Caption: Thorsten Heins, CEO of Research in Motion, introduces the BlackBerry Z10, in New York.

Steven Jackson

Business writer

jacksons@jamaicaobserver.com

Online searches for Samsung smartphones actually overtook the lead from rival Blackberry (BB) for the first time in Jamaica in the past seven days.

Trend data showed that Jamaica joined Trinidad & Tobago (T&T), which made the transition some 90 days prior.

It is an indication that the largest English-speaking Caribbean territories are now searching heavily for Samsung smartphone devices and, while not an exact science, could be a signal future buying patterns.

“[But] BlackBerry still leads marketshare in the price bands we deal in,” responded Arno Glompner Blackberry spokesman in Observer mailed queries from the US.

His comments are corroborated once analysing trends over the first nine-months of 2013 with BB easily retaking the search lead in Jamaica and T&T. But since the past week there has been a noted shift towards Samsung.

Glompner declined to reveal regional marketshare and comments from Samsung did not come up to press time.

However, Google Trends data indicates that for every 100 searches for devices within Jamaica since September, Samsung interest averaged 90 outscoring that of BB at 80 and iPhone at 68.

Google search engine geographically compiles searches over time.

Its affiliatedsite GoogleTrends then gauges the popularity of these terms from 0-100. Last year in Jamaica BB scored 73 with Android at 27 and iPhone at 31.

The growth in smartphones are fueling increased revenues for the mobile carriers. Latest data from Jamaica’s telecom regulator, the Office of Utilities Regulation, reveal a more than 160 per cent rise in revenues from SMS and other mobile data services to $1.1 billion in the first-quarter of 2011 from $451 million a year earlier. That rise would have been directly aided by the growth in smartphones which are internet compatible.

Regionally, online searches within T&T over the last 30 days stood at Samsung at 80, BB at 59 and iPhone at 51. BB’s most secure regional market is the sizable Dominica Republic, the data suggests. Over last 30 days interest in BB stood at 83, iPhone at 66 and Samsung at 54. In 2012 that figure stood at 73, 40 and 26 respectively.

Cuba remains loyal to Samsung but its results may be skewed based on availability of devices due to trade restrictions.

Contextually, the Caribbean’s loyalty to Blackberry contradicts the shift away in the wider Americas, trend data indicates. But BB will seek to protect its marketshare regionally based on new releases of its mid-priced models.

“BlackBerry Q5 is just launching in the Caribbean in our major price band (mid-tier) and should help reverse trends and lockdown market share position into Christmas,” he said. “

He also added that BB will release its respected messaging platform (BBM) to all major platforms this fall. That move previously announced globally is set to grow its global footprint.

“That said the BBM global presence will dramatically grow very fast and BlackBerry can leverage from this with our service platform,” he indicated.