Sluggish sales and India deal
Some analysts believe the slow take-up could be due to RIM's reliance on business users and current BlackBerry users waiting for Blackberry 6 to come to their present phones, instead of forking out for the Torch.
The revamped os is expected to be rolled out in the coming months in a bid to bring better apps and smartphone features such as social networking streams and multimedia offerings that rival Android and Apple's, to BlackBerry phones.
However, some commentators have argued BlackBerry 6 still falls short when compared to its rivals and RIM should consider adding an Android-based phone to its handset arsenal in a bid to attract new customers and stay relevant. RIM has recently lost ground in the smartphone market, especially in North America where people are snapping up high-spec alternative phones.
According to eWeek, the Torch ‘lacks the features users really want' and does not present itself like a next generation device, such as the iPhone 4. In terms of apps, the Torch reportedly misses the mark, losing out to Apple's 240,000-strong App Store and Google's Android Market.
The website believes by using Android's os in a BlackBerry phone, there might finally be a smartphone that can challenge the iPhone, while RIM could cash in on the world's fastest growing operating system.
In related news, RIM has bowed to pressure from India for access to BlackBerrys' encrypted messages and will give the country access to its messenger service from 1 September, prompting the biggest fall in the company's stock for a month, Business Week reported.
Agencies in India will be granted access to messenger services on an ad-hoc basis, while RIM will hand over individual phone numbers following a government request. The company is expected to provide an automated system to speed up the tracking of smartphone messages by November, anonymous Indian official told the paper.
The Canadian smartphone manufacturer is reportedly working on a way to give India access to corporate emails too. The security furore coupled with a declining share of the smartphone market has seen RIM's stock value plunge by one quarter this year.
In the short-term, the deal with India has averted the threatened ban that was due to start on 31 August, but the company still faces demands from other nations said to be worried Blackberry's encrypted messaging service could be used by militants.
