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Apple iPhone sales outstrip BlackBerry

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The success of Apple’s hugely popular iPhone range has seen it overtake Research in Motion, which makes the BlackBerry, as one of the world’s biggest mobile phone companies.

Apple shipped 14.1 million handsets during the most recent financial quarter, up 91 per cent on the same quarter last year, according to analysts at Strategy Analytics.

Bumper sales of Apple’s flagship iPhone 4 has seen the company outperform Research in Motion, the Canadian company that makes the BlackBerry range of smartphone devices. RIM shipped 12.4 million units during that period, an increase of 46 per cent on the same quarter last year.

The reversal of fortunes has prompted some industry experts to question whether the popularity of the BlackBerry could be on the wane, as other devices match the mobile emailer for efficiency and usability.

iPhone 4

iPhone 4

A total of 327 million mobile phones were shipped worldwide during the third financial quarter of this year, up from 291 million on the same period last year. Strategy Analytics said that growth had been less than expected and slightly down on the first six months of the year, but blamed this on component shortages and ongoing economic volatility which “slightly constrained volumes”.


Nokia remained the biggest mobile phone maker in the world, shipping 110.4 million handsets worldwide during the third financial quarter. The company has undergone a shake-up in recent months, with several key executives, including chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, announcing their departure.

Strategy Analytics said this figure represented just a two per cent annual growth on the same figure last year, but was the ninth consecutive quarter in which the troubled Finnish company had grown volumes above the market average.

rim_blackberry_lancastria

Rim, makers of the Blackberry

“Component constraints aside, much of Nokia’s growth during the next quarter will depend on the success of its four high-profile new models, the Nokia N8, C7, C6-01 and E7,” said Strategy Analytics in its report. “The first three handsets will be attacking Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung, while the E7 will set is sights on RIM, HTC and others.”

Samsung, which shipped 71 million handsets in the third quarter, and LG, which shipped 24.8 million devices, made up the rest of the top five handset makers.

Strategy Analytics warned that LG’s apparent inability to capitalise on the premium smartphone boom was “causing financial pain”, and also said that Samsung was experiencing a “healthy demand” for Android-based devices which was helping to drive its success.

It is anticipated that around 1.3 billion handsets will have been shipped by the end of this year, the biggest every annual total. However, Strategy Analytics warned that the “volatile supply” of some key components could prevent some vendors from delivering the full range of phones they had hoped to provide.

Blackberry to reveal ‘BlackPad’ tablet to rival iPad

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RIM

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) is set to unveil its version of a tablet computer to take on the iPad next week, it was claimed today.

The BlackPad, as it has been nicknamed, will be launched before the end of the year and will have a seven-inch touch screen and at least one built-in camera, a source told the Wall Street Journal.

And it is claimed that RIM will unveil the device at a developers’ conference in San Francisco next week.

Quoting people familiar with RIM’s plans, the Wall Street Journal also confirmed Tuesday that the BlackPad is being launched Monday. The tablet will feature a seven-inch touch screen and one or two built-in cameras, the paper said.

It will also have Bluetooth and broadband connections but will only be able to connect to cellular networks through a BlackBerry smartphone. The tablet won’t be sold with a cellular service, leaving unclear which carriers or retailers will sell the device, the journal reported, quoting people familiar with RIM’s plans.

blackpad-1-lancastria

RIM Blackpad

As reported earlier, the BlackPad will not operate on the newly launched BlackBerry 6 operating system launched in August, but on a new platform built by QNX Software Systems.

The BlackBerry maker had acquired Ottawa-based QNX Software Systems for USD 200 million in April to have exclusive access to its software technology for its tablet.

QNX Software Systems is a unique company as its technology powers the six-wheeled unmanned Crusher combat vehicle of the US Army as well as the music, media and navigation systems in cars from BMW and Porsche.

By buying QNX Software Systems, RIM has also brought on board independent software developers who develop applications exclusively for QNX. Since RIM is way behind Apple in offering applications on its devices, QNX’s technology is a major boost for the Canadian wireless giant.


All future devices from RIM will operate on the QNX operating system, rather than its current operating systems, including BlackBerry 6, which have been termed slow.

The BlackPad tablet is being manufactured by Quanta Computer Inc. of Taiwan, and will run on chips from California’s Marvell Technology Group Inc., the journal reported, quoting people familar with the the tablet’s manufacturing.

The tablet will be another attempt by RIM to catch up with its rivals as it has been fast losing its market dominance in the smart phone market to Apple’s iPad and Google Android devices.

Though theWaterloo-based Canadian company has posted a record growth in the second quarter and reported high sales of the latest BlackBerry Torch 9800, Apple’s iPhone is making big inroads into its corporate and business client base.

Compounding its problems, the BlackBerry maker also faces ban in some big markets, including India, which are seeking access to its secure encrypted emails for security reasons.