Cheaper BlackBerry to sell in emerging markets

OTTAWA - BlackBerry unveiled a new low-cost smartphone on Tuesday that it intends to sell in emerging markets and elsewhere starting mid-year.

The so-called BlackBerry Q5 boasts a 7.9 centimeter (3.1 inch) touchscreen display, a full keyboard similar to its higher-end Q10 model, and runs on the same BB10 operating system launched in January.

"I know it's going to be a big hit," BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins told an applications developer conference in Orlando, Florida that was webcast live.

The device looks similar to the Q10, and will be offered in multiple colors (black, white, red, and pink), and with many of the same features as its flagship Z10 and Q10 smartphones.

The BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 retail for $599. The company had signalled its intention to roll out a cheaper smartphone, but pricing for the Q5 has not yet been announced.

Read More

Blackberry PlayBook update delay

26 October 2011 Last updated at 20:38 GMT RIM had hoped the update would help drive sales of the PlayBook over the holiday season The maker of the Blackberry PlayBook has delayed an update to the tablet computer's operating system until next year.

Research In Motion said it expects to deliver the software in February. It had been due this month.

RIM has admitted that sales of the device are lower than it anticipated. It acknowledged customers want native email, calendar and contacts applications.

The update aims to add the features.

A company blog described the decision as "difficult", but promised the revision will allow the firm's phones and PlayBooks "to work together even better".

RIM's shares closed down 7.5% on the news.

Instant messaging

At present users cannot access their Blackberry email through the tablet computers unless the devices are linked to one of the firm's smartphones using its Bridge software.

The Canadian firm also said it had taken the decision to defer the inclusion of a BBM instant messaging application until a later release.

However, RIM said it was still planning to offer businesses the ability to manage their employees' tablets from a centralised computer server and to offer workers custom-built applications through the Blackberry App World store in its OS 2.0 download.

Analysts said the news may prove damaging to sales over the holiday season.

"It is a big setback for them. When they launched the tablet they tried to walk the line between a consumer device and an enterprise device," said Jon Erensen, research director at the technology specialists Gartner.

"People were hoping the initial limitations would be corrected with the update by now. The delay means they fall even further behind."

View the original article here

Read More

Sun BlackBerry Plan 999 Winners

Thanks to all those who joined in our Sun BlackBerry Plan 999 Contest, we now have our winners. Check out below if you are one of them.

Here are the three (3) winners of Sun Prepaid Load Card worth Php500 each:

1) Gerard Paul Averilla
2) iarerandom.tumblr.com
3) Gee Ismael (@geetiful)

Here are the two (2) runners-up:

Here’s our grand prize winner:

Congrats to all those who won. We’ll be arranging the awarding of you prizes next week once I get back from my trip.

To all those who won, please send me an email with the ff. details:

- Email Subject: Sun BB Plan 999 Winner
- Full Name, Address, Contact Numbers
- URL of your winning entry

Please use the email you used when you posted your entry so we can verify ownership.

Thanks again everyone!

View the original article here

Read More

Low demand hurts Blackberry maker

15 September 2011 Last updated at 21:25 GMT RIM shipped 10.6 million smartphones between June and August but expects a pick-up in the next quarter Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) has seen its second-quarter profits more than halve, hurt by low demand for its older models.

The firm rolled out new smartphones but only late in the quarter.

Net profit fell to $329m (£208m) for the three months to 27 August, from $797m in the same period a year earlier.

In July, the company said it would cut 2,000 jobs - 11% of its workforce - as part of a shake-up of its operations.

Revenue for the second quarter fell to $4.2bn, a drop of 10% on the same three months last year.

During the quarter, RIM shipped some 10.6 million Blackberry smartphones and about 200,000 Blackberry PlayBook tablets, which was well below analysts' expectations.

Following the results announcement, RIM's shares fell by as much as 10% in after-hours trading in New York.

The Canadian firm said it expected things to improve in the third quarter though, forecasting shipments of between 13.5 million and 14.5 million smartphones and revenues of between $5.3bn and $5.6bn.

View the original article here

Read More

New BlackBerry 7 smartphones coming out today?

 Research in Motion

Will we see the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 tonight at the #BB7FanNight event?

Keep checking BlackBerry's official tweets today, because it's teasing with promises of rolling out tonight devices with Research In Motion's newest smartphone OS, BlackBerry 7.

VentureBeat is one of many outlets that caught this tweet last night: "You got it! New #BlackBerry devices are coming w/ our new OS, BlackBerry 7! Check back tmrw 4 deets on #BB7FanNight. ^CH"

This "event" will try to rally BlackBerry's core base in a market that's become a two-horse race between Google and Apple.

BlackBerry's U.S. sales have lagged behind the upstart Android handsets and the perennially popular iPhones with reports that Apple sold 20.3 million iPhones from April to June, while RIM sold 13.2 million BlackBerrys from March to May. In a few years, it may even take a back seat to Microsoft's slow-launching Windows Phone, according to some reports. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

Some followers are also skeptical: "Interested in what RIM is planning to announce for #BB7FanNight. They really need a game-changer here..."

Game-changer is right. RIM is against the ropes, with yesterday's "Cost Optimization Program" announcement of 2,000 job cuts and executive shuffles, and a tablet that has yet to turn the tide for the struggling company.

Still, BlackBerry users are a loyal lot, and eager to see what's next. Like this user: "Anxiously waiting the @BlackBerry announcement 4 today. Hoping its the release date for the Bold 9900 #TeamBlackBerry." Or this one: "Can't wait to see what we have #BB7FanNight we been waiting for long the wait is over @BlackBerry."

Per VentureBeat, expectations point to an updated BlackBerry Torch and/or a new BlackBerry Bold Touch (9900/9930), with swiping and zooming capabilities on the touchscreen, as well as a better browser.

Research in Motion's last big hurrah was in May, when it revealed the new BlackBerry Bold (which we hope to see tonight), the BlackBerry 7 OS and a Facebook app for its PlayBook tablet.

More stories:

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.

View the original article here

Read More