BROWSING: RIM

RIM’s Storm hits Verizon Wireless at $200

The new BlackBerry Storm from Research In Motion Ltd. will be available Nov. 21 at Verizon Wireless for $200, with two-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate. The Storm's subsidized price comes in at the same price point as Apple Inc.'s iPhone 3G with 8...

Why RIM chose Election Day for BlackBerry Bold launch: Move may have raised anticipation, reached desirable base

Was it brilliance or blunder to launch the much-anticipated BlackBerry Bold on Election Day?AT&T Mobility rolled the dice when it decided to launch its exclusive, much-hyped BlackBerry Bold mobile handset on Nov. 4, a day when much of the country was gripped by a...

PHOTOGUIDE: The top-selling phones in the U.S. in the third quarter: iPhone displaced Razr as top U.S. handset

Apple Inc.'s 3G iPhone was the top-selling handset in the United States in the third quarter, according to new data from NPD Group. The long reign of Motorola Inc.'s Razr handset - three straight years, or 12 consecutive quarters - is over. The Razr,...

On the smartphone playground, where is Microsoft and Windows Mobile?

You know that dusty smell you experience when you open a book that hasn't been picked up in decades? That's the feeling I get lately when I think of Microsoft's Windows Mobile.Smartphones - and the applications that run on them - are at the...

‘Patrons and politics:’ Mobile OS choices raise questions

NEWS LAST WEEK THAT MOTOROLA INC. HAD SETTLED ON Windows Mobile and Android as handset platforms in an effort to simplify, focus on innovation and manage costs underscored the unknowns involved in such choices. Because leading OSs come with "patrons and politics," with unknown...

Mformation takes RIM back to court: Mobile device management firm alleges patent infringement

A mobile device management software company has filed a lawsuit against Research in Motion Ltd. alleging infringement of two patents.Mformation Technologies Inc. filed the lawsuit against the Canadian maker of the popular BlackBerry smartphones in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California....

Rash of mobile storefronts confound consumers, carriers and developers: Is too much choice in content bad?

If this keeps up, content owners may forget the whole "on-deck vs. off-deck" argument. Instead, they'll be trying to figure out which mobile application stores' shelves they want to stock.Google Inc. is the latest player in the app-store game, launching its Android Market last...

Handset horserace loses cachet: Margins and profits now the most critical metrics

Everyone loves a good horse race. But with macro-economic conditions reverberating throughout the wireless industry - handset vendors' aggregate volume growth in the third quarter appeared to be stagnating - the situation calls into question the health of the horses.No major competitors are likely...

Bold due in two weeks at AT&T Mobility

The much-delayed but much-anticipated BlackBerry Bold will begin selling at AT&T Mobility on Nov. 4 "for as low as" $300, with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate.The price tag will place the Bold on par with the more expensive, 16 GB iPhone 3G device,...

MID space opens can of connectivity worms

BOSTON- One of the most difficult questions asked during panel discussions at the Mobile Internet World 2008 event was "What is a mobile Internet device?" Answers ranged from something bigger than a smartphone to something smaller than a portable personal computer, with just about...

Apple sold 6.9 million iPhones in quarter: Apple declined to forecast holiday sales, but focused on margins

CEO Steve Jobs joined Tuesday's conference call to assure investors that Apple Inc. will maintain its gross profit margins despite the economic downturn. If Apple's customer base is under financial strain, consumers are likely to postpone an Apple purchase, rather than seek a cheaper...

RIM Flips for T-Mobile USA: Will the new Pearl variant attract and repel?

On paper, handset vendors and their carrier patrons can be very persuasive. In the hand, new devices can be seductive. At the checkout counter, however, or on the street where reality bites, a multitude of factors suddenly crowd in like so many shark's teeth,...

Three firms set to capitalize on new requirements for text, IM archiving: Wireless communications fall under same guidelines as e-mail

Financial institutions must now monitor and archive text and instant messages sent by employees through company-issued handsets much like they do with corporate e-mail. However, only a handful of companies offer compliance software. A recent requirement by the Financial Industry Regulation Authority has created...

By the Numbers: Top 10 Most Popular U.S. Handsets in September

Editor's Note: The following lists ranks the 10 most popular handsets in the United States for the month of September. Rankings were provided by AvianResearch L.L.C. The firm derives its ranking via its Monthly Retail Store Survey, which polls 100 service representatives at retail stores...

Apisphere targets BlackBerrys

A leading provider of location-awareness services geared toward business customers has joined an alliance started by Research in Motion Ltd.Apisphere Inc. announced today it joined the BlackBerry Independent Software Vendor Alliance Program. With resources and tools available through the alliance, Apisphere is aiming to...

Handset market evaluation: Analysts to focus on Nokia’s outlook on Thursday: Third-quarter earnings moot, due to meltdown

Financial analysts typically gauge companies on their future prospects, not past performance. That is acutely so for the current moment in history, a couple weeks into the critical fourth quarter. The collapse of the financial sector, tightened credit markets and global repercussions that began...

RIM takes touchscreen market by ‘Storm’: Verizon Wireless, Vodafone to sell BlackBerry gadget, pricing TBA

Research In Motion Ltd. said today that its new touchscreen effort - the Storm - is due at Verizon Wireless "later this fall," pricing to be announced.The price of the device is, of course, the most critical bit of information needed to assess the...

PHOTOGUIDE: What are the top 5 most popular cellphones in the U.S.?: Razr still No. 1, iPhone at No. 2

The cheap, voice-centric, clamshell handset still rules the American marketplace, as Motorola Inc.'s Razr V3 remains the top-selling handset in the country, according to recent data from NPD Group. Yet smartphones claim three of the top five slots, with Apple Inc.'s iPhone 3G at...

Mobile e-mail space remains challenge for all: ‘RIM’s got this runaway success’

There may not be much room at the top of the mobile e-mail service food chain, but there seems to be plenty of opportunity below.Nokia Corp. last week finally threw up its hands and pulled the plug on Intellisync, its enterprise-targeted wireless e-mail solution,...

Market woes drag down handset vendors: Timing, ahead of holidays, ‘could not be worse’

As stock indices fell sharply today, the selling sent the shares of many leading wireless handset vendors down to well below their prior 52-week low. At the same time, wireless industry analysts projected a tough fourth quarter as consumer spending - particularly in the...

Best handset, service selection ever: But will economic realities spook consumers?

The second half of 2008 already ranks highly for offering the most advanced handsets and most reasonable prices in the history of wireless. And myriad device launches are yet to come in October and November.In a word, the season is about getting smart, as...

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN: Handset sales, the canary in the coal mine: Wireline first to go if push comes to shove

Editor's Note: This is one of a series of stories examining the current economic downturn and how it affects the wireless industry. For more on this topic, visit RCRWireless.com/EconomicDownturn.WE'VE ALL READ THE SURVEYS: don't leave home without it. As the handset has become a...

RIM’s stock tumbles on product delays, increased costs: Downgrades fly amid increased competition from Apple, Google

Investors slammed BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. for the company's lowered outlook and product delays ahead of the critical fourth-quarter holiday shopping season, raising questions about the company's ultimate ability to play in a smartphone market that - with the arrival of heavyweights...

Google, HTC create a contender with G1: Analyst: Device can go ‘head-to-head’ with iPhone, BlackBerry

The long-awaited Google Inc. Android-powered handset by HTC Corp. for T-Mobile USA Inc. - dubbed the G1 - debuted today and its pre-launch reception appeared positive.Timed for release on Oct. 22 at $180 with a two-year voice and data contract, the touchscreen-and-QWERTY device may...