Analyst: Pearl cannibalizes other BlackBerrys

SeekingAlpha is running a provocative column from Citigroup's Daryl Armstrong on Research in Motion's competitive positioning. Armstrong notes that the Pearl is selling very well in the November quarter--he's even upped his estimate from 400,000 to 720,000 Pearl (photo [1]) handsets sold this quarter. Despite the growth, RIM's market share has not significantly expanded, which means the Pearl only cannibalized the handset makers' other models. Armstrong says anecdotal evidence from the retail locations indicate that a mere 30 percent to 40 percent of Pearl sales are going to non-BlackBerry users. At the same time, Cingular's Pearl launch saw some great sales, but the carrier is pushing the Pearl rival BlackJack (photos [2]) more than the BlackBerry device.

For more from Armstrong:
- take a look at his column [3] over at SeekingAlpha

ALSO: BlackBerry maker RIM is suing the maker of the BlackJack over the similarity of the names. Article [4]