02/17, 12:32pm
Re-engineering of keyboard apparently not enough for Canadian phone maker
As widely expected, BlackBerry has launched another lawsuit over Ryan Seacrest's Typo keyboard, this time versus the second iteration of the product. A new complaint, filed yesterday, claims that the iPhone keyboard manufacturer has yet again "slavishly copied down to the smallest detail, including the layout of the keyboard itself, the shapes of the keys, and the surface sculpting of the keys" in the new version of the clip-on keyboard.
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02/17, 11:11am
Amped Wireless shipping TAP-R2 router shortly, preorders commencing now
High-power, long-range wireless solutions provider Amped Wireless is shipping the next model in its TAP Series of Touch Screen Wi-Fi devices, the 802.11ac TAP-R2. Equipped with a total of six high-power amplifiers and two high-gain antennas (external and internal), the TAP-R2 delivers up to 800mW of Wi-Fi output power, with setup entirely on the device's touchscreen. The new router will be available on February 23, and will cost $160.
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02/16, 11:17am
AT&T to start selling BlackBerry Passport, Classic from February 20
BlackBerry fans in the United States will soon be able to pick up the manufacturer's latest devices on AT&T. The BlackBerry Classic and the BlackBerry Passport, redesigned specifically for the carrier, will be going on sale from February 20. The Passport, complete with rounded edges, will cost $650 off-contract, $200 with a two-year agreement, or for between $21.67 and $32.50 under AT&T Next. The Classic will cost $50 on a two-year contract, $420 off-contract, or under AT&T Next's various plans, between $14 and $21 per month.
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02/05, 10:40am
Company sold 19,000 Typo keyboards in defiance of court ordered embargo
US District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco has levied a $860,000 fine against iPhone physical keyboard manufacturer Typo for defying a sales injunction on the first Typo keyboard. The court agreed with BlackBerry's motion in part, finding that the company sold 19,000 keyboards after the previous embargo was put in place, but fell short of the demand for $2.64 million that the Canadian company was asking for.
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01/22, 2:51pm
Alleged leaked document suggests Samsung considered BlackBerry purchase for months
Samsung is still interested in acquiring BlackBerry, according to rumor. A document allegedly created by investment bank Evercore Partners for Samsung seems to suggest Samsung has been mulling over a purchase of the competing smartphone producer for some time, and according to sources, is still very much interested in the prospect despite denials from both BlackBerry and Samsung.
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01/22, 9:22am
Chen sees threat to net neutrality from app developers more than carriers
Blackberry CEO John Chen appears to be turning to the US government for help in broadening the app ecosystem for the struggling Canadian handset, as well as railing against a US-centric view of net neutrality and possible Title II regulation at the same time. In a blog post taken in part from a letter the CEO wrote to members of Congress, Chen defines not only what he sees as an ideal path for net neutrality, but also complaining about a "two-tiered wireless broadband ecosystem" where content providers like Apple and Netflix are free to not develop for all wireless platforms.
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01/14, 6:43pm
Purchase could cost $7.5B, provide Samsung with BlackBerry patents
[Updated with BlackBerry denial] BlackBerry could possibly be the target of an acquisition, with a report claiming Samsung may be looking to buy the Canadian smartphone producer for a hefty sum. Details from a source, along with documents, were allegedly provided to Reuters, suggesting Samsung may be willing to pay as much as $7.5 billion to take control of the company.
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01/08, 6:51am
Redesigned BlackBerry Passport keeps specifications, adds round corners
BlackBerry is bringing BBM to Android Wear devices in the near future, the manufacturer has revealed. At the same time, it announced the BlackBerry Passport will be heading to AT&T with a new rounder look, after BlackBerry redesigned certain aspects of the smartphone's external appearance following requests from the carrier itself.
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01/07, 8:23pm
A Quattroporte adds LiDAR, sonar, mirror displays
BlackBerry's QNX division has brought a modified Maserati Quattroporte to CES, demonstrating the company's vision for safety and infotainment technology. The sedan has been outfitted with a bevy of cameras, LiDAR equipment, ultrasonic sensors, a digital instrument cluster, a gigantic infotainment touchscreen, and additional displays that function as side- and rear-view mirrors.
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01/07, 6:37pm
Ford revamps its oft-derided interface
Ford recently introduced Sync 3, an entirely new infotainment system that serves as a successor to the oft-derided MyFord Touch platform. Electronista stopped by the company's CES booth to try out the revamped interface in person, ahead of its official launch on new models later this year.
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12/22, 1:21pm
Boeing Black security-focused smartphone will use BES 12
BlackBerry is helping Boeing with developing its Black smartphone, it has been revealed. The smartphone from the defense and aerospace producer, previously reported to be a tamper-proof device capable of wiping stored data in the event of anyone attempting to open it, will now use BlackBerry's software platform to provide an extra layer of security.
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12/20, 3:20pm
Debenture payoff forces loss for the quarter, CEO promises profit in FY 2016
Cellphone manufacturer BlackBerry has published its most recent quarterly results. While the company is trumpeting a return to profitability, it still incurred a fair value debenture charge, forcing the company to post a $148 million loss on the quarter, or $0.28 per share. Without the debenture, it would have posted a modest profit of $2 million. While it appears that the cost-cutting measures are starting to pay off, given the improvement in the loss numbers, the company showed a 34 percent drop in revenue over the year-ago-quarter, suggesting that the road ahead for the company is still challenging.
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12/17, 12:54pm
Full keyboard, retro design main features of mid-range BlackBerry Classic
BlackBerry has formally launched a retro-styled smartphone it previously teased. Housed in a casing reminiscent of earlier models, the BlackBerry Classic has a few modern tricks up its sleeve to go with the familiar QWERTY keyboard, including an optical trackpad and a touch-enabled 3.5-inch 720x720-resolution square display.
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12/13, 1:17am
Stickers in group chat, timed-display message function, Lollipop support, more
BlackBerry has released a new version of Messenger BBM - BlackBerry Limited">for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry, each with differing sets of new features the company says are some of its most-often requested additions. For iOS, the app has received a total makeover to bring it in line with the general iOS 8 design language. Android users get support for the latest major release, Lollipop (version 5), as well as a new landscape mode. BlackBerry OS 10 users can now share multiple attachments and images at the same time.
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11/25, 1:12pm
Amount ranges up to $550
Beginning on December 1, BlackBerry will be offering up to $550 for people willing to trade in an iPhone towards the purchase of a BlackBerry Passport. Shoppers will be able to trade anything from an iPhone 4S through to an iPhone 6, and receive a $150 " rel='nofollow'top-up" in addition to the phone's actual estimated value. Hitting the $550 mark requires a mint-condition iPhone 6, which is valued at $400.
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11/24, 2:54pm
BlackBerry opens pre-orders for Red, White Passport
BlackBerry's previously-revealed limited edition versions of the Passport smartphone are available to pre-order today. The red version with black framing and highlights, along with a white model, can be pre-ordered now from BlackBerry directly ready for shipping on November 28th. The red model is priced at $699, while the white version is being sold at a lower $599.
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11/14, 7:28am
BlackBerry Classic priced at $450, ships mid-December
BlackBerry made two consumer hardware announcements at its Enterprise event yesterday, alongside enterprise-focused items. Pre-orders for the BlackBerry Classic have commenced for a mid-December launch, while potential owners of the BlackBerry Passport will soon be able to acquire a red version of the smartphone, set to be released in limited quantities on Black Friday.
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11/13, 6:35pm
Paid conferencing service from BlackBerry works with up to 25 participants
BlackBerry made another business-related announcement at its Enterprise event, one which involves multi-platform messaging. BBM Meetings lets users set up a voice or video conferencing session with multiple other users, with the service covering BlackBerry 10, iOS, and Android mobile devices, as well as computers running OS X and Windows.
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11/13, 3:42pm
Combination of Samsung Knox and BES12 said to provide end-to-end security
BlackBerry is working with Samsung to make its Android devices more secure for corporate users, the manufacturer has revealed. The partnership, which will be offered to enterprise customers from early next year, will see Samsung's Knox working in tandem with Blackberry Enterprise Service 12 (BES12), in order to provide a "tightly integrated, end-to-end secure solution" for communications.
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11/03, 6:04am
BBM can delete messages automatically and on request from sender
BlackBerry has made a few changes to the BBM app on all platforms, with the biggest being heavily borrowed from competitor Snapchat. BlackBerry Messenger now gives users the ability to create Timed Messages, text or images which can be shared with other chat participants for a set period of time before being automatically deleted, as well as the ability to retract already-sent messages.
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10/15, 7:26am
All sides of smaller BlackBerry Classic shown in picture leak
A new set of photographs allegedly showing the BlackBerry Classic has leaked. The collection of images appears to reveal more of the rumored BlackBerry smartphone's physical appearance than in previous leaks, with all sides and the back of the device on display in the pictures, with some of the shots comparing it to the recently-announced BlackBerry Passport phablet.
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09/26, 8:18am
Recovery seemingly working, but phone sales still need to climb for profit
While still not yet profitable, BlackBerry has posted a significantly lower-than-expected loss for the quarter. At the end of its fiscal 2015 Q2, the company reported a net loss of $207 million. This time last year, the company posted a $965 million loss. Of the $207 million loss, $33 million was attributed to mandatory charges from the company's near-complete restructuring program.
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09/24, 10:37am
Touch-enabled physical keyboard of BlackBerry Passport detects flicks, swipes
BlackBerry has used its three simultaneous media events to launch the BlackBerry Passport smartphone. Just as rumored, the mobile device has a square 4.5-inch 1440x1440 touchscreen with a touch-enabled physical keyboard below, allowing the keyboard to detect swipes, flicks and taps similar to display-based gestures, but without the user blocking their view of the screen with their fingers.
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09/11, 12:36pm
London-based startup to bolster BlackBerry's BYOD programs
BlackBerry has announced that it has acquired Movirtu, a UK-based startup pioneering virtual-SIM technology, allowing a single device to have multiple phone numbers associated with it. The buy would bring technology for a "bring-your-own-device" user to have one device spanning a business number with associated apps and contacts, and a personal contact number on the same phone without juggling multiple SIM cards.
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09/08, 9:42am
BlackBerry Q20 shows classic design lines of earlier BBOS devices
The BlackBerry Classic has allegedly resurfaced following its announcement at Mobile World Congress in February, with images of the device appearing on Weibo. The smartphone, also known as the Q20, appears to be shown in the photographs with a square display similar to the BlackBerry Passport, though its physical design has rounded corners and a general appearance similar to earlier BlackBerry devices.
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09/02, 1:07pm
BBOS addition BlackBerry Blend may appear alongside Passport at events
BlackBerry has sent out invitations to events held in Toronto, London, and Dubai on the 24th of September. The invite offers little in the way of clues as to what the three events will involve, but the use of a map and a plane symbol suggests the manufacturer will be formally launching the Passport smartphone, while rumors claim it could potentially include a software update allowing for the usage of BlackBerry Messenger from a desktop rather than a smartphone.
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08/22, 5:42pm
Square-screened device design document discovered, leaked
A design document detailing specifications of BlackBerry's new Passport phone has been leaked, confirming some previous rumors. The new BB10 phone from the Canadian manufacturer features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with a 2.2Ghz quad-core CPU, paired with an Adreno 330 GPU running at 450Mhz -- a significant upgrade over the company's flagship phone, the Z10.
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08/22, 2:26pm
Poorly messaged article omits features of iMessage to bolster BB10
BlackBerry has attacked iMessage in a blog post, as it attempts to try and convert more users to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). The post, written by head of product and brand marketing for BBM Jeff Gadway, latches on to recent reports about spam messages on iMessage, and lists off ways the service allegedly beats Apple's messaging platform.
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08/19, 8:56am
New division encompasses 44,000 patents, three major technologies
BlackBerry has spun off a new business unit, collecting the majority of its unique technologies under one roof -- the BlackBerry Technology Solutions (BTS) division. Dr. Sandeep Chennakeshu will lead the new group, which encompasses embedded software group QNX, "Internet of Things" division Project Ion, cryptography division Certicom, RF antenna tuning group Paratek, and 44,000 associated patents.
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08/16, 2:37pm
Blackberry launches 1.1 version of BBM for Windows Phone
BlackBerry has officially released BBM for Windows Phone, taking it out of beta. The new release implementes a number of bug fixes and speed improvements that the company gathered during the beta phase. The 1.1 version of the app allows users to engage in BBM Chats with one or many contacts, with the ability to share pictures, voice notes, contacts and location. Features like BBM Voice, Channels, and location sharing are still yet to be added.
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08/05, 8:31am
Chen expects profitability before the end of the year for BlackBerry
According to an internal memo circulating around the company, BlackBerry has exited its internal reorganization process. CEO John Chen told the remaining staff that "the workforce reduction that began three years ago is now behind us." The memo declares that the company is now on the path to profitability, and will start making strategic acquisitions to boost the company's growth.
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07/31, 1:45pm
BBM for Windows Phone includes chats, excludes BBM Voice, Channels
BlackBerry has made its BlackBerry Messenger app available to download in the Windows Phone store. Previously only available as a closed beta on the platform, and already out on iOS and Android, the version offered is still in beta, though BlackBerry has taken the time to make BBM fit in with the Windows Phone user interface styling, and some features don't appear to have been included.
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07/29, 5:39pm
'Global' switchover will cost nothing extra over normal replacement cycle
Automaker Ford has announced that it will transition at least 9,300 corporate employees from BlackBerry models and flip phones to iPhones over the next two years. The change, which will cost the company nothing above the normal cost of a replacement cycle, is a blow to BlackBerry, but the Canadian smartphone maker can take solace in the fact that Ford chose BlackBerry's QNX for its next-generation Sync infotainment system, replacing a previous Microsoft-based one.
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07/29, 12:48pm
Company turnaround underway, says CEO in wake of deal
At its annual BlackBerry summit, the beleagured smartphone manufacturer has announced a deal that will see it acquire Germany's Secusmart to enhance its own security offerings. BlackBerry CEO John Chen said of the deal that it "creates that much more distance between [BlackBerry] and competitors" in the battle for corporate and governmental business share.
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07/16, 12:16pm
BlackBerry Assistant competes with Siri, Google Now, Cortana
BlackBerry will include its own virtual assistant in a future version of the company's mobile operating system, the smartphone manufacturer has revealed. Taking its cue from Siri, Google Now, and Cortana, BlackBerry Assistant will recognize commands via voice recognition and entered text, and will be able to perform simple tasks such as searching e-mail archives or setting appointments, to more elaborate requests.
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07/10, 7:44pm
Beta test ahead of official launch, some features like Voice to be added later on
Users of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) are going to able to use the service on a new mobile platform. Today, BlackBerry announced that the messaging service has made its way to Windows Phones, starting off with a limited run in beta. The company wants to focus on providing an introduction to the program with its first release.
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07/08, 1:49pm
BlackBerry Messenger commences private beta on Windows Phone store
BlackBerry has put the BlackBerry Messenger app in the Windows Phone store, though it is not available to everyone. The listing, which follows the earlier BBM launch on iOS and Android, hints at a near-future release of the messaging app on the platform, though according to CNET, the app is being tested in a private beta ahead of its launch, with only whitelisted users able to install the app from the store.
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07/08, 6:39am
Large square BlackBerry Passport display touted as useful for business
BlackBerry is attempting to justify the square display used in the Passport, a smartphone it recently revealed. In a blog post, the smartphone manufacturer claims the Passport's 4.5-inch square and high-resolution screen provides the same viewing space as a normal 5-inch smartphone display, but provides a "better viewing experience" because of the device's width.
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06/20, 9:02am
BlackBerry CEO confirms impending app launch still on schedule
BlackBerry is preparing to release the Windows Phone version of its BlackBerry Messenger app, one the company said it would release by the summer. The messaging client, joining the iOS and Android versions as well as BlackBerry OS devices, was advised by CEO John Chen as coming out on time, though he stopped short of providing a specific release date.
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06/19, 5:16pm
Wide BlackBerry Passport briefly demonstrated by CEO John Chen
BlackBerry will be shipping two devices this fall, including one device the manufacturer unveiled today during its quarterly financial results release. The BlackBerry Classic, previously shown as the BlackBerry Q20, will be joined by the BlackBerry Passport, a device formerly codenamed as "Windermere," though CEO John Chen avoided mentioning any major specifications for either device.
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06/19, 8:13am
Change in cash value temporarily boosts BlackBerry bottom line
Depending on how the numbers are examined, BlackBerry's latest quarterly earnings report either indicates a claw back to profitability, or yet another quarter in which they fell short. Revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2015 was $966 million, down $10 million from the previous quarter. Based just on this, the company lost $60 million, but once a "change in the fair value" from funds allocated from the restructuring effort are taken into effect, the company claims to have earned $23 million in profit.
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06/18, 9:31am
Licensing deal brings 240,000 Amazon apps to BlackBerry 10 devices
Owners of BlackBerry smartphones will soon have more apps to choose from, thanks to a licensing arrangement with Amazon. BlackBerry OS version 10.3 will include the Amazon Appstore when it ships in the fall, with the deal giving users more than 240,000 Android apps to use, on top of those already offered through the company's own BlackBerry World store.
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06/16, 1:43pm
Security-minded BBM Protected adds extra layer of encryption on messaging
BlackBerry is attempting to reassert itself in the business messaging market, by offering a version of its service with enhanced protection designed for regulated industries, such as government agencies or financial services. BBM Protected is the first launch in its eBBM suite of apps, using a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic library to secure the message between both participants, on top of the company's existing BBM security model.
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05/29, 9:52am
Company to return to security, enterprise roots for recovery
BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen, partially overshadowed by Apple's Beats announcement, appeared at Code and declared that while BlackBerry has "a lot of problems" it is "not dead." Responding to a question by hosts about the long-term survival of BlackBerry in a challenging environment, Chen reported that he was "quite confident that we'll be able to save the patient."
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05/13, 6:20pm
Foxconn built device to sell for $190, features 5-inch display, 1.2 GHz processor
Blackberry officially announced the release of its low-priced, entry-level Z3 phone, which will go on sale tomorrow in Indonesia. The Z3 will see a special release named the "Jakarta Edition" when it goes on sale for $190. Blackberry's most recent device will try to recapture the Indonesian market share, which was as low as 14 percent in 2013.
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04/28, 1:39pm
Android still vastly dominant on global level
The iPhone managed some modest sales share gains in Japan, Europe, and Australia during the March quarter, according to new smartphone data from Kantar Worldpanel. Japan was the strongest of the bunch, advancing 8.6 points year-over-year to 57.6 percent. The country is in fact the only one where the iPhone outstripped Android. Even in the US, where Apple is based, the iPhone dipped from 43.7 percent to 35.9 percent last quarter, whereas Android devices grew from 49.3 percent to 57.6.
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04/24, 12:05pm
Samsung follows close behind
Apple has topped a 2014 JD Power ranking of customer satisfaction among US smartphone owners. Each smartphone maker is scored according to metrics for performance, physical design, features, and ease of use, and relative to each of the four major US carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Apple is in first place with all four carriers, but trailed closely by Samsung.
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04/14, 10:14am
BlackBerry will update iOS, Android BBM apps over Heartbleed security flaw
BlackBerry has added itself to the list of companies working to fix issues caused by the 'Heartbleed' OpenSSL security flaw. Senior vice president Scott Totzke told Reuters that, though the majority of BlackBerry products are unaffected, by not using OpenSSL, it will still need to issue updates to Secure Work Space corporate e-mail and the BlackBerry Messenger clients for iOS and Android.
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04/10, 9:51am
Failure to profit could see BlackBerry exit smartphone business
BlackBerry could sell off its hardware business entirely if it fails to return to profitability in the near future, the company's CEO has suggested. In an interview with Reuters, John Chen advised the manufacturer would consider exiting the smartphone hardware market if hardware sales do not improve to a point where the company becomes profitable.
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04/02, 12:18am
'Uncarrier' will still honor existing contracts, warranties for BlackBerry devices
Users seeking BlackBerry phones for sale on T-Mobile will soon be out of luck. The Canadian manufacturer announced today that it will let its agreement with T-Mobile expire, preventing the sale of hardware. Both companies will honor existing warranties and service contracts past the April 25 expiration date, however.
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