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RIM, T-Mobile tease BlackBerry 7 event March 15

02/13, 7:25pm

Invite titled "What's Next"

RIM and T-Mobile have reportedly scheduled an event on March 15 to highlight "the latest and greatest T-Mobile BlackBerry technology." The invitation does not shed light on a specific device, however it does highlight BlackBerry OS 7 alongside the vague "What's Next" tagline.

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10-inch BlackBerry Playbook, accessories spotted at DevCon

02/13, 4:50pm

BlackBerry PlayBook 10, docks seen early

A Czech sighting in backrooms at BlackBerry DevCon Europe has claimed to show not just upcoming accessories for the PlayBook but the rumored 10-inch PlayBook. BlackBerryCzech claimed to have seen one within several feet but was denied a chance at a photo. The design was supposedly working and left open a chance the new version might show either at Mobile World Congress this month or, more likely, DevCon Americas in May.

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RIM gives developers free PlayBooks for two more weeks

02/13, 4:30pm

RIM extends free PlayBook offer, adds dev types

RIM has just revealed it will expand its free PlayBook promotion for Android developers by two weeks. What's more, it has expanded the offer to Native C/C++, HTML5, Adobe AIR, and Qt developers. The offer was due to end on Monday, but was extended due to the overwhelming interest, RIM said.

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RIM director likens ex-CEOs to Steve Jobs in odd defense

02/13, 4:00pm

RIM director Martin justifies slow turnaround

RIM director Roger Martin in an unusual interview with the Globe and Mail defended RIM's decision to hold for years before bringing in a new CEO. He saw there being no option for an outside CEO until RIM had groomed one from the inside, with outsiders being "morons from the outside" who would inevitably gut the BlackBerry designer. Martin went so far as to liken the departing Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis to the late Steve Jobs, insisting that only the two were talented enough and that RIM couldn't afforded an involuntarily exodus.

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NOAA switches support from BlackBerry to iOS

02/09, 4:20pm

iPhones, iPads become de facto hardware

The US government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is dropping BlackBerries from the roster of supported devices for workers, reports indicate. A memo from CIO Joseph Klimavicz, dated February 3rd, is said to show that BlackBerry support will end after May 12th. Beyond that point, the organization is throwing its weight behind iOS, the minimum standards being iOS 5, an iPhone 4, or an iPad 2.

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Foursquare on iOS, Android updates with new Explore, menus

02/08, 5:40pm

Foursquare 4.2 packs Explore remake and more

Foursquare updated its iOS (App Store) and Android (Market) apps Wednesday to roll in some of the features seen from the web. Explore now has contextual results for locations, such as pushing restaurants to the top at dinnertime, what friends have been doing, and whether they're on lists. A filter lets users skew the results to look for undiscovered places or those friends visit frequently.

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T-Mobile gives all phones, some tablets for free Feb. 11

02/07, 11:00pm

Promotion ahead of Valentine's day

T-Mobile has announced that its entire range of phones, and a number of tablets, will be offered for free during a one-day promotion on Saturday, February 11. The "Valentine's Day Sale" applies to smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S II, BlackBerry Bold 9900, HTC Amaze 4G and Nokia Lumia 710, along with the SpringBoard tablet and the Sonic 4G hotspot.

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RIM: BlackBerry App World more profitable than Android

02/07, 7:50am

RIM talks App World growth relative to rivals

RIM's Developer Relations VP Alec Saunders made aggressive claims about the state of BlackBerry App World at his company's DevCon Europe keynote on Tuesday morning. He contended that the store was the second-most profitable mobile app store after Apple's own and that Android lagged behind significantly. Along with having more overall paid downloads than the normally larger Google shop, BlackBerry titles typically made about 40 percent more revenue than their paid Android counterparts.

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Halliburton jumps ship from BlackBerry to iPhone

02/06, 2:25pm

Halliburton defects from BlackBerry to iOS

RIM has taken one of its largest, more conspicuous blows as a leaked e-mail and subsequent confirmation have revealed on Monday that Halliburton is switching from the BlackBerry to the iPhone. After "significant research," according to an AppleInsider copy of the memo, the controversial energy giant has told staff that it will transition from the BlackBerry to the iPhone, described at first as a one-year transition but now described as two. Apple's platform had superior features, controls, and app development security, Halliburton said.

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Microsoft prepping Dynamics CRM apps for iPad, other devices

02/06, 1:10pm

Interface should avoid web limitations

Microsoft is at work on several mobile app versions of its Dynamics CRM platform, a preview (PDF) reveals. This includes an app for iOS devices, which will require iOS 5, but have access to native iPad and iPhone interfaces. Other apps are planned for Microsoft's own Windows Phone platform, as well as Android and BlackBerry.

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NPD: iPhone top-selling US phone, Android goes to newcomers

02/06, 10:35am

NPD Q4 2011 results show iPhone bounce back

The iPhone is now the top-selling cellphone of any kind in the US, the NPD Group determined on Monday. As of the fall, the iPhone 4S was the bestselling device in the field. Apple also managed a clean sweep of the top three, with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS at second and third places.

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Canalys: iPhone, Android ruled 2011, Nokia now leads Windows

02/03, 4:30pm

Canalys Q4 and year-end 2011 shows change of guard

A Canalys wrap-up of 2011 smartphone share painted an overall picture that kept Apple and Google in front, but also provided clearer pictures of Windows Phone. Android was just short of an absolute majority at 48.8 percent, while the iPhone held 19.1 percent. Nokia's Symbian and RIM's BlackBerry still held on to the double digits at 16.4 percent and 10.5 percent each.

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Telus clears out Wi-Fi BlackBerry PlayBooks ahead of 3G

02/03, 2:15pm

Telus phases out all three Wi-Fi PlayBooks

Canadian wireless provider Telus has now deemed that the three Wi-Fi models of the BlackBerry PlayBook seven-inch tablet has reached the end of its life. As such, no returns are being accepted, no new ones are being ordered, and the carrier is clearing them out for the lower price yet, at just $150 CAD for both the 16GB and 32GB versions. The 64GB models are slightly more expensive, at $300.

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RIM gives free PlayBooks for Android app submissions

02/02, 10:00pm

Promotion runs for two weeks

Research In Motion is currently running a promotion for Android developers, handing out free BlackBerry PlayBooks to devs that submit apps to the BlackBerry App World. The program was announced by RIM's VP of developer relations, Alec Saunders, in a recent Twitter post.

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comScore: iPhone now matching Android in growth rate

02/02, 3:55pm

comScore Q4 2011 has Android at 47pc, iPhone 30

The sustained effect of the iPhone 4S launch has kept the iPhone growing at the same pace as Android in the US. Google's platform grew a collective 2.5 points over the fall to 47.3 percent, but Apple nearly matched it with a 2.2 percent hike to 29.6 percent. As with much of the past year, the two were only really drawing from other platforms, with the BlackBerry down nearly three points to 16 percent.

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RIM tries new tact with ‘Be Bold’ ad campaign

02/02, 5:40am

RIM launches new ad campaign to boost share

RIM has started a new ad campaign aimed at highlighting the simplicity and workhorse-like nature of its smartphones, focusing on the streamlined strengths of its platform. One of the features that gets renewed emphasis is RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger service, which has helped to make it one of the most popular handsets among teens in the UK. The new spots include phrases such as ‘I’m about action, not distraction’ as well as ‘we need tools, not toys,’ playing on one of the hackneyed criticisms of the iPhone.

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Wind Mobile to launch Galaxy Nexus, BlackBerry Bold 9790

02/01, 11:25pm

LG's Optimus 2X also makes the lineup

Canadian cellular provider Wind Mobile has confirmed that it is set to launch several new smartphones, including Samsung's Galaxy Nexus and RIM's BlackBerry Bold 9790 and the BlackBerry Curve 9360 in white. The announcement marks further expansion of the Nexus into the Canadian market, following on the heels of Rogers, Telus, Bell and Virgin Mobile.

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BlackBerry 7 cleared for US, Canadian governments

02/01, 1:05pm

BlackBerry 7, 7.1 phones earn government nod

RIM said Wednesday that BlackBerry 7- and 7.1-powered devices have earned a coveted FIPS 140-2 certification. The standard means they can now be used by the US and Canadian governments, as they meet stringent security stipulations as outlined by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA). The current devices that comply include the Bold 9900, 9930, and 9790; the Torch 9850, 9860, and 9810; and the Curve 9350, 9360, 9370, and 9380.

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BlackBerry London render leaks as RIM may try full US attack

01/31, 7:25pm

RIM-made BlackBerry London render escapes

RIM's BlackBerry London has been refined in looks ahead of what could be an attempt to return to the US in force. New leaks to CrackBerry have the render of the first BlackBerry 10 phone's expected finished look making it considerably more refined than the very angular, Porsche Design-like look of a dummy unit. A presumably mock screenshot also points to a more refined media player than either on BlackBerry 7 or on the PlayBook.

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Lazaridis says RIM groomed Heins for CEO

01/29, 6:40pm

RIM had prepped Heins for possible CEO spot

RIM's departing co-chief Mike Lazaridis chose an unofficial exit interview this weekend to uncover the amount of preparation for new CEO Thorsten Heins. He explained to The Record that they had started succession plans years ago and that Heins had been kept in mind. He was a "star" already, but he had to prove his worth and take on more roles before he could take on the position.

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RIM: only 20% use modern BlackBerrys, LTE PlayBook in spring

01/28, 1:30am

RIM to focus on upgrading current BlackBerry users

RIM's new leader Thorsten Heins in further interviews has outlined how he plans to take on competition in the short term. He revealed to Reuters that just 20 percent of BlackBerry owners are using a modern version of the OS, in some cases using BlackBerry 5 or even older. Much of the company's focus would be on getting them to upgrade to new phones, including special carrier deals that could bundle devices together or give carriers phones with bundled apps.

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RIM CEO: we're looking into BBM on other platforms

01/27, 4:25pm

RIM CEO hints BBM may be open to iOS and Android

RIM's new CEO Thorsten Heins has continued his interviewing with hints the company might not be as closed to the possibility of BlackBerry Messenger on other mobile platforms as once thought. He told CrackBerry that he was still committed to the core BlackBerry platform and there weren't immediate plans, but that the company "should never rule this [possibility] out." The company did have staff exploring the possibility, but it would only go ahead if it was logical.

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ABI: Android has lost market share for first time

01/27, 11:10am

ABI says iPhone 4S rise led to Android loss

Apple's record iPhone sales have led to Android shrinking for the first time in its over three-year history, ABI Research estimated Friday. Operating on the belief that next-closest Samsung shipped 33 million smartphones, it had Android's collective share drop from 52.5 percent in the summer to 47 percent this fall. Apart from the iPhone 4S' launch effect, Android had 'sagging midsection' where LG, Motorola, and Sony had been fighting just to become profitable.

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Data confirms Apple again tops in smartphones, 8.3% overall

01/27, 7:50am

IHS iSuppli and Strat Analytics show Apple shift

Separate IHS iSuppli and Strategy Analytics studies Friday have backed Apple's rapid return to the top of the smartphone space in the fall. Determining that Samsung had shipped 36 million smartphones, slightly higher than Samsung's preliminary estimates, IHS iSuppli put Apple's 37 million iPhones just on top. Although Samsung nearly quadrupled the amount of smartphones it shipped and moved more year-long, Apple's higher starting point meant it could just double its yearly shipments to stay competitive.

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New RIM chief tries rival devices, vows 'a lot' of change

01/27, 12:15am

RIM CEO willing to try opponents' devices, more

New info trickling out from a CrackBerry interview with new RIM CEO Thorsten Heins may assuage some early fears that he was locked into his predecessors' management style. The new executive made a point not just to use Android, iOS, and other platforms himself but a "whole team" that both looks at the competition and sees what doesn't work. Even his children are involved, he said.

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Detailed BlackBerry leak shows Curve's BBM key, media server

01/26, 12:45pm

BlackBerry 2012 roadmap exposed in huge detail

An extremely detailed RIM roadmap has leaked to BGR that shows even more than what was shown yesterday. Along with confirming the 1.5GHz, 3G- and NFC-equipped PlayBook refresh, the scoop shows that the BlackBerry Curve 9220 and 9320 will make BlackBerry Messenger a central feature. Both will have a built-in BBM key on the side, making a return to chat a one-button feature.

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Sprint axes BlackBerry PlayBook, Evo 4G this week

01/25, 2:00pm

Sprint to phase out PlayBook, Evo 4G, more

A leaked End-of-Life (EOL) report shared by SprintFeed reveals Sprint will phase out the BlackBerry PlayBook, HTC Evo View 4G, and Evo View 4G before month's end. The shipments to carrier stores will decrease before ceasing altogether. The discontinuation of the two tablets could be an indication Sprint is readying sequels, although only the PlayBook refresh has been hinted at so far.

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Sony claims to lead UK's non-iPad tablet share

01/25, 12:00am

Sony Tablet S and P claim 26pc of UK rival tablets

Sony staked out an odd consolation prize Tuesday for tablet market share. It pointed to GfK data that showed the Tablet S and Tablet P as the most popular Android tablets in the UK at least as of October, the combination of the two amounting to 26 percent of the market. The figure was calculated by value, rather than sheer units, but might have favored Sony even more since the majority Tablet S costs as much or slightly less than the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

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RIM roadmap hints 1.5GHz PlayBook, two BlackBerry 10 devices

01/24, 12:15pm

RIM may fight back with major hardware updates

RIM's hopes for 2012 might be brighter after a potential roadmap leak. According to a BGR tip, the BlackBerry PlayBook would get an update a year into its life with a 1.5GHz (presumably TI OMAP) processor, 42Mbps HSPA+ 3G, and NFC for tags and payments. It would reportedly ship in May or June.

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New RIM CEO Thorsten Heins faces early investor backlash

01/24, 6:55am

Heins faces investor backlash for status quo angle

Following RIM’s the rise of Thorsten Heins to rank of CEO of the troubled maker of BlackBerry smartphones and mobile devices, sentinment from observers was tempered. However, early comments by Heins suggesting that drastic change is not necessary have been seized upon by disgruntled investors who believe they signal a quick demise for new head of the company. While pleased that former co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie had stepped aside, thus removing a potential barrier to the possible sale of the company, not all investors are satisfied that the move is enough to save the embattled Canadian handset maker.

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21 percent of iPhone 4S buyers picking 64GB, survey claims

01/23, 3:35pm

36 percent upgrading from other platforms

About 21 percent of iPhone 4S buyers are opting for the top-end 64GB model, despite a $399 US pricetag, a Consumer Intelligence Research Partners survey suggests. The group recently surveyed 365 people who bought a 4S during the December quarter, narrowing down candidates from an initial range of 6,316 respondents. The 4S is the first iPhone to have a 64GB option instead of just 8, 16, or 32GB.

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Ovum thinks Android will top iOS in development by 2013

01/23, 11:10am

Analysis claims Android may take top dev spot

Ovum on Monday predicted based on a developer survey that Android would become more important to developers than iOS by the start of 2013. While Apple would still be the other major platform creator to write for, the research firm saw the momentum in hardware leading to Google taking the edge. Ovum didn't give ratios for how much of a lead it expected.

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New RIM CEO will be 'more consumer oriented,' expand BB10

01/23, 8:55am

RIM CEO explains strategy in conference call

RIM's newly appointed CEO Thorsten Heins during a conference call discussing his new position made clear there would be a shift in strategy early on. Expanding on hints from earlier, he said the company would be "closer to our consumer bases" than its still primarily enterprise-focused strategy. More of the attention would be in the US, an area that has been a weak point as Android and the iPhone have taken over.

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RIM CEOs resign in surprise step, Heins takes over

01/22, 10:00pm

RIM CEOs quit unexpectedly

In a surprise step, RIM confirmed late Sunday that its two CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis would resign from their top positions. The two would stay on as board members and shareholders for the BlackBerry designer, they told the Wall Street Journal early, but would hand over direct leadership to one person, current COO Thorsten Heins. Board member Barbara Stymiest would be promoted to an independent board chairman.

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BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 may arrive February 17

01/21, 1:15pm

PlayBook 2.0 could have settled schedule

The BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 update could have a firm release date if a rumor late this week bears fruit. While multiple anecdotes of RIM's relayed to BerryReview had pointed to the exact middle of February, the site claimed to have a "very solid source" pointing to February 17 as the upgrade date. The schedule would have the release appearing five weeks after RIM gave its last public preview at CES.

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Verizon gets BlackBerry Curve 9370 for $100 after rebate

01/19, 3:30pm

Verizon offers BlackBerry Curve 9370 for sale

Verizon on Thursday began offering the BlackBerry Curve 9370, as expected. The handset supports both Verizon's native CDM as well as world roaming through quad-band GSM for voice as well as GPRS and EDGE data networks. NFC carries over.

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BlackBerry Bold 9900 gets NFC payments in Turkey

01/18, 9:45pm

Public rollout follows Telefonica trials

RIM has announced that it has teamed with Turkish carrier Turkcell to launch a NFC payment system. The mobile wallet application will initially be available on the BlackBerry Bold 9900, enabling users to make payments by tapping the handset against MasterCard PayPass readers throughout the country and abroad.

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Chitika: Kindle Fire has just 2.4% the web traffic of iPad

01/18, 7:35pm

Study shows iPad still in wide lead on tablet web

Apple's iPad still doesn't have any immediate threat from other tablets if web usage is an indicator, Chitika reckoned on Wednesday. For every 100 iPad web hits, just 2.4 came from the next-closest Amazon Kindle Fire. Its design sibling the BlackBerry PlayBook was next at about 1.8, while the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab families were near-even at 1.6.

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Check Point: iOS outpacing BlackBerry in corporate data use

01/18, 3:10pm

iOS edges ahead in corporate network use

A new study from Check Point on Wednesday hints that iOS use may have pushed past the BlackBerry in at least one metric for corporate use. Among the device types connecting to 768 IT pros' networks in the US, 30 percent said the most common was one of Apple's mobile types at 30 percent. Just slightly less, 29 percent, pointed to the BlackBerry as the most common, while only 21 percent were pointing to Android.

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Nielsen: iPhone 4S leading to Android share loss

01/18, 7:55am

Nielsen says iPhone 4S halted Android buzz

The sustained effect of the iPhone 4S is triggering a decline in Android's US market share, Nielsen showed Wednesday. Although Android had an average 51.7 percent share for the fall among recent buyers, a month-by-month breakdown by the researchers showed that its share among recent buyers dropped from 61.6 percent in October to 48.7 percent in November as iPhone sales traffic picked up. By December, Android and iOS were near even, at 46.9 and 44.5 percent each.

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Samsung insists it's not interested in buying RIM

01/17, 7:45pm

Samsung denies talk it might buy RIM

Samsung in a denied rumors that it might buy RIM. The Korean company said it hadn't considered buying the BlackBerry creator and was "not interested" in the prospect, representative James Chung told Reuters. He also rejected the most direct claim, that RIM had offered itself to Samsung.

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Old iPhones lead among used trades by iPhone buyers

01/17, 4:10pm

BlackBerry, Android devices trail behind

Amongst iPhone buyers selling or giving away old phones, 49 percent of the used devices are actually earlier iPhones, suggests Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. In a recent survey of iPhone 4S buyers, CIRP found that 53 percent of them were handing off an older phone for money or as a gift. Older iPhones dominated trades in that group, with BlackBerry and Android smartphones trailing behind at 21 and 15 percent, respectively. "Other" phones represented only 15 percent.

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Rumor: RIM trying to court buyout from Samsung

01/17, 2:40pm

RIM said optimistic in hoping for Samsung takeover

A contentious rumor Tuesday alleges that RIM has been trying to get a buyout offer from Samsung. The "trusted sources" for BGR had the company talking to anyone interested in buying some or all of the BlackBerry maker, but co-CEO Jim Balsillie was reportedly "going hard" for a Samsung deal. Samsung might want the company for adding enterprise-grade services and expanding or replacing ChatON with the more tightly integrated BlackBerry Messenger.

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BlackBerry roadmap rumor has 7-inch 3G, 10-inch 4G PlayBooks

01/16, 6:20pm

RIM schedule has broad BlackBerry, PlayBook plans

A purported roadmap for RIM's top-level 2012 strategy may have been uncovered on Monday. As portrayed by N4BB, RIM would have a "3G+" (likely HSPA+) version of the existing BlackBerry PlayBook design due for its one-year anniversary in April. The previously hinted-at 10-inch PlayBook would be coming with LTE for 4G, it said, but wouldn't arrive until December.

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Eyes on QNX's PlayBook-like car interface in a Porsche 911

01/14, 8:30pm

We check out QNX in a Porsche at CES 2012

A side section of RIM's booth at CES 2012 was dedicated to showing off the results of QNX's work in car dash technology since it was bought by RIM. Custom-modifying a Porsche 911's dash and center stack, QNX showed Electronista an interface very heavily inspired by the QNX-based BlackBerry PlayBook but tailored just to the environment of a car. It not only controlled phone calls (including VoIP), music playback, and navigation, but also Internet access and even an app platform.

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BlackBerry PlayBook's Bridge feature has security flaw

01/13, 9:45pm

RIM claims fix in 2.0, no known exploitation

Researchers from the Intrepidus Group, a provider of mobile application and device security services, has identified a potential security breach with the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The problem exists in the BlackBerry Bridge operation between the PlayBook and a BlackBerry smartphone. The exploit could allow an attacker to listen in on communications between the devices and intercept e-mail, calendar events, and other transmitted sensitive information.

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Verizon: all future smartphones will be LTE-based

01/12, 2:20pm

Verizon wants every smartphone to be LE in 2012

Virtually every Verizon smartphone in 2012 will be an LTE-based 4G device, hardware marketing associate director Keith Lampron said in a discussion Wednesday. It would now be a "hard requirement" for nearly all devices, he explained to CNET. Only push-to-talk phones and, presumably, basic feature phones would be exempt from the 4G demand.

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Hands-on: BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 mostly fixes tablet's woes

01/11, 7:15pm

We try PlayBook 2.0 at CES

RIM gave the media its first access to its BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 firmware at CES, and we've given it a test to see whether there's promise yet. Read ahead for a look at the firmware and whether it might help RIM recover its ailing position in tablets.

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Kodak intros Playfull Dual, EasyShare M750 at CES

01/10, 7:00pm

Kodak Playfull Dual with 1080p/60FPS video at CES

We stopped by Kodak's booth at CES to take a look at the company's recently unveiled EasyShare M750 and the equally new Playfull Dual. The former has been documented, and can upload photos to a Kodak's gallery or Facebook or upload videos to YouTube once the Share button is pressed. It also selection of social networks or e-mailed to a preset address. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi wasn't working and we weren't able to check this feature out.

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iPhone demand holds unusually high; Samsung, Motorola rise

01/09, 9:45am

HTC, RIM lose ground

While down slightly from a September survey, iPhone demand remained unusually high in December, according to new ChangeWave Research poll data. Of people planning to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days, 54 percent in the most recent survey said they were aiming to get an iPhone. While the number is down from 65 percent in September, ChangeWave remarks that Apple has never held such solid control more than two months after a major product release; the iPhone 4S shipped in mid-October.

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