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Updated: RIM promotes BlackBerry in China, again

Dec 17th, 2009 by

bb_special_offer243x340Update – December 17, 2009: During today’s quarterly earnings call, Research in Motion unveiled a distribution deal with . RIM also announced that they shipped 10.1 million BlackBerry units in latest quarter. Color me jaded (and iPhone biased) betcha RIM’s record shipments were pumped up by their their seemingly perpetual promos.

December 8, 2009: One more time … Research in Motion (RIMM) has roused the media and Wall Street’s attention with word of their forthcoming BlackBerry launch in partnership with China Mobile.

RIM CEO Jame Balsillie shows a TD-SCDMA BlackBerry prototype

RIM CEO James Balsillie shows off a TD-SCDMA BlackBerry prototype in China

Apple (AAPL) generally keeps mum on any new product, deal or launch event until everything has fallen into place. Not so with Research in Motion. This is about the third or fourth time, since 2004, that RIM has issued a PR surrounding their BlackBerry in China launch.*

The new BlackBerry (only a prototype for now) will support China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA 3G standard and will be customized to promote China Mobile’s value-added services.

index_devicesWhy I’m none too impressed with the RIM’s plans for a TD BlackBerry in China:

  • Unless the handset is compatible with the ubiquitous global 3G standard – WCDMA, TD BlackBerry owners may not be able to use 3G outside of China.
  • TD-SCDMA’s lackluster consumer acceptance does not bode well for TD handsets. China Mobile TD handset subsidies will help, but they may not be enough to sustain TD-SCDMA.
  • Look for TD-LTE to supplant the “Spruce Goose” TD-SCDMA standard by 2011/12.

*Previous RIM BlackBerry in China hype:

translation

Tags: Blackberry, , , , hype, James Balsillie, Research in Motion, ,

Posted in China Mobile, TD-SCDMA

One Response to “Updated: RIM promotes BlackBerry in China, again”

  1. shanzaidotcom says:
    December 8, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    Hi Dan,

    I think the RIM will also face a serious problem with competing around its own existing grey market…

    We’ve done an article explaining the good and bad of the grey market good effects for both RIM and Apple that some of your readers might be interested in:
    http://www.shanzai.com/index.php/market-mayhem/8-op-ed/507-the-chinese-grey-market-vs-apple-a-rim

    Cheers,
    Tai-Pan
    http://www.shanzai.com

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