I was just taking a look at numbers published by mobile analytics firm, Distimo, that outlines Research in Motion’s abysmal performance when it comes to BlackBerry applications as compared to their competitors. The best way to describe the number of applications in BlackBerry App World is to call it a complete and utter embarrassment…
I would even go as far to say that if RIM doesn’t address application support and development on the BlackBerry in a big way this year, you will begin to see the BlackBerry’s gains in total market share begin to turn into losses, especially here in the United States.
I don’t think that anyone is expecting RIM, or anyone else, for that matter, to jump up and knock Apple’s App Store off their throne any time in the near future, however, RIM should be able to, and, more importantly, absolutely needs to keep pace with Google and Android. BlackBerry market share is 400% more than Androids. For every Android device sold, 5 BlackBerry devices are sold, yet, new Android applications arrive in Android Market at 6 times the clip that they appear in BlackBerry App World.
At the end of the day, developers develop where there is a market. I know that the percentage of free applications in Android Market is significantly higher than it is in BlackBerry App World… 57% as compared to 24%. This, however, doesn’t even come close to making up for the difference. When the market for BlackBerry deivces is 5 times that of Android devices yet roughly 6 times fewer applications are being developed for the BlackBerry, something is very, very wrong.
Most developers I’ve talked to say that RIMs tools for BlackBerry application development suck, and, that is putting it politely. The market is there for RIM, but, it is so hard to create applications for the BlackBerry, developers simply don’t. RIM has to address this and they need to do it sooner rather than later. Whether they do it internally, or, they buy someone as they did to address issues with the BlackBerry Browser, they need to do something quick and in a hurry…
What do you think?
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t think the tools suck. I’m not an everyday developer, but even I can use the tools to make a couple of useful things such as widgets. However, what is missing from the BlackBerry Developer ecosystem in my mind is
1) Easy templates for quick and easy deployment of cool things like screen transitions and everything else that makes an app look slick
2) Overfragmentation of the hardware. How do you develop an app that will work great on a Pearl, a Curve, a Tour, a Storm, a Bold, and a Bold2?
3) What kinds of apps make sense for BlackBerry users?
Just a thought here: maybe the Blackberry platform does not lend itself to applications in the way that larger, touch screen Apple and Android devices do? You are limited a bit by the Blackberry platform.
I guess its just easier to make up some bullshit term like “super apps” instead of solving the problem. RIM is like the old Palm. They think they have a great product and don’t feel the need to evolve. It just about killed Palm.
iPhone and Android devices have been consumer focused products where RIM has focused on business users. Of course developers are going to capture the easy sale – consumers. If there was a comparison chart of business apps for iPhone and Android the comparison would be completely flip-flopped. Yes, I agree RIM needs more apps in the consumer space but moving that needle takes time.
That whole blackberry is for business and iPhone is for consumers is a crock. The iPhone changed the game in 2007. Since then Android has come out and even palm updated to a new OS. BlackBerry should have had their application issues resolved a long time ago.
I am a business user, but, I buy my own device to use for my job. My contract is up in October. We will be getting a Android device unless BlackBerry has a device that runs the apps that I want to run. Everyone does email pretty well and BlackBerry can’t continue to bank on email to keep business users loyal.
I’m blame the CEO, Laztarded. He seems so impressed with his own product, that he doesn’t see the big picture.
I’ve owned a few Blackberries and iPhones over the years (currently now have a Tour). Even though it does email well, the hardware is just PLAIN SLOW! Let alone most apps that seem any decent are priced rather high for the functionality offered (and again SLOW). With that in mind, what can the company actually hope for? RIM seems just uninterested in keeping up with the offerings of iPhone/Android/etc.. And the argument of its a business phone is losing ground given that many people I know use their iPhone/Android phone in business realm.
I used to be so happy being a Blackberry owner. But now it feels like my phone hasn’t evolved that much since my first Pearl.. It’s too bad…
I use to believe that BB just made slow devices but that is just not the case. It is a memory issue and it is made worse by the number of crappy default apps the mobile provides shackle to the device. If your somewhat technical you need to remove the junk out of BB OS Install.
I think that RIM is at a tipping point where they will either update, not only update the OS, which is long in the tooth compared to most everyone else, but release a set of development tools that make it as “easy” for developers to develop against.
The business vs. consumer argument is an empty one at best. Consumers are buying smartphones they think are cool and asking them to be connected to corporate networks in increasing numbers. RIM needs consumers to be interested in their devices now, more than ever.
Even if the “business vs consumer” issue can be proven false, the *perception* on the part of developers is what matters. If developers perceive the iPhone and Android platforms as more consumer-friendly and more likely to get users, that’s where they’ll go.
I think development for the BlackBerry platform is a mixed-bag….
Bad: Dev tools. People bitch a lot about the tools, and for good reason, they suck. Seriously, the new version is *better*, but compared with other tools (XCode, Android plug-in for Eclipse), it’s still not nearly there. Things that must be addressed include: verifying deployment (any developer who has gotten “907 invalid COD” knows what I’m talking about), the simulator still needs massive improvement (faster startup OR consistently able to run the app after re-compile without shutting down; more solid and reliable debugging), some wizards and drag-n-drop components (there’s too much boilerplate code required to do *anything* on the device, see: persistence), and the networking classes really really really need a revamp (developers have to manually write lines and lines of code to deal with all the crazy networking approaches. Ugh).
Bad: UI development. The default “style” provided by the tooling is putrid comparatively, making it not a “sexy” platform to develop for. I spend well more than half my development time building UI components. The API desperately needs to be extended to provide standard clean-looking and well-behaving components.
Good: deployment. Deployment for the BlackBerry is really quite easy and awesome. Just put together the files and drop ‘em on a server. Done. And AppWorld is actually an easy platform to interact with. I like that BlackBerry has more than 1 distribution option. I can deploy on my own from my own server and not have to give up any profits when I do so.
-Eric
I just wish u could install the Apps on the Memory Card,..This way,..u wont face shortage of memory,….
n why is the Memory decreasing from the moment u turn it on,..n u have use a Hard Reset,..
I like the phone,..But it’s RIM i expect excellence.