Research In Motion, the manufacturer behind BlackBerry smartphones, is in very deep trouble as it posted a major loss, cut 5000 jobs and delayed the release of their BB10 operating system until early 2013.




According to a report from Marketing Week:
The company reported a $518m (£334m) net loss in the quarter to 2 June, compared with a $695m (£445m) profit the previous year. Revenue dropped 43% year-on-year to $2.8bn (£1.8bn) after it shipped 5.4 million fewer smartphones than the same period in 2011.

 And if the financial figures weren't bad enough, the delay to the major new release could yet render BlackBerry as a 'damp squib' of smartphones. With their marketing campaign beginning last February, the new OS will not hit stores until Q1 2013 - missing the Christmas rush and lagging behind all of its competitors - the release of the new iPhone, plus major Windows and Android updates.


BlackBerry has an 11% smartphone market share in the UK, according to Ipsos Mori data for April. Apple’s iPhone is the most popular smartphone in the UK, with a 19% share, while 15% of smartphone owners have an Android device.



RIM’s chief executive Thorsten Heins, was unrelenting in his view that the BB10 release must be absolutely ready to succeed.

“I will not deliver a product to the market that is not ready to meet the needs of our customers. There will be no compromise on this issue. I am not satisfied with these results and continue to work aggressively with all areas of the organisation and the board to implement meaningful changes to address the challenges, including a thoughtful realignment of resources and honing focus within the company on areas that have the greatest opportunities.”