In the race for manufacturers to have the fastest and most powerful smartphones, there seems to be one company that is perfectly comfortable falling behind.

Research in Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry, were once the pioneers of smartphone technology. Now, their flagship devices pale in comparison to any other leading device. Do you know what is curious? They are doing very well.

RIM recently published details and specifications of its new flagship phone called the Dakota. While it’s certainly a step up from current-generation BlackBerry devices, it doesn’t leave you with the impression that they’re even trying to compete with iPhone or Android-based devices.

Mashable recently leaked some details about the BlackBerry Storm 3, and at first glance, it doesn’t seem to be in the same league as other leading smartphones either. But you know what? That’s fine for most of your clients.

BlackBerry has a very curious customer base. One that doesn’t necessarily care about having cutting-edge technology. Rather, what they value is a highly functional and reliable phone that enhances productivity. I know, it’s hard to believe there’s still a market for it. While the smartphone market is dominated by devices that promise to entertain you with millions of apps, there is still a device for people who appreciate a device that helps their work day flow a little smoother.

Not that BlackBerry is struggling, either. It’s not breaking sales records like the iPhone, but it definitely has a healthy customer base that seems to be fiercely loyal. From my personal experiences, the people who buy new BlackBerrys are people who have already owned one. They like what BlackBerry has to offer, and when it’s time to upgrade, they buy a newer one for a little more power and speed, but with inherently the same features as most previous generations.

It’s great that they have a huge customer base built in, but I can’t help but wonder if they’re gaining new customers. If you didn’t have a smartphone and you had a BlackBerry, iPhone 4 or Android-based device to choose from, what would make you choose the BlackBerry over your other options? In other words, I wonder what your competitive advantage is. Maybe you don’t even need one, maybe RIM will still do well if it sticks to making phones that appeal to the customers it already has.

Note that I actually have a BlackBerry, so I am in no way an enemy. He’s great at what he does but I wish he did more so when my contract is up I’ll probably upgrade to something else. Several of my friends have one and are satisfied, but when I ask them why they bought one, it’s usually because they don’t like touch screens. I hope BlackBerry has more going for it than that in the minds of other customers. But I have to admit that the physical keyboard would be at the top of my list of things I love about mine.

It’s a shame this post didn’t really solve anything, though I’m not sure it was supposed to. I just wanted to take a look at one of the most interesting customer segments in the tech market. While most tech consumers tend to shop at companies that are on the cutting edge of innovation, there is still RIM that stays alive and well with its modest offerings.

What are your thoughts on the BlackBerry? If you currently own one, would you buy another? Why or why not? Leave some comments!