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Well, the rumor was Samsung was scoping out RIM, but
- Thread starter Bateluer
- Start date
Pliablemoose
Lifer
RIM needs to light a fire under the team building QNX 2 and the hardware folks and kick out a new phone, sooner rather than later.
The iPhone came out in 2007, and they still don't have anything that is better than the original iPhone.
I'm actually somewhat hopeful RIM can pull it off, and I think they can, they need to stay low key till they have a product though, the way they promoted the PlayBook made them look like fools.
The iPhone came out in 2007, and they still don't have anything that is better than the original iPhone.
I'm actually somewhat hopeful RIM can pull it off, and I think they can, they need to stay low key till they have a product though, the way they promoted the PlayBook made them look like fools.
I don't think most companies are really interested in buying RIM.
Apple wouldn't bother, but might buy patents from RIM if it came down to it. Microsoft has all but bought Nokia and has no need for another major hardware partner at the moment. Motorola was bought up by Google and it's likely that they'll be entirely Android from here on out. Samsung doesn't need to buy RIM as they have other platforms to fall back in case things really go south with Android.
HTC is the only major player left that doesn't have their own platform or one to fall back onto if using Android becomes problematic. The remainder of the handset manufacturers are either too small to acquire RIM, still emerging as brands and likely don't need to acquire RIM, or are even worse off than RIM is right now.
Apple wouldn't bother, but might buy patents from RIM if it came down to it. Microsoft has all but bought Nokia and has no need for another major hardware partner at the moment. Motorola was bought up by Google and it's likely that they'll be entirely Android from here on out. Samsung doesn't need to buy RIM as they have other platforms to fall back in case things really go south with Android.
HTC is the only major player left that doesn't have their own platform or one to fall back onto if using Android becomes problematic. The remainder of the handset manufacturers are either too small to acquire RIM, still emerging as brands and likely don't need to acquire RIM, or are even worse off than RIM is right now.
ultimatebob
Lifer
Actually, I hope that they take their time and get it right. The market doesn't want another half baked product like the Playbook.
Bateluer
Lifer
RIM's only real asset left is their patent portfolio, which would be a major boon to any company that acquired them, since everyone is so sue happy these days.
Ok. Thanks for clarifying that. :thumbup:
3chordcharlie
Diamond Member
Your story isn't entirely wrong, but have you actually used an original iPhone? It was pretty. But it was also pretty useless.
akugami
Diamond Member
RIM is not in such dire straits that they would sell off their patent portfolio. I do agree that the patents are probably the most valuable part of the company at this point. I honestly don't see how RIM is going to climb out of this whole they dug themselves in. With the knowledge/assumption that RIM is going down the tubes, why overpay now when one year down the line the value of the company is going to be much cheaper?
Samsung also doesn't need RIM's patents since they are such a major and longstanding player in the telecommunications sector. They own a lot of cell phone patents. Samsung has already licensed Microsoft's "Android" patents. Google and other Android OEM's are unlikely to sue Samsung. The presence of these patents from RIM are unlikely to help in their battles with Apple. Not a whole lot of sense for Samsung to purchase RIM at this time.
If anything, the purchase that makes the most sense is for Apple to purchase RIM. This also gives Apple a much stronger portfolio of "technical" patents relating to the cell phone sector rather than the design patents that Apple mostly owns. Apple has a crap load of money they aren't using. But again, while it makes sense to purchase RIM, it doesn't make sense for Apple to purchase RIM at this point in time.
There were also rumors last month that Amazon was looking to buy RIM. This purchase does make sense for Amazon who would be looking to push sales of mobile books and other stuff through mobile devices like phones and tablets as well as the Kindle ebook devices.
RIM has plenty of useful patents but lots of legacy businesses and contracts that if Microsoft and Apple are smart, they wouldn't touch with a 10ft pole. Think of all the crap with Middle Eastern governments demanding they effectively break their security for so they can snoop on their citizens. That's not a wonderful position to be in and I'd avoid like the plague.
My guess is that either RIM folds completely or they sign up to be a Windows Phone or Android OEM. My preference is that they start making Windows Phone devices with a Dell Venue Pro design: large touchscreen with a legendary physical keyboard. Playing in the Android sandbox only prolongs their death because they have to compete with other serious competitors such as Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Sony, and LG.
My guess is that either RIM folds completely or they sign up to be a Windows Phone or Android OEM. My preference is that they start making Windows Phone devices with a Dell Venue Pro design: large touchscreen with a legendary physical keyboard. Playing in the Android sandbox only prolongs their death because they have to compete with other serious competitors such as Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Sony, and LG.
Bateluer
Lifer
This alone would be a pretty big reason for Samsung to buy those patents. Samsung buying them denies them to Apple. Apple owning them would give them real patents and potentially allow them to file semi-legit lawsuits instead of the frivolous suits they file now.
Amazon is a real wild card. I can't think of a single RIM device that would make a good medium to sell Kindle products though. Amazon may be better off refining their own Kindle devices and refining their Kindle apps than spending money on RIM.
Imp
Lifer
There's no app for Kindle on Playbook - something something Kobo exclusive. I hear people are happy with Kindle on their iPad though... Why waste money on a dying platform with a relatively small adoption rate (1-2 million sold for Playbook?). Only people who would read on a RIM phone would be Torch owners, unless their masochists and like super small screens.
akugami
Diamond Member
Amazon can buy RIM, boot Kobo, install Kindle and an Amazon web store. What Amazon would want is not so much RIM's OS but the technical and design patents for protection as well as RIM's mobile infrastructure for delivery of goods and services. They can use this to push an Amazon web store to iOS and Android. Remember that Amazon is as much a "flea market" as it is a direct seller of products. They want you buying from them whether it's going directly to Amazon.com or through a mobile device.
The tech patents are important to protect themselves against anyone suing them. Amazon will be releasing Kindle ebook devices as well as Kindle tablets. It also doesn't hurt them if they jump right in and release Kindle phones either. The design patents help in releasing tablets and phones as but not as much as the protection afforded by owning a technical patent portfolio. Along with that is the infrastructure that RIM has. Now, that infrastructure took a big hit recently with the email serves going down catastrophically but its still a good medium from which they can build a proprietary world wide "mobile store" they can use to push not just ebooks but all types of goods. That's what Amazon gets from a purchase of RIM's assets. The only thing holding that up would be RIM's asking price IMHO.
akugami
Diamond Member
It's not just content but actual physical products and Amazon's mobile infrastructure is not so good that they wouldn't get a boost from buying RIM. The holdup is largely is it worth the price of admission for Amazon. In fact, Amazon over the summer looked into purchasing RIM but the holdup was the asking price for RIM and the falling valuation of RIM.
ultimatebob
Lifer
Yeah... the iPhone didn't become useful until the iPhone 3G, when they added the App Store and mobile broadband fast enough to be potentially useful.
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