Article: Apple's App Store Worth More Than Research in Motion as a Whole

[Akshay Masand]

With a price of $13.44, RIM’s stock finished last week at a total value of $7.04 billion, a value less than the $7.08 billion that Apple’s App Store is estimated to be worth. An analysis from Trefis places the value of the App Store at 2% of Apple’s market cap. Currently, Apple (AAPL) stock has a market cap of $354 billion, or more than 50 times greater than that of RIM (RIMM). "The App Store is probably worth more than BlackBerry," Hall wrote. "All of BlackBerry. Just the App Store. Nothing else. Not the iPhone or iPod. Not Mac. Just the App Store."

As we all know, RIM’s stock has plummeted since the company announced that BlackBerry shipments saw a slight decline year over year while the company managed to ship just 150,000 PlayBook tablets last quarter. At the same time, the iPad is likely to beat RIM’s BlackBerry in total sales, with RIM guiding shipments of between 11 million and 12 million BlackBerry units next quarter, while Apple sold more than 11 million iPads last quarter. The BlackBerry maker also announced its forthcoming next-generation smartphone operating system, the BlackBerry 10, which has been delayed until the second half of 2012. This leaves many wondering whether the new platform will be too little and too late compared to other high-end smartphone offerings in the market at the time.

As far as Apple’s iOS App Store goes, it has been a key component in the company’s continued success for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. A recent report indicated that iOS applications brings in 300% more revenue than their Android counterparts. Furthermore, Apple’s iTunes Store and App Store reportedly cost as much as $1.3 billion a year to operate and developers have received upwards of $2.5 billion in payments as a result of the App Store.

What do you think of the statistics? Were you one of the many who switched from a BlackBerry device to an Apple one? Share any thoughts and opinions below!

Source: Brian S. Hall

[duromega]

RIM is still alive because of Latin America, ask me why

[toner_45]

*Research In Motion?

[GellBrake'rrrr]

*Research In Motion?

I thought maybe rearch is the new style name

[moniker]

Some of my friends told me they use blackberry because "it has a more secured network" which i think is absolutely untrue.

[fatalcrixer]

Just think of that figure for one moment ... 354 billion ... Economy is a bit top heavy.. We might run out of money in the lower to middle class lol but really .. Think about it

[MetallicaFan1991]

Some of my friends told me they use blackberry because "it has a more secured network" which i think is absolutely untrue.

Every app that uses some sort of communication system has to go through RIM's own servers where as on iOS it doesn't. It's straight to iPhone to iPhone or the app developers own server.

Gotta love App Store, BB's are horrible. My sis has a Bold and after using my iPhones even she hates her BB now.

[JHH09]

RIM is still alive because of Latin America, ask me why

why

[politicalslug]

Every app that uses some sort of communication system has to go through RIM's own servers where as on iOS it doesn't. It's straight to iPhone to iPhone or the app developers own server.

Gotta love App Store, BB's are horrible. My sis has a Bold and after using my iPhones even she hates her BB now.

Bright red? Cause that's not the least bit obnoxious. And Blackberry's devices are widely considered more secure than iOS.