11/18, 12:25pm
Exclusivity deals now hampering growth
The iPhone could soon become the UK's most popular smartphone, claims a Canalys analyst. Presenting at yesterday's Canalys Mobility Forum event in London, Pete Cunningham observed that the iPhone was the most popular smartphone in France during Q3 2009, a result of the end of an exclusive deal between Apple and regional carrier Orange. The French government ruled that the deal violated competition regulations.
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10/26, 7:45pm
RIM's CDMA counterpart to the 8520
The BlackBerry Curve 8530 has surfaced in a hands-on look ahead of its launch on Verizon. The smartphone represents RIM's CDMA counterpart to the Curve 8520, although the latest model offers a few extras. The pre-release device, obtained by CrackBerry, was contained in a box labeled Curve 2, although it remains unknown if the company will use the moniker with official marketing.
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10/14, 11:20pm
Hardware and software could be ready for public
RIM's BlackBerry Storm 2 has surfaced in several authorized reviews, potentially indicating the device is almost ready to be launched. Although several unauthorized videos have been circulated, the latest materials likely feature hardware and software that has been finalized for close scrutiny.
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10/02, 12:40pm
Provides closer Mac integration
As promised earlier this week, Research in Motion has launched a dedicated Mac management tool, now rechristened the BlackBerry Desktop Software. The app goes beyond BlackBerry Media Sync in order to also sync contacts, calendars, tasks and notes with a BlackBerry smartphone. "Popular Mac applications" are supported, including iCal, Entourage, Address Book and others.
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09/30, 10:00am
BlackBerry Atlas has EDGE, GSM support, Wi-Fi
A new BlackBerry handset has shown up in photos on the web recently, thanks to Salomondrin. The screen indicates the model is called an Atlas, but it bears a striking resemblance to the current BlackBerry Curve 8900, including its keyboard, but the back of this new handset has Bold stamped on its backside. The latest from RIM otherwise appears to have the same optical trackpad as the Curve 8520 and the upcoming Bold 9700.
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09/30, 9:35am
Brings native BlackBerry support to Macs
Canada's Research in Motion has revealed that a long-awaited Mac release of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager will be ready for download on October 2nd, at 1PM Eastern time. The software is mainly a first-party answer to titles like The Missing Sync, and lets users sync data from iCal, Entourage, Address Book and other unspecified programs. It also folds in BlackBerry Media Sync, the component which transfers iTunes playlists.
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09/23, 6:25pm
Software to be released in the near future
Research In Motion has disclosed additional details of its upcoming BlackBerry desktop software for Mac. The application will allow users to sync their smartphone to a single computer or multiple systems. Syncing to one system is said to be much quicker, although distributing the content to multiple computers is a safer method.
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09/16, 4:05pm
Environmental organization claims health threat
Apple's latest iPhone, the 3GS, ranks almost squarely in the middle of smartphones in terms of radiation output, a non-profit activist organization says. The Environmental Working Group notes that according to compiled data, the 3GS produces approximately 1.19W/kg of radiation. The figure is substantially lower than the worst-case examples, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and the Kyocera Jax S1300, which each produce 1.55W/kg.
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09/09, 11:00am
Ostracizing software-only strategies
Profits in the smartphone market are increasingly linked to a single business model, says Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf. At present there are two distinct approaches: integrated hardware and software, used by companies like Apple and Research in Motion, and a software licensing focus, favored by Google and Microsoft. The integrated approach is clearly winning, says Wolf, as evidenced by the growing control of BlackBerries and iPhones, and the secondary status of Android and Windows Mobile devices.
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09/08, 10:20pm
T-Mobile to get BlackBerry Onyx near end of year
T-Mobile has allegedly confirmed its plans to launch RIM's BlackBerry Bold 9700, known as the Onyx, sometime before the end of the year. The smartphone will support the carrier's UMA Wi-Fi calling service, available using HotSpot@Home, according to CIO. Press photos appear to confirm that RIM has omitted a trackball in favor of an optical pad.
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08/28, 11:25am
Palm Eos, Pre at Verizon?
A series of Verizon inventory screen captures reveals the wireless provider will soon receive a range of smartphones from Palm, RIM, HTC and Samsung. Two Palm devices, called P101 and P121 in Verizon's inventory, are likely to be the Pre and the Eos, suggesting the carrier is already preparing both to be the second CDMA carrier with the Pre and that it will have a second model as well. When the Pre arrives, Verizon will be just the third carrier to offer the handset, after Sprint and Canada's Bell.
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08/21, 4:50pm
Duracell intros myGrid cha
Battery maker Duracell has recently announced a charging system called myGrid that will charge cellphones and other devices placed on its surface. Similar in concept and execution to the WildCharge energy plate, the device can be ordered as a kit that is compatible with Apple's iPods, the iPod touch and the iPhone, as well as a number of handsets from Nokia, Motorola and RIM's BlackBerry handsets, though each kit requires a charging sleeve.
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08/12, 12:30pm
Gartner on iPhone sales
Apple has managed to hold on to its position as the third-largest smartphone maker in the world, says Gartner. The firm's research director, Carolina Milanesi, notes that Apple sold over 5.4 million iPhones in Q209, many times the 892,000 sold in the same quarter of 2008; the difference represents a greater growth than for any other smartphone company. By the end of the 2009 quarter, the business had reached 13.3 percent of worldwide sales. A third-place position was first achieved in Q308, on the back of much wider international distribution.
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08/11, 12:55pm
T-Mobile BlackBerry 9700
Research in Motion's rumored BlackBerry 9700 is real, according to a person with hands-on experience. A test phone was specifically branded for T-Mobile, which may suggest that the 9700 will be the first 3G BlackBerry for the carrier. The 9700 is also notable for being the second BlackBerry with an optical trackpad, after the Curve 8520. Most BlackBerries rely on a trackball to navigate menus.
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08/05, 2:55pm
RIM patents hybrid display
BlackBerry maker RIM is attempting to merge the best of both worlds when it comes to resistive and capacitive touchscreens, as it has recently applied for a patent for a touchscreen display with both types of sensors. With such a setup, the device would be capable of fast response to bare fingers and support multi-touch gestures but would still have high precision when using a stylus. The main disadvantage of capacitive touchscreens, price, promises to be an even bigger issue with the hybrid display, however, suggesting it would only be used high-end BlackBerry devices, such as sequels to the Storm.
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08/03, 3:45pm
Verizon cuts phones to $99
Carrier Verizon Wireless has dropped the price of virtually all of its smartphones to $99, observers note. Amounts are contingent on a two-year contract, but represent a major reduction in some circumstances, for instance lowering the cost of an HTC Touch Pro by $320. Only two phones remain above the $99 level: RIM's BlackBerry Tour and the Samsung Saga.
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08/03, 1:00pm
RIM video conferencing
RIM is reportedly working to integrate front-facing cameras on its Blackberry smartphones sometime next year, according to tinycomb. A company executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that video conferencing is something they have been working on for a "quite some time."
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07/21, 3:50pm
UAE BB update is spyware
Nearly 145,000 BlackBerry users in the United Arab Emirates got a text message from the country's provider, Etisalat, urging them to download an update that promised to boost performance recently. Instead, the update allegedly led to operating system crashes and drastically reduced battery life and could allow unauthorized access to private information stored on users' devices, including e-mails, according to a Tuesday BBC report. RIM, the maker of BlackBerry handsets, made a statement saying it had nothing to do with such an update and it was not authorized, developed or tested by the company.
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07/20, 11:55pm
Nortel blocking RIM bids?
Research In Motion on Monday publicly accused Nortel of effectively blocking acquisition bids through technicalities placed on the terms. Nortel is in the process of offloading a number of its product divisions following financial troubles, while RIM is allegedly willing to pay approximately $1.1 billion for the CDMA and Long Term Evolution Access businesses, along with "certain other Nortel assets."
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07/20, 2:45pm
BlackBerry iTunes sync
RIM on Monday announced that its BlackBerry desktop software is coming to the Mac platform later this summer. The program will allow the company's smartphones to sync with iTunes content, calendars, contacts, notes and tasks. Users will also be able to update their smartphone's firmware directly from the Mac interface, or back up content with encryption.
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07/20, 11:35am
Apple, RIM reap profits
America's Apple and Canada's Research in Motion now account for a disproportionate amount of global cellphone profits, says Deutsche Bank analyst Brian Modoff. Although together the companies produced only 3 percent of phones sold worldwide in 2008, profitwise, the companies accumulated 35 percent of all operating profits. The largest player in the market reamins Finland's Nokia, which produced 46 percent of phones and 55 percent of profits in 2008.
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07/16, 10:15am
BB OS 5.0 tabbed browsing
The upcoming and previously discussed BlackBerry OS 5.0 is now known to be getting a new tabbed browsing feature, which RIM has reportedly been working on for quite some time. A new beta build including the feature has been leaked to BGR, which claims mixed reactions to the current version. While opening new tabs is fairly easy, switching between multiple windows is considered unnecessarily difficult as there is no shortcut for the operation.
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07/15, 9:20am
Events for Curve 8520 due
Wireless provider T-Mobile and BlackBerry maker RIM are advertising that they're throwing launch parties for the Curve 8520 Curve starting July 20th, which indicates the device is expected to hit stores soon afterwards. There will be 51 such launch events across the US over the course of two weeks, with any of them requiring an invitation from either company. Once guests are invited, they need to register by July 19th for an event.
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07/13, 4:00pm
LG intros phone app store
LG Electronics announced on Monday it will launch an online applications store for mobile phones starting on Tuesday. The LG Application Store will offer about 1,400 apps in 15 languages and will expand to other markets before the end of 2009. The service will first hit Singapore, Malaysia and Australia before coming to Europe and South America sometime in 2009. Along with the market expansion, the number of available titles is also expected to grow to over 2,000. Just 100 of the early apps will be free.
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07/13, 3:45pm
MyBlackBerry Coming soon
RIM is developing a social network that would help surmount some of the weaknesses to its BlackBerry App World store, a late scoop suggests. Already in a dormant state, MyBlackBerry is seen by TechCrunch as catching up to the iPhone's App Store by letting the users share recommendations for apps outside of the store itself as well as other BlackBerry-related tips. The site should be device-savvy and tailor its content based on the model browsing the site.
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07/13, 10:00am
RIM music service coming
BlackBerry handset maker Research in Motion (RIM) will reportedly launch an online music download service for BlackBerries in order to compete with competitors Apple and Nokia. The application will be a result of a partnership with a UK-based music website, 7Digital and, according to 7Digital's marketing manager Peter Davis, will be free to download. In a unique approach, the quality will change depending on the network: BlackBerry users on a 3G network will download lower bitrate AAC tracks to save time, but can immediately move to 320Kbps MP3 downloads when on Wi-Fi. A sync feature will also connect the phone to a computer over Wi-Fi to transfer without requiring a USB link.
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04/30, 6:20pm
Cellphone shipments down
First-quarter cellphone shipments showed the worst fall ever, with a 13-percent drop from last year's numbers, according to a Strategy Analytics report. The industry experienced a similar drop in 2001, with a slide of 11 percent. The analysts explained the results as a consequence of retailer de-stocking and lowered consumer spending. All of the top five manufacturers saw a similar decline, although Samsung's sales only fell by one percent.
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04/16, 12:00pm
Verizon Hub app store
The Internet-connected Verizon Hub home phone may soon get its own applications store, according to a Wednesday report. The phone, launched in the US on February 1st, already gets updates through the Internet for weather and traffic information, and users can watch videos via Verizon's V CAST service, but is now set to open to third-party software that would enable new tasks using the Internet, GPS or both. One new use for it would be to give users the ability to access Internet radio stations, for example.
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04/06, 4:50pm
BlackBerry models specs
Basic specs of three upcoming BlackBerry handsets only known by their codenames have been leaked out by an unnamed source. A weekend BGR report reveals the BlackBerry Onyx will be a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS device featuring a GPS sensor, camera, Wi-Fi without UMA support, a large screen with 480x360 resolution and a QWERTY keyboard. AT&T will be the exclusive carrier of this handset.
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04/01, 11:05am
BlackBerry App World debut
Research in Motion (RIM) has used the opening of the CTIA conference to launch the BlackBerry App World, accessible via BlackBerry handsets. Users in the US, UK and Canada must have the v4.2 operating system loaded, but can then download free and paid apps made for their specific BlackBerry model, via Wi-Fi or cellular connections.
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03/05, 1:05pm
BlackBerry 9630 leaked
Research in Motion's Niagara smartphone has been revealed as the BlackBerry 9630, according to an alleged leak. If confirmed the phone should be only the second 9000-series BlackBerry to enter production, following the Bold. The 9630 is said to be a CDMA device, and a cosmetic hybrid of the Bold and the Curve 8900. While using the flattened keys of the Bold, the size, borders and display of the 9630 are closer in nature to the 8900.
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02/17, 3:55pm
Yahoo Mobile app coming
Yahoo on Tuesday announced at Mobile World Congress in Spain that it will soon release the Yahoo Mobile app for devices that include Apple's iPhone as well as feature phones and smartphones from Samsung, Nokia, RIM, Sony Ericsson and Motorola. Other phones that run on Windows Mobile will also be compatible with the new application. Among other things, Yahoo Mobile will let users search the Internet through its own engine and access new map tools.
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01/30, 12:05pm
Leaders in gaming phones
The Apple iPhone and RIM BlackBerry Curve have taken the place of cheaper devices as the most popular mediums for downloading cellphone games, according to a new comScore study. The iPhone in particular is said to have accounted for 14 percent of all game downloads in November, helping to displace Motorola's RAZR -- and other low- to mid-range devices -- as a primary platform. Some 32.4 percent of iPhone users are said to have downloaded a game in the month, compared to an industry average of just 3.8 percent.
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01/20, 12:45pm
RIM App Center in March
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has set out timing related to its forthcoming Application Center, reports say. Speaking at a music business conference in Cannes, co-CEO Jim Balsillie has announced that the company is currently accepting app submissions from developers, and will officially open the App Center in March as planned. It is unclear if submissions actually began in December, as first scheduled.
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01/05, 11:05am
Kaufman on Mac OS share
Adding to recently-released browser figures, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu notes that use of the Mac OS is not only growing, but accelerating. Figures based on OS and browser use are said to show that the Mac OS -- combining versions for computers and the iPhone -- grew its marketshare to 10 percent in December, a 0.75 percent increase over the 9.25 percent share achieved in November. November's growth was just 0.65 percent, Wu comments, and only a year ago, the Mac OS held 7.3 percent of the market.
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12/31, 6:30pm
T-Mobile schedule leaked
A leaked image posted on Tuesday revealed the upcoming release dates for a number of new cell phones coming to wireless provider T-Mobile. While some of the releases range from the relatively unexciting news of a new color option for an entry-level flip phone, the Sony Ericsson TM506 in a scarlet color on January 21st, and the release of Nokia's music-capable clamshell, the 7510, on the same date, they do include much-anticipated handsets such as the Shadow on January 28th.
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12/24, 11:00am
Curve 8900 release date
The Blackberry Curve 8900 will be released on February 18th, 2009, alongside the Samsung Memoir handset with an 8MP camera, according to a Tuesday report. While this is not an official announcement from Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) and the source has not been revealed, the date is one week later than an earlier, allegedely leaked launch date of February 11th and narrows down a projected timeframe.
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12/24, 10:50am
B.Berry Media Sync preview
Research in Motion has posted an initial release, dubbed the Preview Version, of BlackBerry Media Sync for Mac. The software is used to sync iTunes libraries with RIM's BlackBerry phones, which may otherwise require third-party apps to load music from a Mac. Much as with regular iPod and iPhone syncing, Media Sync allows users to transfer select playlists to a BlackBerry, or else a randomly-chosen assortment of songs.
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12/22, 11:20pm
Apple vs RIM market share
Apple has closed the gap with RIM in the smartphone market and leads in initial consumer satisfaction, according to a recent ChangeWave survey. The iPhone has steadily increased its market share, growing from just 11 percent in June to 23 percent in the December survey. Momentum continued well after the 3G launch, with a gain of six points from September to December. BlackBerry devices have held a fairly level dominance, with a slight drop of one point to 41 percent in the same period.
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12/19, 11:05am
UBS on RIM vs. Apple
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is surviving quite well in spite of the economy and competition from Apple, says UBS analyst Maynard Um. In announcing the results of its fall quarter yesterday, RIM revealed that it had shipped 6.7 million phones during the period, well ahead of what forecasts had predicted. This is being attributed to the release of two high-profile BlackBerries, the Storm and the Bold, which have drawn considerable attention from both the media and the public.
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12/05, 4:00pm
Verizon Storm update
Verizon has officially released the 4.7.0.75 firmware update today for the BlackBerry Storm handset made by Research In Motion (RIM). The update addresses the newly released handset's numerous issues, including a large amount of lag, voice-dialing problems and need to perform reboots. While the update was leaked to a select few Storm users last week, this release will cover all Storm owners.
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11/25, 4:15pm
Samsung settles lawsuit
Right before the US International Trade Commission was to make a decision on recommending to ban import of Samsung's high-speed data cellphones such as the Blackjack II and Instinct, InterDigital and Samsung have settled an ongoing patent infringement lawsuit. A Tuesday WSJ report says the two companies came to an agreement on Monday. InterDigital received $1.5 billion dollars from the likes of Apple and RIM largely from royalties from the use of patented high-speed broadband technology called 3G in their iPhone and Blackberry handsets, respectively. The two biggest cellphone makers, however, Nokia and Samsung, did not pay InterDigital and were consequently sued.
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11/17, 10:00pm
Memory patent dispute
Memory chip maker Spansion has taken legal action that could result in import bans that would block shipments of iPods and Blackberry handsets, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company filed a lawsuit in a Delaware federal court and submitted a complaint to the US International Trade Commission. Although the memory company is not directly attacking Apple or RIM, it has accused Samsung of violating its flash chip patents. The components in question are contained in Apple, RIM, Lenovo, Sony Ericsson, and Telefon Ericsson products.
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11/10, 9:50am
iPhone highly reliable?
The iPhone is an extremely reliable smartphone, a study from a warranty extension company claims. SquareTrade says that within one year of ownership, the failure rate for the iPhone is just 5.6 percent; this is half the rate for Research in Motion's BlackBerry phones, and almost three times less than the 16.2 percent for Palm's Treo line. While no iPhone has been available for two years, the projected failure rate in that timeline is only 9.2 percent, compared to proven rates of 14.3 percent for BlackBerries and 21 percent for Treos.
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11/06, 5:35pm
Nokia smartphone share
Research firm Canalys has reinforced the observations that the strong growth of iPhone and Blackberry sales has come at the expense of Nokia's market share in the smartphone segment, according to Reuters. The analysis showed a drop in Nokia's share from 51.4 percent in last year's quarter to 38.9 percent this year. In contrast, Apple grew to 17.3 percent while RIM also gained share to reach 15.2 percent in the quarter.
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11/06, 11:50am
iPhone tops on J.D. Power
Apple and the iPhone have placed first in a customer satisfaction survey targeting business users of smartphones, according to J.D. Power and Associates. The survey evaluated phone makers using a thousand-point score, with devices ranked in categories of descending priority; these included "ease of operation," "operating system," "physical design," "handset features" and "battery aspects." Apple scored customer satisfaction of 778, mainly due to the ease-of-use, design and feature criteria.
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10/28, 4:05pm
No iPhones in Congress
The US House of Representatives is not likely to adopt the iPhone in the near future, according to a press secretary. Recent reports had indicated that Congressional staff were testing iPhones for possible support; phones must not only meet technical needs but qualify for an allowance distributed to each representative's office. Jeff Ventura, speaking on behalf of Congressional chief administrative officer Dan Beard, now explains that while there has been "some interest from offices" for the iPhone, there is little chance of the device becoming standard.
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10/23, 3:35pm
MS exec on iPhone sales
People should not be too impressed by sales figures for the iPhone, argues a Microsoft executive. Robbie Bach, who operates the Entertainment & Devices Division which produces Windows Mobile, says that while Apple's quoted shipments of almost 6.9 million iPhones are certainly impressive, the true test of the product will be if it can maintain sales momentum over the long term. The fact that Apple outsold chief rival Research in Motion in the last quarter is not as important as it might initially appear, Bach notes.
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10/21, 9:25pm
Jobs speaks on Q4 call
Apple on Tuesday released its third quarter financial results call as a stream on its website, surprising some with the presence of company CEO Steve Jobs, who even stuck around to answer some questions towards the end. Jobs expressed his excitement over a number of accomplishments; most notably that Apple has surpassed RIM in unit sales for the quarter, with over 6.9 million units shipped, versus 6.1 million shipped by RIM.
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09/29, 4:00pm
BlackBerry Storm photos
Official promotional photos of the highly-anticipated Blackberry Storm smartphone have been leaked over the weekend, showing the home screen and confirming some of its specifications and that it will be available exclusively at Verizon Wireless. The RIM handset’s large 3.25-inch, 480x360 touchscreen shows the menu will have eight shortcut buttons, with one dedicated to Verizon’s VZ Navigator application.
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