Why BlackBerry rules the South African smartphone market

[rpm]

Why BlackBerry rules SA smartphone market

Product Director for Africa at RIM explains why BlackBerry dominates the South African smartphone market

[sand_man]

No surprises there.

The cost of 3G bandwidth in SA is prohibitive. Offer similar deals on Android and iPhone devices and the Blackberries will suffer as they do abroad.

Re the sales figures, I've been waiting for an iPhone 4s through Melrose Arch Cellular City for over a month now. How can the sales figures be a fair and accurate representation of sales when delivery of the iPhone has been so ridiculously poor??

[Ecco]

Captain Obvious!

[Quey_Quick]

its simple. Its the cost of data. finish and klaar.

[Niren_M]

BlackBerry continues to dominate the South African smartphone market because of the devices’ great features, affordable Internet access, BBM and network efficiency

Bollocks, the only attraction is the affordable Internet access - nothing else is worth mentioning.

[Spyk3r]

I have an android device and a bb device. Both serve their purposes. But the BIS network in sa is k@k to say the least. I load similar pages on my S2 in half the time of the more 'efficient' blackberry browser...

Bbm is cool, but whatsapp is essentially the same, unlimited browsing is okay, if you're patient enough, but the phone and its software is pathetic...

Bottom line, take away the R59 unlimited browsing, and blackberry will not last a year.

[realtrevor]

Are data charges also high in the UK, because BlackBerry smartphones are also popular there than Android and iOS?

[h0ll0w]

Free social messaging, thats ne up on mxit and you are no longer called a pedobear.

[slave]

Two weeks ago I moved from BB to Android and what a huge difference. When I look at all I can do on Android vs BB I feel as though I've been living in the dark ages for these past few years (forced by company policy ) Yes it's a given that data will cost more but for the phenomenal options and all-round better browsing performance I personally am happy to pay. I know that not everybody is prepared to pay the extra. I think the biggest motivating factor for young ones/parents is the fixed cost scenario. Heaven forbid that some of these families decide to move to MTNs wonderful new BIS equivalent package I can just picture the headlines...exhorbitant prices...heart attacks...suicide...FUP...I thought 75MB=500MB??

[Sodan]

BlackBerry continues to dominate the South African smartphone market because of the devices’ great features, affordable Internet access, BBM and network efficiency. This is according to Rui Brites, Product Director for Africa at Research In Motion (RIM).

That part in bold, that's it. The other points mentioned are also available in every other country RIM has a presence, but it's only in SA that the flat-rated internet access is considered "affordable" when compared to the other options. Or is Mr Brites implying that RIM in other countries don't have "great features" (for their devices), "BBM and network efficiency"?

Another regurgitation by mBB...

[hungrybeaver]

Are data charges also high in the UK, because BlackBerry smartphones are also popular there than Android and iOS?

Nope.

For £26pm you can get a Galaxy S2, unlimited texts, 200 any-network minutes and 750mb data all included. 750mb data.

[surfs-up]

@RPM I agree with some of what you say, however sincerely disagree on two major points.

Network efficiency ? Are you kidding ? BB is as slow as a mule -and it is getting slower with each passing month. It is fine for BBM, but for anything else it is simply unusable. I would rather pay, and get decent speeds with other networks than suffer the frustrations

Blackberry devices are well engineered ? I think they are plastic crap, using poor materials, poor engineering, poor R and D.

Just my opinions - yes I was a BB user, I bought the top of the line Bold at the time, and gave it to my GF after 3 months, never again...

[Kkkurupt]

I agree that blackberry dominates, but does RIM know that the throttles of speed as vodacom currently do, would dent the profits that RIM is doing?

My BB 9300 perform the same as BB 8250 on the vodacom network. The 3G difference does not serve any purpose.

Thanks Vodacom for making decisions for us, that clearly shows that there is nothing fair nor transparent about your service

[Jola]

Nope.

For £26pm you can get a Galaxy S2, unlimited texts, 200 any-network minutes and 750mb data all included. 750mb data.

That's still expensive.

On giffgaff (runs on O2) you can get 250 minutes, unlimited texts and uncapped data for £10pm (no phone).


http://giffgaff.com/goodybags

[BeVonk!]