Daring Fireball:

Interesting news from mobile CPU maker Marvell:

In a somewhat unexpected twist, Marvell’s report also underscored a shift by a major customer, Research In Motion Ltd., to lower-end and lower-margin smartphones in emerging markets. RIM shares declined 2.9% to close at $66.47. […]

The company is widely known to also be a supplier to RIM’s BlackBerry, which is still a major player in mobile computing, but which has struggled in the high-end smartphone category in the face of stiff competition from Apple Inc’s iPhone and devices using Google Inc’s Android operating system.

RIM has always done best with its core focus – the “corporate” communications device. While others are eating away at this in different areas, the corporate world remains the comapny’s core competency, and I still deal with many firms that have no plans to move away from the BlackBerry as their official device platform.

I think RIM’s biggest mistake has been trying to enter the consumer market. Every model they’ve ever released in the consumer space feels like your parents trying to be cool. BBM has given them some traction amongst texting-happy teens, and with the recent news that BBM may be coming to Android and iOS, it sounds like they’ve conceded defeat in this arena as well.