Category: Blackberry

Blackberry Q5 Launched, Budget BB10 device for Emerging Markets
At the BlackBerry Live event in Orlando, Thorsten Heins kicked off the company’s major annual event with a brief mention of the latest BB10 device, the Q5.

The phone will launch in the summer around the world, Heins said during its BlackBerry Live conference here today.

The BlackBerry Q5 looks similar to the Q10, and features a physical full keyboard and a 3.1-inch touchscreen display. It will come with the features found in BlackBerry 10.1, which comes with the Q10 now and will be available to the Z10 starting today.

The below highlights come from Blackberry’s Blog Post

Highlights and features of the BlackBerry Q5
[toggle title=”Press Release”]BlackBerry Introduces a Youthful and Fun BlackBerry 10 QWERTY smartphone, the BlackBerry Q5, for Selected Markets

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – May 14, 2013) – BlackBerry(R) (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB) today introduced the BlackBerry(R) Q5, a new youthful and fun BlackBerry(R) 10 smartphone for selected markets. The BlackBerry Q5 smartphone features a QWERTY keyboard with discrete keys in a stunning youthful design that is confident, fun, and bold. Every feature, every part of the BlackBerry Q5 has been built to provide a fast, effortless experience that flows and moves with you to help you explore, create, and share while on the go.

“BlackBerry is excited to bring a new BlackBerry QWERTY smartphone, the BlackBerry Q5, to our customers in selected markets around world,” said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry. “The BlackBerry Q5 gives you the best of everything with its cutting-edge BlackBerry 10 functionality and a physical QWERTY keyboard. It is for youthful fans that are passionate, confident and bold, and it makes it easy for them to have fun, create, share and stay connected.”

As part of the BlackBerry 10 experience, the BlackBerry Q5 smartphone offers a powerful and unique mobile computing experience that continuously adapts to your needs. Features and apps work seamlessly together, allowing your every move to flow into the next. Highlights of the BlackBerry Q5 smartphone include:

The evolution of the classic BlackBerry Keyboard

The BlackBerry Q5 features a classic BlackBerry Keyboard with discrete keys that has been re-engineered and elegantly designed to help you type fast, accurately and with the least amount of effort. Plus with Instant Action shortcuts you can type to perform tasks faster. The BlackBerry Q5 smartphone gives you the best of both worlds – a classic QWERTY keyboard for optimized communications and a 3.1″ touchscreen for all the rest.

Create the perfect shot with BlackBerry Time Shift mode and Story Maker

Create the picture perfect shot with BlackBerry(R) Time Shift mode, then create and share your story, weaving together your photos, videos and music into a movie with BlackBerry(R) Story Maker.

Share and be seen with BBM Video with Screen Share

Instantly switch your BBM(TM) (BlackBerry(R) Messenger) chat to a BBM Video conversation and catch up face-to-face. You can even share your screen, whether it’s a photo, a page in the browser, an idea, or a view from your camera.(i)

Stay close to what’s important to you with BlackBerry Hub

With BlackBerry(R) Hub, all of your messages and social conversations are only one swipe away. There’s no need to stop what you’re doing. Simply peek into the BlackBerry Hub from anywhere with a swipe to effortlessly flow in and out of your messages and conversations.

BlackBerry World delivers a rich, thriving app and content ecosystem

Discovering and sharing great apps and content is easier than ever with recommendations based on similar purchases, and access to more than 100,000 apps on the BlackBerry(R) World(TM) storefront.

Pricing and Availability

The new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with expected availability beginning in July.[/toggle]
May 15, 2013
BBM app will come to Android and iOS this Summer

In a shift of strategies Blackberry has announced that they will be launching the BBM app on Android and iOS for free this summer. Available to users running iOS 6 and Android 4.0 ICS or higher, the free BBM app will bring the magic of BBm messaging to every handset.

On the outset, however, only the messaging and group features will be accessible for outside users, but by the end of the year, the company plans to bring about the coveted BBM voice, BBM channels, screen sharing and video capabilities.

Rumors of Blackberry (Previously Research In Motion) following this path have been around for years, and with an official statement form the company chief it looks like it is done.

Blackberry has also announced Channels. BBM Channels is a new way for BBM users to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]BBM for iOS and Android to Launch This Summer

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – May 14, 2013) – BlackBerry(R) (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB) today announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry(R) Messenger (BBM(TM)), available to iOS(R) and Android(TM) users this summer, with support planned for iOS6, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, all subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. BBM sets the standard for mobile instant messaging with a fast, reliable, engaging experience that includes delivered and read statuses, and personalized profiles and avatars. Upon release, BBM customers would be able to broaden their connections to include friends, family and colleagues on other mobile platforms.

In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people.

“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry.

BBM is loved by customers for its “D” and “R” statuses, which show up in chats to let people know with certainty that their message has been delivered and read. It provides customers with a high level of control and privacy over who they add to their contact list and how they engage with them, as invites are two-way opt-in. iOS and Android users would be able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan, regardless of platform. Android users would also be able to connect using a compatible NFC-capable device.

BBM has more than 60 million monthly active customers, with more than 51 million people using BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are.

Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.

If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download in the Apple(R) App Store(SM) and Google Play store. Additional details about system requirements and availability will be announced closer to the launch.[/toggle]

May 15, 2013
Blackberry R10 leaks before next weeks conference

The Blackberry R10 is supposedly going to be a cheaper alternative to the Q10 with almost the exact same features, minus the multimedia benefits, if DGtle is to be believed. The Blackberry R10 will have the same 3.1-inch screen size and 2GB of RAM as the Blackberry Q10. However, the R10 reportedly steps down to a 5-megapixel camera in addition to previously hinted cutbacks in storage (to 8GB) and battery (to 1,800mAh).

Blackberry (Previously RIM) pegged big hopes on their new range of Blackberry 10 devices, but as the sales reports for the company are lower than ever, a quick shift in policy and strategy may help the company come back from its current situation. Blackberry may need to retarget the lower end of the spectrum with budget Blackberry 10 devices, making the masses once again appreciate the company.

[via]

May 6, 2013
Blackberry Ahead Of iOS And Android! In A ‘Don’t Want’ Poll.

Blackberry finally has the lead on Android and iOS! Well at least in a poll where people voted for the things they “didn’t want”.

71.4% of the respondents agreed that “nothing would get them to buy a BlackBerry.” Only 31.3% said the same thing about Android and for the iPhone the number was even lower at 19.7%. Interestingly, Windows Phone does not appear in that survey conducted by research house Raymond James.

Here is a brief excerpt from the piece, explaining in greater detail:

“Here’s a novel way of polling consumer sentiment in the smartphone market: Don’t ask people which handset they prefer to use; ask them which one they would never use.

Research In Motion/BlackBerry is having a difficult time convincing consumers that its new operating systems, coupled with fresh smartphones, is an alternative to the top players in the market. This Raymond James survey appears to back up that claim.

As AllThingsD reports, it’s interesting to see purchasing sentiment gauged in terms of what smartphones consumers are adamantly opposed to using. If the smartphone market is truly so factionalized that some consumers say that nothing could convince them to switch away from their preferred device, then upstart platforms like Windows Phone and the like have a steep uphill climb, indeed.

What do you think about the operating system, do you feel the same way about it as the respondents of this survey?

[All Things D, Raymond James]

April 11, 2013
BlackBerry 10 ‘R-Series’ QWERTY images leak out, the Next Curve?

The Blackberry Z10 and Q10 may not have stirred the market, the R10 may exactly be the piece of hardware people may be looking for, this sub 400 $ Blackberry will cost under Rs. 20,000 in India and will feature Blackberry 10 as the main operating system. The R10 will come with 8GB storage, less RAM, the QWERTY keyboard you see and side mounted SIM and SD card slots.

The phone is expected to release in Q3 – Q4 2013, the image shows blurred out edges, as usual dev devices have serial numbers on the bezel.

[VIA]

April 5, 2013
Blackberry Mobile Site Lets Android And iOS Users Experience BB 10 Via Browser

The biggest roadblock to adoption of the Blackberry 10 is simply getting the device and the experience into peoples’ hands. The average smartphone user rarely walks into a mobile store searching for new operating systems to use, so instead of of BlackBerry waiting impatiently for its chance to shine, it’s decided to come to the people.

The company launched an HTML5-powered smartphone portal for iOS and Android users this week which attempts to emulate the BlackBerry 10 experience. By swiping, tapping and experiencing, users can ascertain a taste of the real thing, it’s nowhere near as smooth as the Z10 itself.

Even if you’re a dedicated iOS or Android fan, you still might have some curiosity about BlackBerry 10. And by using your mobile browser to head to the BlackBerry 10 Demo page, you can get to experience exactly what it feels like to use the virtual QWERTY on the BlackBerry Z10, check your messages and social networks with BlackBerry Hub, select the best head shot with BlackBerry Time Shift and check out BBM with Screen Share.

It introduces users to the swipe-and-peek navigation of the new operating system, hoping its innovation will shine through in person rather than on billboards or commercials.

It’s a brilliant idea, one that more mobile makers should take on. Online demos are a great way to let potential users test-drive a platform or major update without making a major commitment.

[Engadget]

April 4, 2013
BlackBerry Ships 1 Million Z10 Phones In Q4, Reveals Q4 Profit
BlackBerry announced their Q4 and year-end results for fiscal 2013. In what was a year of turmoil, job losses and limited device releases, BlackBerry declared Q4 a profit of $98 million (19 cents a share), but revenues were $2.7 billion, down 36% ($4.2 billion) when compared to Q4 2012. BlackBerry noted that they shipped about 6 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 370,000 BlackBerry PlayBooks.

This quarter ended March 2, 2013 and BlackBerry launched the new BlackBerry 10 OS and the BlackBerry Z10 in a few countries within this timeframe. Included in the 6 million smartphones shipments were 1 million BlackBerry Z10 devices. The worldwide BlackBerry subscriber base is now sitting at 76 million, down from 79 million last quarter.

Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry said “With the launch of BlackBerry 10, we have introduced the newest and what we believe to be the most innovative mobile computing platform in the market today. Customers love the device and the user experience, and our teams and partners are now focused on getting those devices into the hands of BlackBerry consumer and enterprise customers… We are also excited about the new, dynamic culture at BlackBerry, where we are laser-focused on continuing to drive efficiency and improve the Company’s profitability while driving innovation. We have built an engine that is able to drive improved financial performance at lower volumes, which should allow us to generate additional benefits from higher volumes in the future.”

Q4 Highlights:
- Revenue of $2.7 billion
- GAAP income from continuing operations of $94 million, or $0.18 per share diluted
- Adjusted income from continuing operations of $114 million, or $0.22 per share diluted
- Gross margin of 40% driven by higher average selling prices and hardware margins
- Shipments of 6 million smartphones, including approximately 1 million BlackBerry 10 units
- Subscriber base of approximately 76 million
- Cash flow from operations of $219 million, cash and investments balance of $2.9 billion
The Company will be increasing its marketing investment in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 in support of the global launch of BlackBerry 10. Including the anticipated 50% sequential increase in marketing spending, the Company believes it will approach breakeven financial results in the first quarter based on its lower cost base, more efficient supply chain, and improved hardware margins.

Things looking better for BlackBerry now?

[Mobile Syrup, Market Wire]
March 28, 2013
Mystery Buyer Of 1 Million BlackBerry 10 Phones Turns Out To Be e-Distributor Brightstar

Earlier this month a mystery company purchased one million BlackBerry 10 smartphones from BlackBerry. It was was a notable transaction because BlackBerry 10 just launched and because it was the biggest single order BlackBerry (formerly RIM) has ever received in one fell swoop.

Fast forward to Monday, and we now know the identity of the buyer. According to perennially bearish investment firm Detwiler Fenton, the buyer of the 1 million Blackberry 10 units was wireless distributor Brightstar, reports AllThingsD.

“A couple of years ago, Nokia, RIM and Samsung made up over 80 percent of Brightstar revenues, with RIM potentially comprising nearly half of that, I believe,” Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair told AllThingsD. “So [this is] no surprise.”

Brightstar is a massive distributor of cell phones and other gadgets. AllThingsD had originally predicted that the partner was Brightstar competitor Brightpoint, but its sources said the speculation was “a point off” but that they had the “bright” part correct. Putting two and two together, the news outlet was able to guess Brightstar.

The mystery is solved and regardless of who made the purchase, it still represents a risk-taking investment on someone’s part. So when you look at it that way, someone still has the hots for BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry reports quarterly results March 28 and its early Blackberry 10 sales–in more than 25 markets–are sure to be hot topics on the company’s earnings conference call.

[Via All Things D]

March 26, 2013
BlackBerry 10 Now Has 100,000 Apps

Today, BlackBerry announced that the owners of devices running under the BlackBerry 10 operating system have access to over 100,000 applications through the official BlackBerry World app store, as over 30,000 new apps have been added to it in the past seven months.

Formally unveiled back on January 30, the BlackBerry 10 platform launched with 70,000 fully optimised applications in tow.

BlackBerry Z10 owners can now enjoy a wide selection of applications and games on their handsets, including Facebook, Foursquare, NHL GameCenter, N.O.V.A. 3, Slacker, Songza, Twitter, Waze, WhatsApp, and more.

Furthermore, they will soon be able to take advantage of the capabilities of other mobile applications specifically designed for them, such as CNN, The Daily Show Headlines, eBay, eMusic, Maxim, MLB at Bat, MTV News, Pageonce, PGA, Rdio, Skype, Soundhound and Viber, BlackBerry announced.

Early reports suggest that the Z10 handset has been performing well since it launched in Canada and the UK, historically two of the company’s strongest markets. There have even been stories that 50 percent of customers are moving over from Android or Apple in favor of the phone.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]BlackBerry 10 Now Offers More Than 100,000 Applications to Customers

Application catalog grows by more than 30,000 apps in seven weeks

More top brands building for BlackBerry 10 as platform launches in the U.S.

Waterloo, ON – Developers continue to support BlackBerry® 10, bringing more than 30,000 new applications to the platform over the past seven weeks. BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today announced that BlackBerry 10 customers now have access to more than 100,000 applications for the BlackBerry® Z10 smartphone on the BlackBerry® World™ storefront.

Today, Amazon Kindle, OpenTable and The Wall Street Journal are available to BlackBerry 10 customers and in the coming weeks CNN, The Daily Show Headlines, eBay, eMusic, Maxim, MLB at Bat, MTV News, Pageonce, PGA, Rdio, Skype, Soundhound and Viber will be available for download or purchase.

BlackBerry 10 customers already have access to leading apps and games, including 8tracks, Angry Birds Star Wars, ATP World Tour Live, BBC Top Gear News, Bloomberg Anywhere, CBS Sports, Delta Air Lines, F1 2013 Timing App CP, Facebook, Foursquare, Jetpack Joyride, Keek, LinkedIn, Navita Translator, Need for Speed, NHL GameCenter, N.O.V.A. 3, The New York Times, PressReader, Slacker, Songza, Twitter, UFC, USA TODAY, Waze, WhatsApp, and Zara.
“The response to the BlackBerry 10 platform and applications has been outstanding. Customers are thrilled with the applications already available, and the catalog just keeps growing, now with more than 100,000 apps,” said Martyn Mallick, Vice President, Global Alliances at BlackBerry. “Top brands and application providers are joining us every day and are seeing the benefits of being early supporters of the new platform. We constantly hear from developers that the BlackBerry 10 tools are easy to build with and that we provide opportunities for app differentiation that they do not see on other platforms.”

-more-

“It now appears that the already impressive levels of developer support for the BlackBerry 10 platform are accelerating into the launch window for the BlackBerry Z10. The prospect of a very robust app catalog can only bolster momentum for the product and the platform itself,” said John Jackson, Research Vice President, Mobile & Connected Platforms at IDC. “The ability to attract and sustain developer support is like lifeblood for any mobile platform, and it’s not something that simply happens. This progress is a testament to BlackBerry’s early and innovative engagement with developers worldwide and the innovative architecture of the platform itself.”

BlackBerry 10 applications take connecting to the next level with the ability to leverage social, gamification, and integration frameworks that other platforms are not able to offer. Customers can easily share applications with those in their social networks including BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger), Facebook, and Twitter. Applications can incorporate gaming features such as leader boards, badges, rewards and more using the Scoreloop tools, and BlackBerry 10 applications can tie to core OS integration points to allow developers to create compelling experiences to keep people moving and flow with BlackBerry 10 experience features.

In addition to apps and games, BlackBerry World for BlackBerry 10 offers access to one of the most robust catalogs of music and video content for mobile users*, with partnerships across all major movie studios, all major music labels and television networks.

The BlackBerry Z10 (all touch) is the first smartphone powered by BlackBerry 10, the re-designed, re-engineered, and re-invented BlackBerry platform. The BlackBerry Z10 will be available in the U.S. from March 22.[/toggle]

[Engadget]

March 21, 2013
BlackBerry CEO : iPhone UI Is Old, Lacking Innovation

Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry’s CEO, has been on a mission to bring back the glory days of the smartphone maker. A huge sign of adoption occurred last week when BlackBerry revealed that an unknown partner signed up to purchase 1 million BlackBerry 10 smartphones – this was the “largest ever single purchase order in BlackBerry’s history.”

Now Heins has laid a burn on the iPhone, pointing out that its software is starting to look a bit dated. He is currently visiting Australia for the launch of the Z10 and had some choice words for their competitors, namely Apple.

Heins said “Apple did a fantastic job in bringing touch devices to market… They did a fantastic job with the user interface, they are a design icon. There is a reason why they were so successful, and we actually have to admit this and respect that. History repeats itself again I guess… the rate of innovation is so high in our industry that if you don’t innovate at that speed you can be replaced pretty quickly. The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about is now five years old.”

Mr Heins said one area that the new BlackBerry phones had surpassed the iPhone was in the ability to multi-task – running multiple apps at once – meaning that users could work in the same fashion on their smartphone as they liked to on a laptop.

Apple’s future direction with iOS and its user interface are now a point of interest for the company, as it parted ways with its previous iOS software chief, Scott Forstall, late last year. That role, along with control of the design of OS X, has been handed to Jonathan Ive, who has overseen development of the company’s iconic hardware for years.

[Via Financial Review]

March 18, 2013
BlackBerry To Bring Secure Work Space To iOS And Android

BlackBerry will launch its Secure Work Space solution for iOS and Android devices in Q2, with a formal announcement at BlackBerry Live in May.

BlackBerry Secure Work Space promises to emulate some of the functions of BlackBerry Balance, which is an integral part of BlackBerry 10, and allows enterprises to have control over confidential data while still providing employees with a fully functioning smartphone.

BlackBerry Balance effectively creates two different profiles on any device, with administrators able to create their own application store that host custom apps as well as software from the public BlackBerry App World that has been approved for use in the workspace. Once approved, these applications can interact with other work apps and secure data.

Secure Work Space will operate slightly differently, but will provide secured client applications for email, calendar, contacts, tasks, memos, secure browsing and document editing, while additional apps can be secured and added to the workplace without the need to modify the source code

The Canadian manufacturer claims that the update will save its enterprise customers effort and expense as they will no longer have to configure and maintain expensive VPNs to provide access to data and applications behind a corporate firewall. It hopes that its reputation for mobile security and management will tempt companies who operate in a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environment.

“With Secure Work Space for iOS and Android devices, we’re extending as many of these (Balance) features as possible to other platforms,” said David Smith, BlackBerry’s head of mobile enterprise computing, in a statement.

BlackBerry’s move comes just as Samsung, whose line of Galaxy devices have gained great popularity, attempts to make itself a more viable option for enterprise customers with security features such as Samsung Knox and SAFE, or Samsung for Enterprise.

[Reuters]

March 15, 2013
Blackberry Says It Sold 1 Million Blackberry 10 Devices In Single Order

In a press release today BlackBerry announced a massive endorsement for what they label as the “largest ever single purchase order in BlackBerry’s history.” Apparently an unknown “partner,” probably a carrier in the States, has placed an order of a whopping 1 million units.

It will be interesting to hear if it is a government agency or private company who made the purchase.

This is definitely news that will boost the flagging spirits of those over at the ailing smartphone company, where they have seen their market share plummet drastically over the past few years, with the recently introduced BlackBerry 10 platform as well as a couple of devices touted to be the company’s last chance saloon – succeed, and they will live to fight for another day, fail, and it would be curtains.

“An order for one million devices is a tremendous vote of confidence in BlackBerry 10,” said Rick Costanzo, EVP Global Sales, BlackBerry. “Consumers are ready for a new user experience, and BlackBerry 10 delivers. With strong partner support, coupled with this truly re-invented new platform, we have a powerful recipe for success.”

We’ll hopefully know a lot more about the company’s BlackBerry 10 sales when it reports its quarterly earnings on March 28th.

BlackBerry scored another big customer win with the German government earlier this month and has also been successful in picking off some Android and iOS users with its new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. We’ll hopefully know a lot more about the company’s BlackBerry 10 sales when it reports its quarterly earnings on March 28th.

March 14, 2013
Aircel Launches The BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone In India (PR)

Aircel today launched the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone powered by BlackBerry 10 in India. BlackBerry introduced its new Z10 smartphone in India with a price tag of Rs. 43,490, aimed at competing with Apple and Samsung in the lucrative smartphone market.

Aircel is offering a new range of exciting usage plans for both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. Aircel’s subscribers will enjoy integrated service bundle of data (1GB data), voice (250 minutes Aircel to Aircel / month) and SMS (250 Aircel to Aircel / month) for 3 months at a recharge of Rs. 153.

BlackBerry phones, unlike any other smartphone, require operator services (who offer it with special plans) to perform all communication related functions. You can’t access mail, chat (BBM) etc on a normal data plan. However, BlackBerry 10 operating system based devices do not require any specific data plan for emails, browsing or BBM. A regular Internet plan will work on the new smartphone.

[quote]Mr. Anupam Vasudev – Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel said, “Aircel is a young brand and has positioned itself as a data led telecom player. This new exciting partnership with BlackBerry reiterates our commitment to offer our valuable customers with innovative products and services as we believe that a good smartphone is paramount to bringing the best consumer experience. There is an inherent growth in Internet consumption due to the high level of penetration of smartphones and we are happy to offer exciting usage plans to compliment the new BlackBerry Z10.”[/quote]

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Aircel Launches the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone powered by BlackBerry 10 in India

Announces range of exciting usage plans for both prepaid and postpaid customers

Delhi, February 27^th, 2013: – Aircel, one of India’s leading telecom players, today launched the new BlackBerry® Z10 smartphone powered by BlackBerry® 10 in the country. The new BlackBerry Z10 is the first smartphone to launch with the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry 10 platform, giving customers a powerful and unique new mobile computing experience. The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet, and offers a smarter experience that continuously adapts to a customer’s needs.

Mr. Anupam Vasudev – Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel said, “Aircel is a young brand and has positioned itself as a data led telecom player. This new exciting partnership with BlackBerry reiterates our commitment to offer our valuable customers with innovative products and services as we believe that a good smartphone is paramount to bringing the best consumer experience. There is an inherent growth in Internet consumption due to the high level of penetration of smartphones and we are happy to offer exciting usage plans to compliment the new BlackBerry Z10.”

Sunil Dutt, Managing Director for India at BlackBerry said, “We are pleased to work with Aircel to bring customers in India the powerful new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. Backed by Aircel’s network and service plans, BlackBerry Z10 customers will be delighted with a re-invented communication experience, seamless multitasking, and easy access to multiple social networks.”

Aircel is offering a new range of exciting usage plans for both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. Aircel’s subscribers will enjoy integrated service bundle of data (1GB data), voice (250 minutes Aircel to Aircel / month) and SMS (250 Aircel to Aircel / month) for 3 months at a recharge of Rs. 153.

With BlackBerry 10 every feature, every gesture, and every detail is designed to keep customers moving and includes advancements such as:

• Peek and Flow into the BlackBerry Hub – A new mobile computing paradigm where what matters to customers is always only one swipe away
• Keyboard– Understands and adapts to customers, so they can type faster and more accurately
• BBM™(BlackBerry® Messenger) – Allows customers to share things with the people that matter to them in an instant
• BlackBerry® Balance™ technology – Protects what is important to customers and the businesses they work for

About Aircel
Aircel is one of India’s leading pan India operators. It won 3G spectrum in 13 circles and BWA spectrum in 8 circles and has successfully launched 3G services which is the fastest 3G roll out ever in the Indian Telecom Space. Aircel has been constantly innovating products and services and is credited with making 3G affordable to masses by launching Pocket Internet Smart which offers best value 3G packs. Aircel Pocket Internet Smart gave a boost to 3G adoption in the country as it is a true value for money product that allows consumers to access unlimited 3G data at extremely affordable prices. Aircel has positioned itself as a data led telecom player and has addressed the multi-functionality of a mobile phone in many innovative ways which are Industry firsts, be it the Aircel Pocket Internet, Pocket Internet Games and Facebook Voice Updates on Aircel. Aircel is also a preferred telecom network to launch Apple iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. For more information, please log on to www.aircel.com.

BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

[/toggle_box]

February 27, 2013
WhatsApp For Blackberry 10 Confirmed For March

Back in December of 2012, it was revealed that WhatsApp had no immediate plans to release an app for Blackberry 10. This was kind of a bummer because BBM only allowed for texting between Blackberry devices, while WhatsApp allowed for communication between multiple platforms.

Now the good news is that according to a tweet by Neeraj Arora regarding WhatsApp, it looks like there will be a native Blackberry 10 app and it will be arriving in March which is next week.

It is very clear that BlackBerry aims at no less than an attempt to fairly command a premium price for its flagship device, the BlackBerry Z10. But for that to succeed, the application platform still needs to be worked on. BlackBerry had proudly played up the fact that it had 70,000 apps ready at the time of the BB10 launch, but quite a few popular apps are still missing in action.

BlackBerry recently launched its Z10 smartphone in India for Rs. 43, 990 and has been facing a lot of flak due to the steep price for their flagship device.

WhatsApp, is a cross platform instant messaging app, and is very popular with a wide demographic of users. The network reported that 10 billion messages were sent on its network in one day, back in August 2012. The application is currently available on Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS7 and prior, Symbian and even on Nokia S40 Asha phones.

February 26, 2013
Blackberry Z10 Costs $154 To Make

We’ve seen the BlackBerry Z10 from the inside out, but have you wondered just what it costs to actually make the device? There are various bits and pieces that go into making a BlackBerry, from the plastic enclosure all the way down to that red LED. The Z10 was pieced out and together all the components ring in at a total of $154 when all is said and done.

The 4.2-inch display for the Z10 costs around $26.50. The 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor costs about $23.50. The 8MP rear-facing camera and 2MP front-facing camera totals about $15. The 16GB internal storage costs around $9.00. The other components, including the battery, communication chips, and RAM total $21.00. Finally, the casing, as well as the other small electronics included in the Z10 total around $59.00.

The Blackberry Z10 is slightly more expensive to create compared to the iPhone 5, which costs about $139 to make. But in the Z10’s defense, it has a bigger, higher resolution screen, more RAM, and a bigger battery.

– Display and Glass (4.2-inches): $26.50
– Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC processor $23.50
– Cameras (8MP back camera and 2MP front-facing): $15.00
– 16GB Flash storage: $9.00
– Other components (battery, communication chips, RAM): $21.00
– Remaining materials such as the plastic casing: $59.00

The Blackberry Z10 is expected to retail for around Rs 40,000 in India while the second Blackberry 10 device, the Qwerty keyboard Q10, is expected to make its debut in April, and its pricing is still to be revealed.

[ CNNMoney via Slashgear]

February 18, 2013