The last few months must have been pretty agonizing for Research in Motion Ltd. But pretty soon, that ordeal will be over and its new BB10 devices will hit store shelves.
And when they do in February, RIM will no doubt suffer a different sort of anxiety as it prays for a positive market response. BB10 is probably going to make or break the company, and everything is riding on the success of the platform.
But I have to say, while consumer behaviour is hard to predict (yes, even with advanced analytics), one thing RIM can probably count on is selling their devices to the type of mobile user who simply must have the newest, coolest device. Sure, that moment may be fleeting, but when the first models are delivered, RIM's new phones will have the full attention of that audience. Mobile addicts and their money are soon parted.
Ryan Ares at
Stafflink writes about why he'll be one of the early adopters. Simply put, he's a serial mobile user who owns nine different devices. And how could his collection be complete without including one of the most unique and anticipated phones out there? He gives us a bunch of reasons why he's going to retire his iPhone next year, among them the sense of duty he feels as a Canadian to buy a RIM product.
I don't think RIM needs to rely on Canadians' patriotism to buy their products. They'll do just fine by relying on our compulsive shopping habits.