BlackBerry news stories have been cropping up from Africa fairly frequently now here on CrackBerry and here we have yet another positive slice of pie. Research In Motion - Nigeria, where only last week they opened a retail store, has been speaking to Nigerian businessmen and entertainers about their BlackBerry experiences and how the smartphone benefits their lives.
As BlackBerry users we can all understand how important our smartphone is to us and the thought of not having instant email, social networking and BBM is pretty horrific! We know that BlackBerry is huge in both North and South Africa and it fantastic to see the people of Nigeria sharing their BlackBerry experiences with us all.
Yes, in many parts of the world the press is only looking towards BlackBerry 10 but we must not forget that BlackBerry 7 will be around for a good while yet and RIM will continue to support it. I know that the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is now an old device for many of us but it was still the best selling smartphone in South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt in June this year and I am sure nothing much as changed since then.
Even this week's earnings call figures have proved that the BlackBerry subscribers are increasing and we now have 80 million worldwide - so much for a failing company! Keep up the good work RIM Nigeria - let's keep the BlackBerry hype.
Reader comments
BlackBerry success stories from Nigeria
BlackBerry is simply amazing, can't wait for BB 10 !
I Love my BlackBerry too :)
I'm writing in from Lagos Nigeria. Yes Blackberry is massively huge in our country and we have gotten to a point where we can't just survive without our instant mails and of course our beloved BBM. One thing ℓ̊ have to put you all straight on is currently the phone of choice in Lagos and by extention the country is the Torch 1&2 and the Bold 9900. They are so popular most especially with the youths. If ΐτ̅ were possible for ♏έ to post pics here, ℓ̊ would just so you know how much we have moved away from the Curve 8520. Don't get ♏έ wrong, the 8520 was a novelty when the Blackberry bug bit us but now, Os 6 is the minimum standard and RIM has been aggressively pushing there new OS 7 line of blackberry curves here.
ℓ̊ know ℓ̊ speak for the majority of blackberry users in Nigeria, when ℓ̊ say, we can't wait to have BB10
When BB10's gesture based interface is too confusing for the simpletons who feel that Blackberry is revolutionary since it can 'make phone calls and browse the internet', they would do the right thing and buy iPhones.
**DONT NEED THE TROLL**
BlackBerry 10 is going to be a hit!!
Nigeria connection?
Muhahaha
At least I didn't got an email or fax from it ;)
Hehehe I for dey surprise if the oponu and onyioshi dem dem no begin yarn opata for here! Oga Maga ndewo ooo!!
Do your math homework. The population of Nigeria is 53% of the US. RIM controlling all of the Nigerian market would carry similar weight to RIM carrying 50% of the US market. Go RIM.
Except that the population of a country is not the same as the smartphone market. This is a really dense assumption on your part.
Why do you think a Nigerian does not want a smartphone? I think you are the one that is dense.
The smartphone market is totally driven by population. Just how many smartphones are you carrying?
/Device agnosticism or bust!
One important factor to remember Glamrlama is that the purchasing power of nigerians is a fraction of a US citizen. You really got to make more than 1$/day in order to buy a 600$ phone. (Don't jump to tell me about contracts because discounts in such contries are waaaay smaller when compared with North America or Europe)
I am not saying that all Nigerias are that poor but... Definitely a bigger percentage than in US [for now].
I notice he didn't mention Storm 1 and 2....whew....
"We know that BlackBerry is huge in both North and South Africa and it fantastic to see the people... "
Ah yes - the famous country of "North Africa"....
That would be West Africa :)
Let's hear it for Nigeria!
And don't be disrespecting a country and a people you know nothing about!
Sooo I got a question. Which one of you keeps emailing me asking to mail my 9900 on Craigslist to their brother out there in Nigeria?
Could be someone in desperate need for a blackberry for free. Maybe they broke theirs? Give them a surprise. :)
I'm glad to see RIM doing well....somewhere. I wish North America would wake up and realize what a wonderful device the BlackBerry is
Make no mistake about it, Blackberry users here in Nigeria will only increase numerically! I love RIM and wish BB10 jam can come here.....need to get me an Alpha B device! Im such a BB10 freak!
@Emmykeyz
www.lagosgeek.net
Make no mistake about it, Blackberry users here in Nigeria will only increase numerically! I love RIM and wish BB10 jam can come here.....need to get me an Alpha B device! Im such a BB10 freak!
@Emmykeyz
www.lagosgeek.net