Could the BlackBerry 10 be facing more delays? Originally slated to launch this quarter, RIM pushed back the launch of BlackBerry 10 until Q1 2013, roughly mid-January.
Now, an analyst from Jeffries, Peter Misek, says that we may not see an actual device on the market until March. As N4BB points out, Canadian companies generally use the fiscal year when releasing quarterly earnings, and Q1 2013 ends on March 31st.
“We had hoped for a January launch but now see a March launch as more likely,” says Misek. “Also, our checks point to a tough November quarter, with replenishment rates decreasing as channel partners are cautious on holding RIM inventory. We think the business uncertainty means parties are unlikely to acquire or license from RIM until BB10 launches.”
There are talks that many U.S.-based retailers are removing the PlayBook from their stocks, but that could be to replenish the racks with the newer, faster LTE-capable model released earlier this year in Canada. But if BB10 isn’t released until March, and whether this was RIM’s intention all along, that could cause further concern that the company may not be able to come back from this market- and mind-share deficit. But, we’ve been saying this for a long time: if BB10 turns out as beautiful and functional as it’s promising to be, RIM could regain much of its popularity, especially among businesses.
We may still have five months to wait, but at least it’s coming.
