A rather interesting opinion piece was published on the Guardian today. Written by a student, it claims that the BlackBerry is the future of youth smartphones across the pond.
That surprised us a little bit, BlackBerry over Android and iOS? Rarely do you hear that perspective from anyone who is not wearing a suit. To hear it from a student was just odd. So why is BlackBerry ascendant? The author points out a fad around the phones, free messaging, a cheaper monthly plan, and lower phone costs.
In short, it has everything a younger person wants: prestige, and bang for the buck.
Think back two years and ask yourself if the ‘bargain’ question was important when you were buying your next smartphone? I doubt it. There is a high chance you were buying an iPhone, and I doubt that you were trying to count pennies when you were at the Apple store. Could it be that the iPhone is slowly losing momentum in some demographics?
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It could be that the Apple phone, now in its 4th generation, is becoming the de facto smartphone in so many markets that image conscious teens are moving away from the device to stay ahead of the curve. That and a lower price tag could spell mild trouble for the iPhone in certain areas in the coming year.
Sure, this is speculation off of one person’s view, but it has a ring of truth to it. Just how long was the iPhone to be the coolest thing on the market? In the US the Droid line has stolen a piece of its shine, and in the UK it seems that old corporate workhorse the BlackBerry is taking that role.
Apple still rolls out amazing phones every year, but they might need to start working harder at keeping their image on top. Cutting prices wouldn’t hurt either, but that is rather unlikely. The Guardian post ends with this:
Friends have started to refer to their BlackBerrys as their ‘babies’ and some even sleep with them under their pillow. I’m ashamed to admit I feel a little lost without mine which is why I’m BlackBerry through and through.
Yep, that is exactly how we all felt with our first iPhones, right?
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