RIM

10% of US Mobile Subscribers Own iPhones

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 5, 2011

A new survey carried about by comScore claims that only 1 out of 10 American mobile subscribers own an iPhone, with Apple's handset reaching the 10.8% mark as of October 2011.

The survey also suggests that Samsung is currently the top OEM in the country, with their phones currently in the hands of a quarter of all cellphone owners.

In fact, of the top five OEMs in comScore's chart, Apple sits fourth, behind Samsung (25.5%), LG (20.6%) and Motorola (13.6%). Canadian firm Research In Motion takes fifth place with an ever-decreasing share of the market. Not great times for BlackBerry fans at all...

Apple Isn’t the Only Company Who Worries About Jailbreaking

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 25, 2017

There's a new jailbreak in town, and it isn't for the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Research In Motion PlayBook tablet has been jailbroken. For the first time in the Blackberry maker's history, hackers have gained root access to the OS.

Why is this a big deal? Not only is it the first official "jailbreak" to occur outside of Apple's ecosystem, but it's also a slap in the face to RIM's enterprise-minded, security-conscious mindset.

RIM to Offer Enterprise Tools for iPhone and Android

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 9, 2016

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's the approach BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is taking with its ailing smartphone market. The company has announced that it will be offering an easy way to get iPhones and Android users plugged into its enterprise tools.

The move by the once-dominant force in the business smartphone industry illustrates the relevance that Apple and Google have made in a sector that was almost entirely owned by RIM not that long ago.

Perhaps more importantly, this may well be the first sign of RIM trying to move away from offering hardware, in an attempt to concentrate on the software and security their past successes were built on.

VoIP-Based Services Like iMessage Reportedly Eating Carriers’ Lunches

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 18, 2011

With third-party instant messaging apps, Apple's own iMessage, and VoIP services becoming more prevalent, it is to be expected that at some point mobile networks will see a reduction in revenue as people move away from using SMS and voice calling.

What we didn't really expect is the move to start happening so soon. But according to one report, carriers are already feeling the pinch.

Research carried out by infrastructure solutions provider Mavenir Systems on behalf of mobileSQUARED suggests that carriers are already finding that third-party solutions are beginning to impact their business, and it's only going to get worse for the bottom line...

9 Out of 10 iPhone Owners Will Never Buy Another Brand of Smartphone

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

iPhone owners are the most loyal smartphone users around, according to a new survey by UBS Research. Apple's iPhone boasts a 89% retention rate, indicating that nearly 9 out 10 iPhone owners will never buy another brand of smartphone.

Surprisingly, the company with the second highest retention rate is actually HTC, with 39% of its customers sticking around for the long haul. Apple claims a 50% retention rate lead over all other smartphone makers in terms of customer loyalty...

Europeans Love Android More Than iOS?

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 14, 2011

Everyone loves sales numbers, right? If that's true, everyone really loves sales numbers that claim that either Android or iOS is winning the mobile war.

It seems different numbers point to a different winner in this war, or at least a different winner in each battle. And this time around it's Android's turn to be the victor...

Why Gtalk is Already the SMS Replacement that iMessage Wants to Be

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

The race to kill SMS is on. Instant messaging apps have flooded both the App Store and Android Market, with WhatsApp and others seeking to replace SMS by offering free, cross-platform messaging in (sometimes) fancy-looking apps that allow not only the sending and receiving of text, but also the sending of pictures and video.

Even Samsung is set to join the fray, with ChatON being the company's first foray into the world of instant messaging. Samsung promises to release apps on just about every platform. It seems that everyone has it in for SMS, and the carriers must surely know what's going. And let's not forget Apple's iMessage...

BlackBerry PlayBook to Get Email and BBM, Is the iPad Competition Starting to Catch Up?

Oliver Haslam ∙ August 26, 2011

RIM is set to finally put the finishing touches to its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet – four months after they released it.

Launched as a not-quite-iPad competitor, the PlayBook is a 7" tablet running the Canadian firm's new QNX operating system. QNX is, in fact, so new that it didn't have an email client at launch. Or RIM's unique selling point, BBM. That could all be about to change, as RIM begins to finally fix some, if not all, of the PlayBook's issues...

Even RIM Will Offer a Music Subscription Service, is Apple Next?

Oliver Haslam ∙ August 20, 2011

Before WWDC, all the buzz about iCloud was that it would bring a music subscription model to iTunes. As it turned out, iCloud is nothing of the sort, with syncing being the main feature of iCloud.

While hope springs eternal that Jobs and co. will see the good sense and offer a Spotify clone sooner rather than later, it seems one of the Cupertino outfit's smartphone competitors could be about offer a somewhat new take on the music sharing situation, and it's an interesting one...

Apple Store Opening Down the Street from RIM Headquarters

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

It's no secret that Apple is rapidly expanding its retail footprint. Not only are they spreading out to new places in Europe and Asia, they are also moving into new areas on the home front.

A few days ago we mentioned that the Cupertino company was unveiling a new store in Alaska this Saturday. But the one opening up its doors in Canada tomorrow might prove to be more interesting, as it's right down the street from RIM's headquarters...

iPad 2 No Longer Must-Have Gadget, Ousted by BlackBerry PlayBook? (Yeah Right)

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated December 26, 2016

In what can only be described as a bold claim, and possibly a bit of link bait, voucher site iLoveCashback.com has claimed that Apple's wunder-tablet, the iPad 2, is no longer the must-have gadget.

The new champion? RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook. It's ok, we'll wait for you to pick yourself back up off the floor.

Up? Ok, here's how they come to that rather amazing conclusion...

BlackBerry the Smartphone of Choice for Teens in UK, iPhone for Adults

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated October 25, 2016

A new survey by OFCOM suggests that the iPhone is the smartphone of choice in the UK, with RIM's BlackBerry being the favorite of teenagers.

OFCOM spoke to 2073 adults and 521 teenagers in order to find out which smartphone they used, and Apple's iPhone was once again the handset to come up trumps. RIM's BlackBerry got a shot in the arm, with teenagers apparently preferring the Canadian firm's smartphones over the more touch-friendly competition...