Today RIM launched its much-anticipated BlackBerry app store, giving owners of those handsets the option to download third-party applications and developers the opportunity to sell their applications.

Given the runaway success of the iPhone's App Store, should BlackBerry lovers expect the same? And if so, should Apple be worried about that success coming out of the iPhone's pockets?

Well, perhaps. RIM has been pushing the latest BlackBerry models on their web and multimedia features, and with no major sftware update planned before the summer, interest in the iPhone could cool.

What could be more likely,however, is that the two sides steer clear of a showdown altogether. After all, the two sides occupy two pretty different ends of the spectrum, and the smartphone market is still growing. Think for a minute about how many iPhone owners you know of who have their phones through a corporate account, then think for a minute about how many BlackBerry owners you know of who pay for the bill out of their own pockets. As long as the two sides steer clear of each other, a true showdown could be a ways off.

It seems both sides should be more concerned with other foes at the moment; RIM with Windows Mobile in the enterprise space and Apple with Android and the Palm Pre in the consumer space.

02 Apr 2009