Analyst Questions BlackBerry’s Cool-Factor: Are The Devices Or Software The Problem?

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RIM’s Co-CEO Jim Balsillie didn’t convince everyone when he said during the company’s last conference call that “the line-up for the next 14-15 months is spectacular, and the engagement with the carriers is fantastic,” and that the company has vector winds blowing the company’s sails.

GC Research analyst Tero Kuittinen raises questions in a note this morning that Research In Motion’s handsets are starting to look behind the times with cutting edge products being introduced by Apple, Palm and HTC. He writes that the current lineup is looking “a bit shopworn,” Barron’s reports.

But it’s not only the device’s style, it’s also the phone’s software inside that will need to be updated. Palm, Google’s Android and Apple all are offering a new operating systems that offer more of a multi-tasking environment with advanced browsers that are focused on applications. One way BlackBerry could differentiate itself is by leaning heavily on its server expertise that is used to push email to end-users. If that technology could be more pervasive and could be leveraged for more applications, like the browser, it could gain some ground. Not to mention, carriers would appreciate it since more of the heavy lifting would be handled behind the scenes rather than burdening the network.

For Kuittinen, however, it was mostly about the devices. In particular, he points to the recently released BlackBerry Flip phone, which is counter to large display trend right now, and the BlackBerry Tour, which looks like an updated Curve. That could change with the Storm 2, which is coming to Verizon Wireless this year, and in fact, the analyst remains bullish on the stock and has an overweight rating and $95 price target.

Via moconews