BlackBerry Hits '0%' Market Share Nearly Ten Years After iPhone Launched

[MacRumors]

Nearly ten years after Apple launched the iPhone, which completely upended the smartphone industry, the device has effectively helped to wipe out one of its major predecessors: the BlackBerry.

BlackBerry has at last fallen to a rounded 0.0% share among smartphone operating systems after shipping just 207,000 smartphones last quarter, following an over seven year decline from its peak market share of approximately 20% in 2009, according to the latest quarterly data from research firm Gartner.

The demise of the smartphone that was once the poster child of Canadian innovation has been a long one in the making, but one that was inevitable now that BlackBerry has shifted its focus to software and sold the global rights to future BlackBerry-branded smartphones to Chinese company TCL Communication.

BlackBerry actually continued to grow for around two years after the iPhone launched in June 2007, taking market share away from then-leader Nokia. BlackBerry's market share among all smartphone operating systems was 9.6% in 2007, 16.6% in 2008, and 19.9% in 2009, according to Gartner. Then, the decline started.

By 2011, the surging popularity of iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones led iOS and Android to leapfrog BlackBerry and Nokia to form a duopoly in the smartphone market that exists to this day. iOS and Android combined for a record 99.6% market share last quarter, according to Gartner.

Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System in 4Q16 (Gartner)​

Windows 10 Mobile was the only other platform to make any sort of dent last quarter, recording an insignificant 0.3% market share, according to Gartner. Windows 10 Mobile fell from 1.1% in the year-ago quarter. A group of unnamed "other" operating systems captured the remaining 0.1% share.

iOS adoption is still low compared to Android, with the platforms capturing 17.9% and 81.7% worldwide market share respectively in the fourth quarter. iPhones mainly target the premium smartphone market, however, while there are Android-based smartphones at all price points sold by dozens of brands.

What's next for BlackBerry? In addition to focusing on software, the company is also doing self-driving vehicle research, while its rumored "Mercury" smartphone by TCL will be unveiled on February 25 at Mobile World Congress.

Article Link: BlackBerry Hits '0%' Market Share Nearly Ten Years After iPhone Launched

 

[Appleaker]

I guess this is a great statistic to show how impactful the iPhone was and still is.

 

[ghostface147]

That sucks.

 

[Gix1k]

Yet Blackberry just won't die. Rebirth as an Android this time. Lets see how this goes for them.

 

[DTphonehome]

RIM is the poster-child for corporate arrogance, complacency, and failure to recognize a competitive threat. They will be discussed in business school for generations to come.

 

[sniffies]

That awkward moment when "other" is better than you.

 

[MrGimper]

No emoji, no future.

 

[maflynn]

I guess this is a great statistic to show how impactful the iPhone was and still is.

I think its more accurate to say how a market leader can easily mismanage its position to oblivion.

 

[MrGimper]

RIM is the poster-child for corporate arrogance, complacency, and failure to recognize a competitive threat. They will be discussed in business school for generations to come.

For sure .... they sat there with their heads up their asses whilst MS Exchange/ActiveSync started nibbling away at BES, and pretty much did the exact same thing with the iPhone .......until it's too late

 

[Oilbrnr]

Kinda surprised at the % of iOS. It is so funny though, you look back in '08-9 and everyone was saying that the iPhone was a toy and not a 'corporate' device. FU douches!

 

[bladerunner2000]

Kinda surprised at the % of iOS. It is so funny though, you look back in '08-9 and everyone was saying that the iPhone was a toy and not a 'corporate' device. FU douches!

It still is a toy; where's the file system?

 

[Amazing Iceman]

And in two months they will do what's considered impossible: Have a negative Market Share, let's say -10% !!!

 

[EdwardC]

Looking forward to seeing the new Blackberry Mercury that is about to be released. Looks pretty nice, I look back on my BB devices with fond memories.

 

[santydolby]

"...that was once the poster child of Canadian innovation..."

not to worry, Instant Pot has been passed over the baton to.
[doublepost=1487188437][/doublepost]

RIM is the poster-child for corporate arrogance, complacency, and failure to recognize a competitive threat. They will be discussed in business school for generations to come.

post-fact?

 

[ugahairydawgs]

I thought BB10 was a pretty good OS, just far too late to market in order to make any sort of impact because the developers were long since gone. A sad day to see that OS pretty much obliterated from the market, but the writing for that was on the wall the minute they started making and licensing devices running Android.

 

[44267547]

Yet Blackberry just won't die. Rebirth as an Android this time. Lets see how this goes for them.

They won't die per say, but they're fairly non-existent anymore. It amazes me where they once were and how they had a huge market for specifc clientele and the everyday consumer alike.

Part of the reason, Blackberry failed to change dynamically with the times and they ultimately ended static. They sort of remind of me of Pebble, where they also failed to innovate further.

 

[cube]

This is what happens when you abandon BB10 for Android.

If I wanted Android, I could just buy something else.

 

[foxkoneko]

RIP blueberry

 

[Smartass]

And the next one in line is Windows phone... a good OS, but Microsoft screwed it totally by themselves

 

[DUIduckSAUCE]

Kinda surprised at the % of iOS. It is so funny though, you look back in '08-9 and everyone was saying that the iPhone was a toy and not a 'corporate' device. FU douches!

Back then it was a toy that couldnt replace a blackberry

 

[Mlrollin91]

Thats sad! Think of the person who create Blackberry, yes they are rich now, but they watched their child slowly die.

 

[Kaibelf]

Honestly, I wonder if they have more zombie units alive than Palm.

 

[AndyUnderscoreR]

Either a lot of people are buying .9 of a phone, or Mac Rumours cut the scale off the chart.

 

[Kaibelf]

Thats sad! Think of the person who create Blackberry, yes they are rich now, but they watched their child slowly die.

Sleeping on a mountain of cash has a way of softening the blow, I'm sure.

 

[justperry]

Nokia (Mobile phones branch) was much bigger than Blackberry, they fell even harder.