Indonesia is one of the largest markets in the world for Blackberry (BB). According to some analysts, Indonesia has an estimated 7 million Blackberry subscribers while subscribers in the US number 16.5 million and over 8 million in the UK.
As an example of how popular Blackberry has been in Indonesia, in November 2011, Research in Motion (RIM) picked the city of Jakarta for the world launch of the Blackberry Bold 9790, also known as the Blackberry Bellagio, as a token of appreciation to Blackberry subscribers in Indonesia. It also announced that the first 1000 Bellagio smartphones would be sold at half its normal price at 2.3 million rupiahs (USD 260).
On launch day, approximately 3000 people unexpectedly showed up outside the mall where the event was held. When rumors spread that the Bellagio had already been sold out, the crowd went crazy, resulting in a stampede that injured and knocked unconscious dozens of people.
The first 1000 people who’s got the red wrist bands were eligible to buy the half priced Bellagio
Stampede broke out due to rumor that 1000 Bellagio had been sold out caused injuries
From TeknoUp:
Android Surpasses BlackBerry as the Most Popular Operating System in Indonesia
Indonesia is a productive market for Research in Motion (RIM). The number of BlackBerry users in Indonesia is still very high unlike in other countries where it has decreased drastically. However, it seems that the BlackBerry operating system now must give up its throne to its rival, Android.
According to a research from International Data Corporation (IDC), the BlackBerry operating system that has dominated the market share for mobile devices in Indonesia will be taken over by Android with 52% users in the second quarter of 2012. Android devices penetrated a significant portion of the market through vendors such as Samsung, HTC, and Sony.
Lie Darwin, market analyst for Client Devices Research IDC Indonesia said, “the increased shipments of Android-based phones in Indonesia are driven not only due to its affordability but also due to the numerous applications and the growing popularity of touch screen technology. The delay in the launch of the BlackBerry 10 causes buyers to have to wait until 2013 if they want to have a taste of the new model. This also affects the users’ preference of OS.”
The top five mobile phone vendors in the second quarter of 2012 were occupied by Nokia, Cross, Samsung, MITO, and then RIM.
Global smartphone market share by Gartner
Sale of Android devices by the largest wireless carrier in Indonesia, Telkomsel
Comments from TeknoUp:
abi:
60% of my friends still use BB, sobs
Yudha:
I use my BB only to wait for BBM messages hahaha
citizen fernando:
Chinese cell phone with local brand surpasses Blackberry as the top-selling cell phone…:p
aplus:
Don’t underestimate MITO & Cross cell phones. If they and other local brands did not exist, you wouldn’t even see smartphones under 1 million rupiahs (USD 105). Not everyone can buy a smartphone over 3 million rupiahs (USD 316) in cash, not via financing…
irfan maulana:
Finally the berry fruit is defeated by the army of green robots
Rodin:
How come Nexian and Imo are not on the list?
uye:
Wohooo go Android go open source!
renzo:
Not all Indonesians understand how to use a cell phone and its system like you, Sir. There are many more Indonesians who want to use cell phones only to send SMS messages and make phone calls without even bothering to understand the variety of features and applications.
Tech:
Yes, many Nokia and Pocin cell phones are used in rural villages, remote locations, etc.
So what??? Got a problem with that?
One can only imagine had there been no Nokia or Pocin, then what are those people who have low purchasing power or live in the villages going to use?
Meanwhile, they also need a means of communication. If vendors such as Nokia, Samsung, or Pocin do not want to be in the low end market, Indonesia is not going to move forward. There are still many people not able to enjoy technology! Technology is not just for the rich, it’s for everyone!
Gea:
Nokia still reigns in the low end segment..
jijikamaelupadaygbengal:
Nokia is still #1 due to its feature phones and its Series 40 phones. Those people in the villages either use Nokia or Pocin…
Android S:
There are still many people who use feature phones and Nokia is the king in this market segment.
hha:
I’m confused as to why Sony is not in the top 5 while there are many people who buy Sony’s Android devices at Roxi cellular store.
ophyx hidayat:
Wow… congratulations to ANDROID. Finally, death to those lebay kids who love to gossip…
Thery:
Good. Let Indonesia be free from BB.
Hopefully in 2015 Indonesia will be 100% free from BB.
Tech:
Wow, congratulations to Cross and Mito for getting into the top 5 ;)
Congratulations to Android too.
Syan:
2 local brands amongst 3 big vendors. However, Nokia still leads although there aren’t that many who are still using it in my area (except for older versions)
ADESHOOBY:
Yayyyy…finally. But one really needs to have a BB not as the primary phone but as a companion and complement only hehe
Shindong SuperJunior:
Finally Indonesians are starting to embrace technology.
Do you still use a Blackberry or Nokia? How do you like Blackberry compared to Nokia, Android, or iPhone?
