1. cos 'boy genius's' opinion matters... it's because of sad media whores like him that apple have announced the iphone before passing the device through the fcc, the whole culture of getting info early is damaging to companies, especially rim; and he's the one doing it and damaging the blackberry brand, if people had some integrity they wouldn't give him the exposure he craves.

Posted at 5:48PM on Jan 10th 2007 by jfisher

2. I find it extraordinary to find people raving about iPhone as something out of the planet. Most of what the iPhone can do can already be done on Pearl like music, video, email, sms, calendar, maps, bluetooth etc. Many more can be done with 3rd party apps like rss feeds, stocks, today screen etc. So why is RIM 3 years behind with BlackBerry? Moreover BlackBerry beats Apple when it comes to a messaging device with a full standard keyboard instead of trying to type on buttons appearing on a screen. Plus in the Enterprise market iPhone isn't even close to BlackBerry with security, and more importantly manageability. I really don't understand why iPhone is 3 years ahead of RIM.

Posted at 6:59PM on Jan 10th 2007 by Eshwar

3. This is all marketing hype at this point. The iPhone is months from being released and although it does look very cool as an iPod replacement, but not a BlackBerry killer.

BG is an idiot. He's thinking solely in the consumer space which is not where RIM or the wireless carriers make all the money on BlackBerry.

Apple will never make tons of money form enterprise customers with the iPhone.

Enterprises have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on BlackBerry Infrastructure to SECURELY mobilize their executives and work force. I don't see that changing anytime soon so that folks can have a multimedia experience, even in marketing companies.

It is true that the iPhone will probably sell more units in the consumer space than RIM will but there is absolutely no way any enterprise IT shop would allow the the iPhone to connect to their messenging infrastructure. I'm not even sure most enterprises will allow the iPhone to sync conatacts and calendar over the wire none the less over the air.

Would I replace my Video iPod with an iPhone? Definately.

Would I replace my BlackBerry with an iPhone? No way in hell!

Do I really want both my iPod and my BlackBerry to be in the same piece of equipment? No, for several reasons.

1) Some times my kids and my wife use my iPod. I couldn't do that if the functionality was in the same device. I can't miss a call or "level 1" e-mail because my daughter doesn'r want to pause "The Tigger Movie".
2) Nothing like enjoy 8 hours of my music on an international flight on my iPod. When I land, typically the next morning at my destination, I pack up my iPod and begin to use my BlackBerry for a full day of phone calls and e-mail. I just can't take the chance of running out of battery nor could I explain it to my boss that I was un available becuase I was kicking back listening to tunes while I crossed the big pond.
3) My company replaces my BlackBerry about every 12 months or so. We buy so many BlackBerries that we pay next to nothing for them and with a one year contract it is easy to justify replacing them anually as the warranty expires and new technology is released. If I'm going to pay $500 (no way my company would) for an iPhone I'm going to want to get at least 2 years out of it if not 3.

I'l probably get a iPhone, I'm a gadget guy but in no way will it replacemay BalckBerry.

Posted at 12:12AM on Jan 11th 2007 by CAM

4. Your missing the whole point I was making in the interview, and it was crystal clear. I was speaking about the consumer market. That very consumer market is what RIM is now trying to get a hold of, thats where they lost three years. I also stated god help us if Apple made a corporate-aimed device which one of the few comments made about the business users. Re-read the interview before your so quick to jump to conclusions.

Posted at 1:43AM on Jan 11th 2007 by Boy Genius

5. What a joke! RIM's sucess is based largely on corporations running secure wireless e-mail through an enterprise class infrastructure. With no equivalent back end product plus a handset that costs 2-5 times what you pay for a Blackberry, the iPhone is doomed to be the pretty plaything of Apple jihadist's and other annoying elitists. No wi-fi, no 3g, no VoIP - This thing isn't the next iPod, it's the next Lisa (look it up).

Posted at 1:52AM on Jan 11th 2007 by Matt

6. rather than lose three years i'd say the industry just gained five years. things are going to advance much more quickly because of the competition. it's good for everyone and will drive innovation.

Posted at 2:34AM on Jan 11th 2007 by jfisher

7. The Pearl isn't even best-of-breed of current smartphones. If Blackberry doesn't want to get set back then maybe they should produce better devices. The Dash and the Blackjack are far better devices.

Comparing the iPhone to the Pearl is also a joke. They are similar in that they are closed platform (as if that were a virtue) but the iPhone is larger with vastly superior multimedia capability, better web browsing, and much worse communications and PDA functions. The Pearl is better for commumications but the Dash/Blackjack are much better still with their superior keyboards, displays, and extensible software. A Dash or Blackjack is the same size as the iPhone as well and can do everything the iPhone can do except 320x480 display.

There is really nothing innovative about the iPhone at all. It's simply a great iPod with mediocre comm and PIM functions. It's an adequate phone for non-demanding users and it has a real iPod connector, headphone jack, and iTunes integration. When Apple opens the device to 3rd party software, adds 3G, a memory slot, GPS, and sells it unlocked then it will be compelling.

Posted at 10:28AM on Jan 11th 2007 by craig

8. I definitely agree with you, the three years thing was really half kidding, half disappointment. I mean, three years it took to make the pearl? Thats what my feelings were based on not sure if it came out like that since Steve editing the interview, and then it took Apple two and a half years to do this? Look at the difference...RIM isn't going anywhere, but in the consumer market they don't stand a chance sticking with the same OS and current product offerings. Lets see how they handle this.

Posted at 10:36AM on Jan 11th 2007 by Boy Genuis

9. Did you guys even read the article or are you just basing your comments on the clip from the previous page. The BG is always informed and while him saying 3 years is certainly his opinion, you really think the pearl is a better consumer based device than the specs the iphone is showing. power users would never, i agree i am one of them but to the crowd that doesn't depend on instant e-mail and ask why bb's dont have cameras and all that, will certainly lean towards the iphone rather than the pearl, imo... BG is right there as usual...

Posted at 10:53AM on Jan 11th 2007 by Junior1790

10. Russell, you're really having trouble with this whole iPhone thing, aren't you? There's quite a bit of FUD being spouted here.

One thing that's true right up front: RIM's enterprise marketshare is not at risk. The iPhone clearly is not an enterprise-enabled device.

That having been said, RIM has been trying to break into the consumer marketshare more and more. Why? Because of those approximately 1 billion handsets, the vast, vast majority of them are consumer handsets.

Now, it's the case that the iPhone, both in design and features, makes every single one of RIM's current handsets - including the Pearl - look antiquated. Be perfectly honest with yourself; it's okay for one company to leapfrog another, really. The iPhone does multimedia and phone capabilities in a way that no other handset currently does.

Boy Genius, who (by the way) prior to making these comments was beloved on this website for his BlackBerry leaks (you bunch of Benedict Arnolds) is speaking about the consumer market. And in this market, he is 100% correct: RIM, as well as Palm and the various WinMo makers, are seriously screwed. They have got to completely and totally change the way they build handsets starting NOW if they want to compete.

It's not being fanboyish for either company. I own a 7130e, but I'll happily junk it for an iPhone. Push e-mail from the company BES is sweet, but IMAP is lovely too. Many, many high-end handset consumers will make the same decision. RIM loses one to Apple here. If they're smart and innovate well, they'll come back with a compelling alternative. But for probably 12 months at least, get used to RIM being a far-back second best.

Posted at 11:10AM on Jan 11th 2007 by Christian Bell

11. I think we're all misssing the point here. Apple's product screen says "Introducing iPhone. Apple reinvents the phone." Now correct me if I'm wrong but what is so revolutionary about Thin? WiFi? Music? Internet? PIM? Email? Touch Screen? EDGE? Bluetooth? Camera? The only thing different about this device is the Mac OS and 4/8Mb of built-in storage. C'mon folks, it's 2007 and they come out with a phone that uses EDGE? Also, it's still not a smartphone which is what we love about our devices. There will be no third party applications for this device. There will be no application installs period.

Now, where's my Crimson??? (hopefully waiting for 3G)

Posted at 11:45AM on Jan 11th 2007 by Chris

12. Chris, and others....like you, I am a very loyal BB user (8700g) that is waiting for the 8800. That said, you need to open your eyes a bit. Check out David Pogue's New York Times article for starters. He went into it with huge reservations, and came out with a different opinion. The phone IS the combination of what you stated, but its brilliance comes in the form factor of the slimmest of iPods. You cannot make a statement that no one wants an iPod, can you? It owns the market.

This phone is revolutionary in that it syncs easily with iTunes (Mac & PC) and all you have to do is plug it in! You get your Calendar, Contacts, Bookmarks, Visual Voicemail, and on and on. Widgets ARE 3rd party apps and there are thousands of them from developers all over the world. I am a Windows and a Mac user and let me state that OSX is far more stable and brilliant to use...period.

All this said, we will all have to wait and see what the final product works like. I would expects some serious software kinks, but what phone does not have them...blackberries included, when they are first released.

Posted at 12:50PM on Jan 11th 2007 by RS

13. Kill Blackberry? Yeah right
1) Camera is a no no for real corporate users sorry
2) Cant use one hand like any BB to check emails/sms? Stupid, look at ppl using a Dash or BlackJack simply grabbing the phone with both hands to check simple things.
3) No enterprise integration? That eliminates like 90% of BB market.
4) If there was corporate integration, can you selectively disable features (voice/sms/mms/wap) simply from an administrative application? Nope, sorry
5) Will it survive a standard 3ft drop test? From the looks of it, you have to treat it as fragile as an iPod. It wouldnt survive one week from a heavy user traveling.
6) Will Corporate IT shell out extra $200 for the ability to have 8GB of storage so the employees can listen to their favorite music they illegally downloaded? Nope, sorry.

Blackberry killer? Does that even exist even after this thing was revealed? Show me an iPod killer first.

Posted at 12:58PM on Jan 11th 2007 by Anh Lai

14. I've been in the market for a new cellphone. I have a S-E S710a right now that does a pretty good job, but have been holding out for something with easier integration to my contacts and calendar, better UI, good web browsing/email receiving, and it wouldn't hurt to put some tunes on it.

Choices: BB Pearl/Nokia N95 or N75/S-E P990, W950i, or M600i/Moto Q/Samsung Blackjack...

... then this iPhone comes out. At first, I wasn't that impressed, until I actually took the time to peep the Keynote. It's a wrap. It may have a few weaknesses, but it looks like it has way too many strengths to be ignored! Scary thing is that this is their 1st attempt in the cellphone market.

RIM is going to have to go back to the drawing board to penetrate the consumer market, imo.

Posted at 1:26PM on Jan 11th 2007 by Jay

15. Christian Bell, fwiw - i've been vocal about the downside to the whole culture of getting info early and leaking details on here before, bg and what he represents has never been beloved by me. my comments aren't some reactionary rant following the iphone news.

Posted at 3:15PM on Jan 11th 2007 by jfisher

16. Maybe the real issue is who the intended target user is, and what that type of user expects. For the consumer market, marketing and branding is everything, and no one can say Apple has not re-developed itself into a serious "life style" brand along the line of Nike, Gap, etc. People, lots of people, will go out and pay $600 for an iPhone simply because it's from Apple. The fact it does this, and not that, is not important to them - and Apple knows it. That's why the iPhone is missing so many things the rest of us think are important.

Will the iPhone's technology totally change the smart phone world? - no! With the iPod, Apple got to lead the way, creating a market where basically none existed before. Different story for the iPhone, there's too much water under the cell phone bridge now for Apple to make more than a ripple with the iPhone. Will we see a world filled with button-less iphone knock-offs? Nope, because as cool as that idea/ technology is, it's not what our fingers like to use. and that's very important - otherwise every PC/ notebook build would have a dead flat non-responsive 'keyslate'. So, take away the funky input technology and what do you have? Nothing special - A Big white rectangle with rounded corners, much along the lines of a LifeDrive, or Palm - other devices which were going to, and maybe did for a short time, 'change the world'...

Except for the Pearl, RIM has never attempted any lifestype branding, and has been, correctly, put its effort into developing itself into a leader in the business market. It's a good play, there may be more consumers but they are fickle, and businesses are not. RIM gets to lock a customer in for years, while Apple and the rest in the consumer market are required to reinvent thier products every few months to suit whatever the latest, soon to be forgotten/ outdated, fad is.

Apple is all about delivering technology as fashion, I'm not sure it's fair to compare the iPhone to RIM's 'for business' offering.

Posted at 3:52PM on Jan 11th 2007 by ian

17. I must agree with some of the remarks. The iPhone is not a Blackberry killer in the enterprise market. Rather, it is likely to do well in the consumer market. Would I swop my blackberry for an iPhone .... prob not.

Posted at 4:11PM on Jan 11th 2007 by Tim

18. Media whores like yourself as you scour websites for info on new devices, once it hits the fcc its public info anyways and they let out all the details. Thats why companies release product info before fcc so they can show there own product as iphone no doubt is going for fcc approval right away. Boy Genius is great and has some good info on stuff for the people who want to know about it, why flame him he ain't hurtin anybody apple didn't change iphone because of him and rim is not hurtin either i believe there stock hit around 160.00 cdn today, hmmmm poor rim.

Posted at 6:30PM on Jan 11th 2007 by Geoff

19. I find it extraordinary people are comparing a product not yet for sale to a product been on sale for how long now? Most of what the iPhone and Pearl can do music, video, email, sms, calendar, maps, bluetooth can be done by ten tons of other phones. Its also equally ludicrous to compare typing with a full standard keyboard (which by the way is not full lest it is from your desktop computer) to something you have not even tried yet. I have no idea how the iPhone will feel and as a result chose not to comment on it for fear of looking like a doofus.
Security and manageability? I suppose you were an early tester of the iPhone and got to test out this rev 1 version of the phone and know all the apps that are available for it?

Posted at 6:40PM on Jan 11th 2007 by Sith

20. You who call the iPhone DOA or Dead in a few months are the same jokers who called the iPod DOA when it originally debuted at the price it did. You were wrong then and are wrong now. The writing is on the wall from the reviews. It will sell and sell very well.

Posted at 6:40PM on Jan 11th 2007 by System