Which is better:  the IPhone or the Blackberry?  Research In Motion products haven’t been doing so well against its competitors Apple Inc. and Google Inc., especially with the launch of Apple’s new iPhone 4s and the increase in popularity of Google’s Android phones.  RIM’s share of the U.S. smartphone market has dropped from 24% to 9% this year due to the disappointing launch of the Blackberry Playbook, a server crash on the Blackberry network this October and slowing sales of Blackberry smartphones.

However there is still hope for RIM, a new report from Gartner Inc. found global Blackberry sales have “stabilized” and RIM continues to see strong growth in areas such as Asia, Europe, and Latin America.  RIM is hoping to increase sales this holiday season by putting nine new Blackberry devices on sale and slashing prices on the Blackberry Playbook, with some retailers offering the Playbook for $200 as an alternative to the $499 iPad.

In my opinion, RIM’s plan to reduce prices during the holiday season to increase sales is a tactic, a quick fix to a long-term problem.  One of the main weaknesses of RIM products is the lack of innovation, especially compared to Apple products.  RIM needs to change its strategy if it wants to compete successfully against its competitors.

Sources:  http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/hoping+Black+Berry+Friday+sales+comeback/5748424/story.html