My Berry World http://www.myberryworld.com Connecting You To The World - Using Your BlackBerry Tue, 04 May 2010 01:23:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Research in Motion in the Top 5 Handset Manufacturers in the World http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=127 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=127#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 00:42:22 +0000 Kyle McInnes http://www.blackberrycool.com/?p=19760 IDC’s latest report shows Research in Motion in the in the top 5 of all mobile handset makers in the world. RIM has been in the Top 10 Smartphone Manufactuers list for some time and now, but making the top 5 handset makers in the world is a really significant benchmark. RIM is the only company on this list that manufacturers only smartphones, making the numbers all the more impressive. The smartphone market is growing at a pretty incredible rate, and it looks like RIM is well positioned to take on the growth. Here are some quick facts about RIM from the report:
  • RIM shipped 10.6 million units in Q1.
  • Total shipments surpassing those of Motorola by nearly 2 million units.
  • Highest average selling prices within the group.
  • Key to its success in the first quarter was the popularity of its BlackBerry Curve 8520 and BlackBerry Bold 9700 across multiple markets as well as its global prepaid offerings.
  • Strong consumer adoption, particularly among text-crazy teens, has also fuelled demand for BlackBerry devices.
Read the press release after the jump. FRAMINGHAM, Mass. April 29, 2010 – The worldwide mobile phone market grew 21.7% in the first quarter of 2010 (1Q10), a strong rebound from the market contraction in Q1 2009. Growth was fuelled by increased demand for converged mobile devices, more commonly known as smartphones, and the global economic recovery. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 294.9 million units in the first quarter of 2010 compared to 242.4 million units in the first quarter of 2009. Converged mobile devices, which allow consumers and business people to trade wireless e-mails for example, have become increasingly popular as a wider and more powerful array of devices have become available. The device class and a recovering traditional mobile phone category helped the market avoid a repeat of 1Q09, when the market declined 16.6% in the midst of the global economic recession. Growing demand for smartphones also helped Research In Motion (RIM) move into the top 5 vendor rankings for the first time. RIM, which replaced Motorola in the top 5, tied Sony Ericsson for the number 4 position in IDC’s 1Q10 vendor rankings. RIM shipped 10.6 million units in the first quarter while Motorola, which had been a top 5 vendor since the inception of IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker in 2004, shipped 8.5 million units. Motorola, the number 2 overall vendor in 2004, registered a fifth place finish last year by virtue of its overall strength in the lower-growth traditional mobile phone category. Motorola has steadily lost share since 2004 when the market started its shift toward higher-end feature phones and smartphones. The ongoing shift has given rise to converged mobile device vendors such as RIM and Apple. “The entrance of RIM into the top 5 underscores the sustained smartphone growth trend that is driving the global mobile phone market recovery,” noted Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. “This is also the first time a vendor has dropped out of the top 5 since the second quarter of 2005, when Sony Ericsson grabbed the number 5 spot from BenQ Siemens.” “That the mobile phone market has rebounded by double digits year over year in a post-holiday quarter is definitely good news for the industry,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team. “Whereas last year we saw much uncertainty around demand and overall reluctance to introduce new devices, vendors have been very vocal about their intentions this year, with some even launching new devices in the first quarter of 2010. In addition, the continued emphasis on converged mobile devices points to greater revenue generation and profitability opportunities for vendors, which is a welcome change compared to the same quarter a year ago.”

Market Outlook

IDC believes the worldwide mobile phone market rebound will continue in 2010, though not at the same growth rate as the first quarter. “It should be noted that the market’s first-quarter growth, while impressive, is relative to one of the worst quarters in mobile phone industry history (1Q09),” noted Restivo. “The market’s growth should not be taken as a proxy for future quarters nor annual growth. In fact, the results essentially match our first quarter projections. We are still expecting growth of 11% for 2010.”

Regional Analysis

    The Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) region started the year off with a strong quarter driven mainly by Greater China. Overall, a wider array of low-cost smartphones available across the countries is driving penetration. Touchscreen-enabled devices remained a hot segment of the market, helping to drive the demand for converged mobile devices across the region. The Western European mobile phone market continued its rebound from the recession last quarter. The region’s growth was driven by strong smartphone shipments compared to a year ago. New high-end devices were launched while inventories were cleared from the previous quarter. This paved the way for smartphone growth in the first quarter at the expense of the traditional phone category. Nonetheless, touchscreen feature phones and low-end devices, particularly from the Korean manufacturers, sold well in the first quarter. As expected, the United States mobile phone market declined sequentially. User interest, however, remained high for smartphones thanks to the rollout of Google’s Nexus One and new devices from Motorola. Meanwhile, feature phone shipment volumes, which have declined steadily in previous quarters, were buoyed by sustained interest in quick messaging devices. In Canada, the first quarter was similar to that of the U.S. as significant Android phones, namely the Motorola Milestone and Samsung’s Galaxy Spica, were introduced. There was also a continued emphasis by suppliers on quick messaging devices in the traditional mobile phone category. The Latin American mobile phone market also rebounded in the first quarter due to higher demand from partners for feature phones and converged devices. Country currencies have stabilized as well, helping boost consumer spending on phones. Manufacturers and operators included social networking features in more phones sold in Latin America. Vendors are also planning for regional growth with the creation of local assembly plants.

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors

Nokia started the year with a strong first-quarter unit shipment performance, driven by its top-selling 5130 and 2700 models. Shipments of 107.8 million in 1Q10 represented a nearly 16% improvement over the same quarter last year. The overall figures, however, fell short of the first-quarter high it set in 2008. Converged mobile device shipments increased sharply on a year-over-year basis due to top-selling models such as the 5230, 5800, 5530, and X6. However, average selling prices for converged mobile devices dropped to €155 in 1Q10, compared to €186 in the previous quarter. Nokia plans to ship the N8 (the first converged device to run the Symbian 3 operating system) in the third quarter. The N8 will cost €370, according to Nokia, and is expected to boost Nokia’s overall ASP. Samsung held steady as the number two vendor worldwide for the twelfth consecutive quarter with total shipment volumes greater than those of the next three vendors combined. Driving its results was a combination of new devices launched and expansion of distribution channels within emerging markets. Moreover, efforts to bring high end devices, including touchscreen phones and converged mobile devices, pushed ASPs higher. Samsung plans to launch more Android and bada-powered devices later this year while launching more touch-enabled devices for the mass-market. LG Electronics remained the number three vendor worldwide with year-over-year shipment growth of nearly 20%, but declining revenue and profit due to seasonality and reduced prices. The abundance of feature phones at varying price points kept the company in good stead with carriers and customers, particularly within emerging markets where LG reaped triple digit growth. Still, the lack of a broad and deep smartphone portfolio made it vulnerable to competitor share gains, particularly within North America. LG plans to introduce several Android, Windows Mobile 6.5, and Windows Phone 7 devices later this year while expanding its global platform to reach new markets. Research In Motion makes its first appearance among the top five vendors worldwide, with total shipments surpassing those of Motorola by nearly 2 million units. Research In Motion is the only vendor in the top 5 with a singular focus on smartphones, and as a result, the company enjoys the highest average selling prices within that group. Key to its success in the first quarter was the popularity of its BlackBerry Curve 8520 and BlackBerry Bold 9700 across multiple markets as well as its global prepaid offerings. Strong consumer adoption, particularly among text-crazy teens, has also fuelled demand for BlackBerry devices. Sony Ericsson returned to profitability in the first quarter due to cost cutting and new product introductions. The joint venture launched six new handsets including three new Greenheart models – Aspen, Elm, and Hazel – as well as the Xperia X10 and Vivaz converged devices. Average selling prices rose 12% as Sony Ericsson pruned several less-profitable products from its lineup. However, overall shipments in the first quarter fell 28%. Three new converged devices – the Vivaz pro, Xperia X10 mini, and Xperia X10 mini pro – will ship towards end of the second quarter. © Kyle for BlackBerry Cool, 2010 ]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=127 0 BlackBerry Outage Sparks User Revolt http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=116 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=116#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:33:20 +0000 admin http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=116 Internet forums were abuzz over second service disruption in as many weeks.

The second outage in as many weeks for Research In Motion’s BlackBerry e-mail service has prompted a mini-revolt among users.

The Crackberry blog, which tracks all things related to the addictive device, on Thursday was flooded with complaints from users who said RIM is losing its focus on customer service.

“One outage is bad enough, but when potential customers hear of two in one week, they get very nervous,” said a Crackberry forum member who goes by the name Furballz.

“I’ve heard the name ‘Crashberry’ a few times today,” noted another member, Chrisy520.

A user named Noaim said it may be time for RIM to upgrade its infrastructure. “Wow, maybe they will spend some money on their network now,” wrote Noaim.

The forum featured dozens of similar gripes from frustrated BlackBerry users. Some even threatened to switch to an alternative device, such as Apple’s iPhone, but it was not clear if any of them actually did.

RIM confirmed the trouble in a statement. “Some Blackberry customers in the Americas are currently experiencing delays in message delivery,” RIM said. “Our technical teams are actively working to resolve this issue for those impacted. We apologize for any inconvenience,” RIM said.

The problem appeared to arise early Wednesday, as users turned to Twitter and other social networking sites with posts in which they complained their Blackberry service had slowed to a crawl or was down altogether.

The disruption comes about a week after RIM was hit with a massive outage that curtailed Blackberry service throughout much of North America.

That outage hit Blackberry services offered by numerous carriers, including Sprint Nextel, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Canada’s Rogers. The trouble appeared to be limited to RIM’s consumer-oriented Internet service, and did not affect corporate users who send messages through a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Blackberry CEO Jim Balsille has taken heat lately from some customers and investors, who charge that in the past year he spent too much time trying to purchase the National Hockey League’s Phoenix Coyotes, instead of focusing on RIM’s products and services.

RIM shares fell slightly Wednesday, down .65% to $70.75 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, after declining sharply on Tuesday.

Via Information Week

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=116 0 Google Maps for BlackBerry Goes to Version 3.2.1 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=112 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=112#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:50:39 +0000 admin http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=112 google-maps-blackberry-storm

Google Maps for BlackBerry has been updated, and as per usual, the folks on the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Campus have personally let me down by not providing a changelog :P Let’s face it, I’d like to know what’s new before I actually pop open the app, am I the only one that feels this way? Me thinks not.

In the 3.2 update we noticed ‘layers’ functionality added to the app. A feature which allowed us to view all kinds of information on the map at one time. Turn layers on and off depending on the info you want to display on your map… View Wikipedia entries, transit lines, Google Latitude, and much more. It’s fun to explore this feature.

At any rate, the latest version brings us up to 3.2.1, and there’s no doubt the usual smattering of bug fixes and tweaks inside.

To grab your copy or to upgrade, hit up m.google.com/maps from your device. Enjoy!

[Via: BerryReview]

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=112 0 Our own Admin’s attempt at making a Tour Theme http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=103 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=103#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:23:12 +0000 admin http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=103 Our very own Maximum0077 tries his hand at making a theme. See if you like. Comments welcome. Its called 2001:Space inspired by the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Just point your Blackberry Tour 9630 at this link.2001_space
bbscreen2

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=103 0 RIM Ready To Push Out BlackBerry Messenger Upgrade http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=99 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=99#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:33:11 +0000 admin http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=99

Word on the street is that Research in Motion has updated the BlackBerry Messenger Servers to the latest version and inadvertently pushed out an OTA download link to some BlackBerry Messenger users.  A lot of us have already downloaded a leaked version of the upgrade which we have been calling BlackBerry Messenger 5.  We hear, however, that  BBM5 won’t be the official name.

Whatever RIM decides to call the next version of BlackBerry Messenger, it shouldn’t be too long before it is officially released to the public.

via RIM Ready To Push Out BlackBerry Messenger Upgrade.

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=99 0 Verizon releases new Tour firmware, lets mayhem briefly reign before pulling http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=96 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=96#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:57:15 +0000 admin http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=96 We know from discussions with tipsters (and from the simple fact that rumored phones take a century to get released) that Verizon tests the crap out of things — generally speaking, anyway. Apparently that wasn’t the case with the latest Tour firmware to see action, though, because 4.7.1.53 got pulled within a few hours of its release — but not before wreaking havoc with at least a few users’ phones, some to the point where Verizon went ahead and recommended a replacement unit. When you consider that BlackBerrys are probably among the most mission-critical devices in any carrier’s lineup, this is a big deal; Verizon did the right thing by moving swiftly to pull the bunk build, but the question remains: how did such a quickly-detected problem make it through what was very likely an exhaustive internal testing phase?

Via Verizon releases new Tour firmware, lets mayhem briefly reign before pulling.

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=96 0 10 Free BlackBerry Applications Worth Downloading http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=92 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=92#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:44:24 +0000 admin http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=92

A question that it seems like we get asked a few dozen times a day lately, especially for visitors who just read one of the posts above is…

What about Free BlackBerry Applications worth downloading for other BlackBerry devices?

Instead of trying to answer each of you individually, I figured that I would throw up another list.  If you own a BlackBerry, you’ll probably want to check this out…

10 Free BlackBerry Applications Worth Downloading:

Poynt — Poynt is, by far, my favorite Local Based Search application for the BlackBerry.  This is an application that every BlackBerry user should have.

OTA Download Link http://m.mypoint.com

Viigo — Viigo is arguably the, if not one of the, best BlackBerry RSS readers out there.

OTA Donload Link http://getviigo.com

ÜberTwitter –  There are a lot of BlackBerry Twitter Clients out their, but, ÜberTwitter is at the top of the list.

OTA Download Link:  http://www.ubertwitter.com/bb/

QuickPull Lite — QuickPull Lite allows you to simulate pulling the battery from your BlackBerry at those times when things seem to slow down.  It even allows you to schedule battery pulls at night.

OTA Download Link:  http://www.rimarkable.com/OTA/quickpull_lite

Facebook — There is really no explanation needed here.  If you have a Facebook account download Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones…

OTA Download Link:  http://www.blackberry.com/facebook

BuzzMe — BuzzMe adds the ability for you BlackBerry to vibrate and ring simultaneously, something RIM should have added natively years ago…

OTA Download Link:  http://www.bigtincan.com/download_mobile_blackberry.html

Pandora — Listen to your favorite music via the internet just like you don on your desktop with this BlackBerry version of Pandora Internet Radio.

OTA Download Link:  http://www.pandora.com

Google Maps — Download and install Google Maps and never use BlackBerry Maps again…

OTA Download Link

OTA Download Link:  http://m.google.com/maps

Opera Mini 5 Beta –  Opera Mini 5 Beta has only been available for a few days, but, it is such an improvement beyond the BlackBerry Browser that we just had to include it…  (Especially for Blackberry Storm users)

OTA Download Link:  http://m.opera.com/next

BlackBerry App World –  I went back and forth on whether I should have included BlackBerry App World on this  list, however, seeing that most of the other apps on this list and many other free BlackBerry Apps can be downloaded via BlackBerry App World directly to your device, it made the list.

OTA Download Link:  http://www.blackberry.com/appworld

via 10 Free BlackBerry Applications Worth Downloading.

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=92 0 RIM responds to questions about BlackBerry OS 5.0 Release Date http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=88 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=88#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:46:01 +0000 admin http://digitalgadgetswarehouse.com/berry/?p=88 RIM responds to questions about BlackBerry OS 5.0 Release Date

The big question on most BlackBerry owner’s minds is when will we see the OS 5.0 rollout.  CrackBerry.com decided to go straight to the source and asked RIM for an official comment.  Surprisingly RIM responded, but as expected they didn’t exactly drop any breaking news of interest.  In typical PR fashion they released the following statement in an email reply to Crackberry.com

The roll out process has begun for BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 with the recent beta release of BlackBerry JDE 5.0 (BlackBerry Java Development Environment 5.0) to BlackBerry Developer Zone at www.blackberry.com/developers to prepare the BlackBerry developer community for pending device software releases. As can be expected, BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 will follow before the end of the year, as referenced in the “RIM Launches BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0″ press release that was issued at WES 2009 (http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=2309).

It looks like the ETA still remains as a late 2009 launch.  This is not good news for those of us looking to pickup the BlackBerry Bold 9700 since it was expected to ship with OS 5.0.  Could we be stuck waiting for an OS upgrade on our Bold 9700 if At&t, T-mobile and RIM decide to push the launch date despite OS 5.0 not being ready?  This does not look good.

via RIM responds to questions about BlackBerry OS 5.0 Release Date.

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=88 0 Become a Blackberry Pocket Cop http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=82 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=82#comments Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:21:45 +0000 admin http://digitalgadgetswarehouse.com/berry/?p=82

BlackBerry-Storm

Every Baltimore Patrol Officer To Get a BlackBerry

BlackBerry devices, which are made by Research in Motion, are likely to take the place of computers for officers who don’t have them in their cars, and laptops may not be replaced after they become obsolete. The devices are also equipped with global positioning software that will allow commanders to pinpoint exactly where officers are.

The devices allow officers to run warrants, check vehicle registrations, and pull up criminal histories and suspect photos. Officers who use them can be more efficient and spend more time outside of their cars…

Early reviews for the devices have been positive. Officers using Pocket Cops made twice as many arrests over a 3-month period than those equipped with radios or laptops, according to statistics provided by the department. They also hauled in more offenders on outstanding warrants.

The devices are also equipped with global positioning software that will allow commanders to pinpoint exactly where officers are. That technology concerns police union leaders, who suspect that officers might face undue scrutiny.

via Become a Blackberry Pocket Cop « What’s On My PC.

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=82 0 Blackberry Themes, Games, Apps And Tips & Tricks http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=74 http://www.myberryworld.com/?p=74#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:39:24 +0000 admin http://digitalgadgetswarehouse.com/berry/?p=74

Your Blackberry Smartphone can make you more productive if you get most out of it using Blackberry tips and tricks and different applications. There are great free themes available for Blackberry phones to customize them to your liking and many coolgames to kill the time. I have shared lots of this stuff on this blog and you will find all links to these articles in this post. Do not forget to check this post in future as I will keep it updated. You can bookmark it now.

blackberry tips games apps and themes

Blackberry Storm: Themes, Games and Applications

Here are links to Blackberry Storm articles including themes, games and apps for Blackberry Storm.

Blackberry Curve: Theme, apps and Games

Blackberry Curve remained the top seller smartphone in 2009. Here are links to article covering themes, games and apps that are designed for Blackberry Curve.

Blackberry Tips and tricks and apps

Here are other tips tricks and apps for Blackberry users that can be used on all Blackberry smartphones. Have a look.

via Blackberry Themes, Games, Apps And Tips & Tricks | Pakblogger.

]]> http://www.myberryworld.com/?feed=rss2&p=74 0