK). The Finnish phone-maker’s partnership with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) may have resulted in the existence of Lumia devices, but Nokia hasn’t abandoned its Asha series of almost-smartphones. Nokia very well knows the purchasing capabilities of developing economies, and thus Asha series continues to be a strong growth strategy for the gradually recovering giant. Again, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be catering to the high-priced smartphone market segment with its iPhone 5, but it’s also using its iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S to cater to several other geographic areas and other user-categories who will find it easier to buy these slightly older models.
Another factor that will keep Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) from falling is its top-notch security features. To date, Research In Motion holds the ace position when it comes to mobile security and this, surely, isn’t going to change over night. Apple Inc. may have a very attractive platform, and Android may have its charms, but none of the two can match Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s security sophistication. In fact, Apple and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) are attempting to get access of the BBES10 for their customers. This possible partnership could act as another steady revenue source for the Canadian phone-maker.
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) is also working relentlessly to add new and exciting apps, as well as get the already-popular apps onto its newest platform. At the recently held Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the company pitched that Research In Motion devices aren’t just business devices anymore (though they used to be considered such at some point in time) and Research In Motion users are as active on social forums as iPhone and Android users. The company claims that porting games and apps to BB10 is simple and cheap, thanks to cross-platform gaming tools provided by Research In Motion-owned Scoreloop.
