The iconic BlackBerry logo has been partially highlighted in the middle, while its background showcases a company announcement. (Photo : YouTube/ Thinking Tech)
BlackBerry Mobile era may soon be over with its most recent market performance plummeting to zero. The increasing influence of iOS and Android has been seen as one of the reasons behind BBM's poor market share.
Almost a decade ago, BBM ruled at least 20 percent of the mobile industry. Consumers during that time were hooked to the unrivaled security measures offered by BBM OS. However, with the arrival of a more user-friendly Android and iOS, the tides have shifted for the ones glorious brand in the mobile industry.
The continued growth of iOS and Android drastically affected the market share of BBM. From the 20 percent command of the smartphone industry back in 2009, the company's worldwide smartphone sales to end users by operating system in the Q4 of 2016 plummeted to 0.0 percent, according to an American technology research firm Gartner.
As of the current writing, the continued dominance of both iOS and Android in the market resulted in a combined 99.6 percent market share. The remaining shares are shared by Microsoft's mobile operating and other mobile OS.
However, BBM remains positive despite of the recent market share report online. The company even emphasized that their focus right now has shifted to software and licensing rather than on the hardware end of the industry.
"As has been widely communicated, our current strategy is focused on providing state-of-the-art software and security for enterprise and devices. As part of this aggressive pivot to software, we have shifted away from hardware and toward a licensing model where partners develop hardware and distribute and market the BlackBerry brand," BlackBerry told GSM Arena.
The BlackBerry as a mobile device will be re-introduced with a new look and feature by Canadian brand's licensing partners will be introducing. TCL, BB Merah Putih, and Optiemus will soon be launching new BB phones that are aimed to adapt and attract the new breed of mobile users.
Watch here below the rise and fall of BBM:
