Blackberry was the UK’s most popular smartphone brand in 2010, according to new industry data from GfK.
The market research company has revealed that Research in Motion (RIM), the company which produces Blackberry handsets, outsold all other major manufacturers last year and now has a 28.2 per cent share of the UK smartphone market.
It is also holds the largest slice of the contract/SIM-free market (23.3 per cent) and the pre-pay mobile market (51 per cent).
Stephen Bates, RIM’s UK managing director, said: “The strength of sales in 2010 confirms BlackBerry’s leadership position in the UK smartphone market. This is highlighted in particular by our growth in the burgeoning pre-paid market.”
RIM attributes much of its success to its transition “from the board room to the sitting room”, with the company focusing more on younger users.
Bates said that mobile apps such as BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) have seen mass-appeal from the teen market.
He added that Blackberry’s App Store was growing and now included 16,000 apps, all of which were “deeply integrated” with the platform.
RIM’s growth plans for 2011 include the launch of its first tablet device, the Blackberry PlayBook, which is due for UK launch later in the year, and the possible introduction of mobile contactless payment technology.
