Category Archives: BlackBerry
Guest Post: The new Z10 – will it knock the competition into touch?
by Tim Douthwaite, head of mobile sales with Ardencom
So what does can we make of the newly launched BB10 powered BlackBerry Z10? I’d summarise my verdict into three sections: – the handset; functionality; and cost.
The handset
I’d say that from a distance, lying on the desk, the handset could easily be mistaken for an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S2. Continue reading
Monitise revenues up by a fifth as user base grows
On track for full year income of at least £70m
Shares in UK mobile money firm, Monitise, are expected to rise when trading opens later today [11th February 2013] after the company reported revenues of £27.8 million in the first half-year to end-December, up by more than a fifth with gross margins soaring by 72 per cent from 64 per cent for the same period in the previous year. There was also strong growth in user generated revenue on a reported and organic basis, up 164 per cent and 70 per cent respectively. Continue reading
BlackBerry’s new Z10 ‘selling out’ in UK stores
British consumers are flocking to buy BlackBerry’s new Z10 smartphone, early research suggests, with some stores reporting they have already sold out of white versions.
According to US analysts Jefferies & Co. and based on interviews with UK channel suppliers, EE, Carphone Warehouse, Vodafone and O2 are all witnessing strong demand for the device with pre orders of “several hundred thousand” cited. Stocks of the slightly less popular black Z10 are said to be fast diminishing too. Continue reading
BlackBerry 10: re-designed, re-engineered, and re-invented
BlackBerry 10 platform launches on two new smartphones
Press release
January 30th 2013. BlackBerry has launched BlackBerry 10, the re-designed, re-engineered, and re-invented BlackBerry platform that creates a new and unique mobile computing experience. Available on two new LTE-enabled smartphones, the BlackBerry Z10 (all-touch) and BlackBerry Q10 (touch with physical keyboard) smartphones powered by BlackBerry 10 offer you a faster, smarter and smoother experience than any other BlackBerry you have used before. Continue reading
RIM/BlackBerry may have ultimate BYOD killer app
Rating: Lost in the BB10 disappointment is BlackBerry Balance
Of course, it was about time that Research In Motion (RIM) finally got wise to the fact that in future we can finally refer to the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone as BlackBerry instead. Good move. Years too late, though. RIM displayed an obvious ignorance of the power of brands by not renaming beforehand, of course. Overall, the industry reaction to the new Z10 hasn’t been very positive. However, that’s probably because mobile generalists fail to appreciate what put the BlackBerry up the top in the first place. It is a corporate tool. And the introduction of the new BlackBerry Balance feature means that organisations will feel a lot safer about deploying these smartphones within their own BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategy. Continue reading
RIM’s shares down nearly 8% soon after BB10 launch
Shares in Canadian manufacturer RIM went into a nosedive in New York today [30th January] as investors seemingly acted unfavourably towards the firm’s vital BlackBerry launch.
Within less than an hour after CEO Thorsten Heins took to the stage at a nearby venue, the company’s shares plunged nearly 8 per cent to just under $15 by midday. Continue reading
RIM will struggle to serve its two masters with BB10
Rating: BB10 device needs to be priced as premium or mass market
Industry pundits are waiting with bated breath to see what RIM will actually do when it announces its long awaited BlackBerry 10 device or devices today [January 30th 2013]. However, Malik Saadi, a principal analyst with Informa Telecoms & Media believes that RIM will struggle to serve its two masters: – the developed countries in North America and Europe and the emerging markets. Saadi argues the BlackBerry Curve has enabled RIM to attract a large audience in the other regions, mainly young professionals and students. If RIM is to target the same audience in these emerging markets, the new BB10 device should not be priced higher than US$250, Saadi says. That, of course, is unlikely to happen if RIM is to rebuild its image as a supplier of premium smartphones. Continue reading
New BlackBerry phone ‘available at Vodafone stores from tomorrow’
Comes free with a two year contract, it’s claimed
Vodafone customers will be able to get their hands on RIM‘s new BlackBerry 10 phones within less than 24 hours of today’s launch, it’s claimed. According to The Verge website which says it was tipped off by one of the carrier’s employees, an internal memo reveals how customers will be able to order their BlackBerry Z10 online at 5pm today and then pick it up at any Vodafone store tomorrow [January 31st 2013]. Continue reading
Get ready to switch to RIM’s BB10
Rating: GoMo’s Top Tips for migrating from an old Berry to the latest models
With RIM all set to launch the very latest version of its mobile OS – BlackBerry 10, tomorrow [January 30th 2013], it has drawn our attention to the process of migrating from one BlackBerry model to another. The need for backups is therefore a must. GoMobile News thought it might be useful to provide some Top Tips for doing so from our recent experience of migrating from an 8250 to a 9320. We don’t know how much easier it might be to migrate to a BB10 device yet but there’s no harm in being safe rather than sorry. Continue reading
Lenovo boss down-plays RIM acquisition remarks
Didn’t mean it, he says, after shares in Canadian phone maker shoot up
Chinese electronics giant Lenovo is playing down reports that it is planning a takeover bid for RIM, a rumour that pushed the Canadian manufacturer’s shares up by 2.3 per cent last week, adding to earlier gains brought on by excitement surrounding the launch of its long-awaited BlackBerry 10 devices on Wednesday [30th January 2013]. Continue reading
UK retailers favour Samsung over Apple, says survey
Commission hungry sales bods reckon Korean maker’s devices are safer bet
A mystery shopper survey of UK high streets has revealed that Samsung’s smartphones are the most recommended by retailers, with BlackBerry and LG devices rarely suggested. The survey, by Informa Telecoms and Media, found that the Samsung Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note II were the most recommended, followed by the iPhone 5. Phones from other manufacturers such as ZTE, Motorola, LG, RIM and Nokia were rarely proffered to customers. Continue reading
Crucial milestone for RIM as it starts shipping new BES
Download now available ahead of next week’s BB10 smartphone launch
RIM has begun shipping its long awaited BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10) operating system, designed to support its upcoming BB10 smartphones also due to be launched next week. Available as a download to governments and corporate clients, it also offers support for the Canadian maker’s PlayBook tablets, Android devices, plus Apple’s iPhone and iPad iOS products through a unified web-based console. Continue reading
RIM extends deadline for BB10 app developers
App developers have been given a stay of execution if they still want to be considered for RIM’s Built for BlackBerry programme.
With just nine days to go before the much-awaited BlackBerry 10 platform is launched, the Canadian manufacturer has extended the deadline for developers to 18th February 2013.
Under the programme, developers who commit to building high quality, BB10 exclusive apps stand to earn at least $10,000 providing the idea qualifies and earns at least $1,000 in downloads over the next 12 months from 4th March 2013. If sales fail to reach the $10k mark, RIM pledges to make up the shortfall itself. Continue reading
RIM’s shares surge as ad images of new OS are leaked
BlackBerry maker RIM saw a near 14 per cent jump in its share price on Nasdaq last night [11th January 2012] after images of its much-awaited new phone platform were leaked.
RapidBerry, which focuses on BlackBerry matters, posted images of what it claims to be a series of retail advertisement mock-ups which show the OS in various states. It included shots of the BlackBerry 10 home screen and various applications. Continue reading
UK MVNOs may be losing that personal touch
Rating: Virgin Media/Mobile UK fails to impress
It is always dangerous to base an assumption on such a low sample, but the experience of one Brit cellular user has raised our curiosity. This particular reader has been on a 24 month contract with Virgin Media (formerly Virgin Mobile UK) for a BlackBerry Curve 8520 which was utilised purely for work email purposes and not personal calls. Given that the contract will finally expire early this month [January 2013], he called Virgin hoping that the firm’s customer retention policy would at least secure an equivalent deal. No such luck. The agent only made a feeble effort to entice him onto the most expensive tariff. Continue reading
