Can RIM's "iPhone killer" capture the hearts of their users or is it just matching features?

Implications: 1.  The success of the iPhone is not its touch screen alone but rather the interface 2.  Will the interface of a touch screen work with a blackberry?

Analysis: It is hard for me to imagine the blackberry competing with an iPhone from a user experience perspective.  This is because the iPhone is more than a touch screen.  The touch screen on the iPhone enables the virtualization of the input more than anything.  You can expand and contract the size of the screen and move around the screen in a virtual way.  Although this is similar to the blackberry in the way the scroll wheel works, the scroll wheel reminds me more of a DOS scroll as compared to the iPhone feels more like a Window's environment.

I am not saying that RIM is not capable of making this kind of tool.  Clearly, Microsoft was able to move from DOS to Windows.  But I think it will be a lot harder than anticipated.  I expect to see delays in the new product launch from RIM as they discover the challenges of making their applications work with a totally new interface.  RIM will not just have to have the main screen capable of using a touch screen, but all of their applications will have to allow for touch screen entry.  This is significant and would result in two separate code bases for the RIM (one for touch and one for the Wheel).  And how will third party applications work?

It is possible that RIM will just be announcing a touch screen with the same text entry style that Apple uses.  In my mind this will not be a significant change in the platform and may actually hurt RIM.  The text entry is only a small part of using the iPhone.  This will not result in an iPhone killer.

Another challenge for RIM is to continue to distinguish their product.  They do not want to look like an iPhone clone.  RIM has created an solid platform with their own style.  They will want to continue to be unique.  They also need to make existing users of their products want to migrate to the new device.  This will require them to keep many of the features that their current users like, but will be a drag on their innovation.

I think a bigger focus for RIM will be to offer new features for business users.  The biggest risk to RIM is the iPhone 2.0's connection to corporate email.  RIM needs to counter with some improvements in how RIM connects to different services.  Improvements in their SIP protocol to make using the phone in a corporate environment better is just one idea where RIM could differentiate.  RIM has a better battery life than the iPhone, so maybe replacing your desktop phone with a blackberry.  This would give the long desired one phone number and one device to reach someone.

RIM has done the easy part by announcing the feature.  The proof will be in the actual delivery of the product.