RIMarkable » iPhone

40% Of BlackBerry Users Want Their Next Smartphone To Be An iPhone

Robb Dunewood — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:15:14 +0000

According to a the second semi-annual smartphone brand loyalty survey by Crowd Science, 40% of BlackBerry users want their next smartphone to be an iPhone. The BlackBerry may be on top when it comes smartphone market share, but, when 2 of 5 BlackBerry users want to switch to Research in Motion’s primary competition’s device, the question becomes, how long can they stay there.

What is equally alarming is that the survey says that almost a third of BlackBerry users want to switch to the Google Nexus One. I think story being told isn’t so much about BlackBerry users wanting an iPhone or a Nexus one, but, how they want something more than what the BlackBerry offers.

The BlackBerry OS is, and, has been for some time, in need of a significant overhaul, if not a complete redo. Most rumors indicate that OS 6 isn’t due out until next year and the next major update, 5.2, may just be a bridge to OS 6. Can another update to the current OS and a WebKit BlackBerry Browser stem the tide of BlackBerry defections this survey indicates?

With the Nexus One soon to be released on Verizon, the number of BlackBerry users that move to Android could be quite telling…

40% Of BlackBerry Users Want Their Next Smartphone To Be An iPhone is a post from: RIMarkable

10 Reasons Why The iPhone Will Never Dominate The U.S. Smartphone Market

Robb Dunewood — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:16:32 +0000

So, a(n) nut job irrational iPhone fanatic asked me what I am going to do with all my free time once RIMarkable folds because Research in Motion will be bankrupt by June and out of business before the end of the year and I 1have nothing left to talk about. They challenged me to give them one reason why, “the iPhone won’t continue to dominate in the States and further knock the lackberry into oblivion…”

Now, even the most die-hard of iPhone users that actually base their commentary in reality know that the iPhone doesn’t dominate the U.S. market and, in fact, is number two to the BlackBerry, but, because I think this will be the fodder for some very interesting comments, I’m going to give you 10 reasons why, with their current model, Apple and the iPhone will Never dominate the U.S. market.

Just one carrier – AT&T, for many, sucks is not an option…
No iPhone with a physical keyboard – iPhone diehards can say that the virtual keyboard on the iPhone is all that anyone ever needs until they are blue in the face. The fact is that people who want physical keyboards don’t buy iPhones.
The iPhone is not that great of a phone – The network may have a bit to do with this, however, if your primary goal is making phone calls, their are much better options.
The iPhone is expensive – Smartphones in general are expensive but the iPhone really doesn’t have an inexpensive model (relatively speaking).
The competition is catching up – I will give it to Apple… When they introduced the iPhone they showed the world something they had never seen before. The iPhone 3G and 3Gs, aren’t really all that much different than the original. Web OS, Android, and dare I even say BlackBerry devices have done and continue to do a lot of catching up.
The iPhone really hasn’t made a significant dent in corporate America — Corporations are allowing iPhones access to corporate email. Corporations, on the other hand, have standardized on BlackBerry and Windows Mobile.
No Single Killer App – I know that the iPhone has over 100,000 applications but, they don’t have BIS or BES Push email, PIN Messaging, or BlackBerry Messenger. They don’t have Google Voice either which I think will move into the realm of BlackBerry Messenger one day…
No Multitasking — Are you really a smartphone if you can only do one thing at a time?
The iPhone is a closed garden – When developers can effectively create applications they want to create on other platforms as compared to what Apple allows them to create on the iPhone, they will. Google is coming after the iPhone and they just may have the legs to do it…
I can think of countless other reasons why the iPhone won’t dominate here in the U.S., but, since RIMarkable is a BlackBerry blog, probably with a lot of BlackBerry users that feel as I do, I’ll let you enter the tenth reason in via the comments as I am sure that I really missed some good ones…

10 Reasons Why The iPhone Will Never Dominate The U.S. Smartphone Market is a post from: RIMarkable

“What iPhone Apps Would You Like For BlackBerry”

Robb Dunewood — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:47:41 +0000

BlackBerry Cool is running a poll asking “What iPhone Apps would you like for BlackBerry?“ My answer is simple…

Most of them!

I am sure that even a lot of die-hard iPhone and iPod Touch users would agree that a good percentage of the apps available on App Store are pure, unadulterated, crap. The rub for BlackBerry users, however, is that at least iPhone and iPod users have the option to download a ton of these apps.

The iPhone has a ridiculous advantage over the BlackBerry when it comes application support

Regular RIMarkable readers know that I am absolutely a BlackBerry fanatic, but, I have to be honest, the iPhone has a ridiculous advantage over the BlackBerry when it comes application support. The iPhone handles memory better, has more memory, far superior graphics support, and a much better Software Development Kit than does the BlackBerry.

To make a long story short Apple makes it easy for developers to develop for the iPhone and the bar to iPhone development is relatively low. RIM has simply got to catch up.

[Via BlackBerry Cool]

“What iPhone Apps Would You Like For BlackBerry” is a post from: RIMarkable

Researchers Demonstrate How To Take iPhone Over With Malicious SMS Messages

Robb Dunewood — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:29:27 +0000

Because of the popularity of the iPhone security concerns with the device are oftenignored if not dismissed all together, especially when compared to the BlackBerry. I’d be willing to bet, however, that IT firms that allow users to access corporate email from their iPhones will listen intently to what researchers Collin Mulliner and Charlie Miller have to say about iPhone security going forward.

You see, these two gentlemen recently took complete control over the iPhone of Elinor Mills, senior technology writer for CNet, with an SMS message at the Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas.

Here’s what happened: While I was talking on the phone to Charlie Miller, his partner, Collin Mulliner, sent me a text message from his phone. One minute I’m talking to Miller and the next minute my phone is dead, and this time it’s not AT&T’s fault. After a few seconds it came back to life, but I was not able to make or receive calls until I rebooted.
My iPhone is not jailbroken and it is running iPhone OS 3.0.
The attack is enabled by a serious memory corruption bug in the way the iPhone handles SMS messages, said Miller, a senior security researcher at Independent Security Evaluators.

Apple was notified about the vulnerability which affects all versions of the iPhone OS about 6 weeks ago, however, no patch has been released to correct the issue as of yet.

[Read]

An update, iPhone OS 3.0.1, which address this issue, has been realeased…

Researchers Demonstrate How To Take iPhone Over With Malicious SMS Messages is a post from: RIMarkable

More On Apple Removing Google Voice Applications From The AppStore

Robb Dunewood — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:33:30 +0000

When we first heard that Apple was pulling third party Google Voice applications for the AppStore, we didn’t think that the ban would apply to the official Google Voice App created by Google. As it turns out, Apple and AT&T are banning Google Voice period.

A Google representative told this to TechCrunch:

We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users — for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers.

To make a long story short, Google Voice gives SMS to users for free, something AT&T, and all the carriers, quite frankly, have been over charging customers for, for years. A lot of iPhone users are questioning why BlackBerry users on AT&T still get to have the Google Voice App for BlackBerry. I am going to go out on a limb and assume that this is because BlackBerry devices require a special type of data plan, BIS or BES, both which generally include unlimited SMS. Seeing how my previous assumption was completely untrue, I have no clue why Apple is anti GV.

I am sure that this is not the last that we will be hearing of this story…

More On Apple Removing Google Voice Applications From The AppStore is a post from: RIMarkable

$99 iPhone Sale For Best Buy Reward Zone Members

Robb Dunewood — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:20:57 +0000

Granted, RIMarkable is a BlackBerry blog, however, we aren’t such BlackBerry fanboys that we wouldn’t let you in on a great iPhone sale when we hear about it.

Through then end of the month, Best buy is offerring $50 to $100 off the purchase price of an iPhone 3G for Best Buy Reward zone members with a two-year contract. Regular members get $50 off and Reward Zone Premium Silver members get $100 off. This means that you could get yourself an 8 gig iPhone 3G for $99.

I love my BlackBerry, however, a sub-$100 dollar iPhone is a heck of a deal.

[Via Best Buy]

$99 iPhone Sale For Best Buy Reward Zone Members is a post from: RIMarkable

Apple App Store Tops 500 Million Downloads

Robb Dunewood — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:57:45 +0000

Regardless of if you are an iPhone / iPod fan or not, 500 million downloads in a year and a half half a year is impressive…

Apple App Store Tops 500 Million Downloads is a post from: RIMarkable

Is The iPhone To The BlackBerry What the PC Was To The Mac?

Robb Dunewood — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:17:23 +0000

I can’t remember where I read this, but, Apple may actually sell more iPhones this quarter than RIM sells BlackBerrys.

Let’s think about that for a second. The BlackBerry is unquestionably the top smartphone out their right now, however, the iPhone may actually outsell the BlackBerry this quarter and Apple got to this point in less than two years. This is an impressive feat for even a company with Apple’s resources.

Knocking the price of the iPhone down to $200 was a brilliant move and had a bit of a Microsoft flavor to it if you ask me.

I don’t think that too many people that use both Macs and PCs would argue that the Mac has a superior OS, is more stable, and is easier to use than Windows, yet Windows still dominates in most homes where these very things would seem to matter most.

In the same vein, not many will argue that the BlackBerry, less web browsing, is far superior to the iPhone as far as everything messaging is concerned, simply just works all the time, and has changed how business users stay in touch and respond almost in real time to email.

I think that you could honestly say that the iPhone is to the BlackBerry what the PC was to the Mac 20 years ago in this sense. Apple isn’t going directly after corporate users just yet. They know trying to battle the BlackBerry on it’s home turf would be like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Apple is, however, going after everyone else, especially those that will become corporate users one day.

What Apple is doing is selling iPhone to consumers like mad and even though the iPhone is still little more than a novelty in most corporate IT environments, it will improve over time, especially when millions of new corporate users that already use iPhone personally are requesting it.

RIM seriously needs to look at lessons passed when setting their strategy over the next few years.

Is The iPhone To The BlackBerry What the PC Was To The Mac? is a post from: RIMarkable

The iPhone Is Blocking The AT&T BlackBerry Bold Launch… Literally

Robb Dunewood — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:08:26 +0000

We’ve been saying for a while that the AT&T BlackBerry Bold was being delayed becasue of the iPhone, however, we thought that it was becuase AT&T really wanted to sell a lot of iPhones.

According to the Globe and Mail, the reason, at least in part, that the AT&T BlackBerry Bold hasn’t been launched is becasue the iPhone 3G is such a 3G bandwidth hog it clogs AT&T’s network to the point of not having enough resources to effectively launch the Bold.

The iPhone utilizes a “ping-pong” technology which must constantly access AT&T’s network in order to receive data and e-mails, placing a great strain on the telecom company’s cellular infrastructure. “We believe that AT&T is now realizing that it can have up to 20 BlackBerrys for every iPhone on its network. AT&T will need to spend as much as $1-billion (U.S.) to repair its network.

The iPhone Is Blocking The AT&T BlackBerry Bold Launch… Literally is a post from: RIMarkable