RIM needed a hit, and the data increasingly indicate that the Blackberry Torch is not that. While 150,000 units sold is nothing to sneeze at, and RIM’s overall sales are still strong, I can smell their decaying brand from here. When your next big thing is outsold by your biggest competitor by more than 10 to 1, it’s time to get serious.
I was never a fan of the Torch, and it seems that consumers don’t really see much in the way of compelling features, either. OS 6 looks… better, but they’re playing catch-up and anyone looking to buy a smartphone will recognize some of these “new” features from phones two or three years old. It probably doesn’t help that some of these phones have prominent displays adjacent to the Torch’s at AT&T stores.
Maybe the price cut (update: not a cut) will help boost sales, but such a rapid and drastic response reeks of desperation, and customers may not respond well to it.
[via Electronista]