SMRpodcast #95, Begging for Apps is now online and ready for download. This week we talk a lot about BlackBerry and explain whey so many tech journalists are wrong about the Kindle Fire. We also debate Verizon’s stance on Windows Phone, and, of course we’ve got our picks… A lot of really good picks, especially for Android users…
Have a listen!
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Last week rumors that RIM was planning on getting out of the tablet game and discontinuing production of the BlackBerry PlayBook spread like wild fire, and, even though RIM put out a statement calling the rumors “pure fiction” and that the company “remains highly committed to the tablet market”, it’s not really all that difficult to understand why the rumors seemed so plausible…
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Research in Motion officially announced Android application support for the BlackBerry PlayBook back in March before the tablet was released, and, 7 months later we still don’t have an Android App Player. RIM did say, however, during their Q2 Fiscal 2011 earnings call, that we would see preview of the Android App Player next month during BlackBerry DevCon and that the Player would be released along with BlackBerry Tablet OS 2.0 shortly thereafter.
RIM is actually talking more about the Android App Player and starting to detail the features and functionality it will support when it comes to Android. What RIM has been saying, however, has those anxious to get their hands on the Android App, asking less about when the Android support will be available, and, more about just home much Android support PlayBook users will get…
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Verizon has updated VZ Navigator for both the BlackBerry and the Android Platforms and they are offering a free 30-day trial for new users. The new VZ Navigator VX has been enhanced with 3D city driving and real highway signs and views.
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According to the results from a recent ChangeWave survey on Mobile Operating System Preferences of mostly North American respondents, the BlackBerry has hit its lowest level ever with just 4%of consumers planing to get a new smartphone within the next 90 days preferring to get a BlackBerry. Comparatively speaking, 48% of respondents planning to get a new smartphone in the next 90 days said they prefer to get an iPhone.
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comScore released its March 2011 report on mobile subscriber market share last Friday, and, when it comes to the the smartphone category, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry continues to lose subscribers at an alarming rate dropping 4.5%, now sitting at 27.1%, in the 3 month avg. ending Mar. 2011 vs. 3 month avg. ending Dec. 2010.
The BlackBerry has slipped to number 2 behind Android who jumped up 6% to 34.7% U.S. share. The BlackBerry is still in front of the iPhone which had just a .5% increase in share now sitting at 25.5%. If the BlackBerry, however, continues the free-fall that it has been on for the better part of the last 18 months, it will slip to number 3 by the time the next comScore report comes out. Rounding out the smartphone category where Microsoft and Palm who both lost 0.9% market share dropping to 7.5% and 2.8% respectively…
[Via comScore]
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Over the weekend I read an interesting article over on the NYT online where Research in Motion founder and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis gave an interview and seemed to go on a bit of a rant asking the following series of questions…
“Why is it that people don’t appreciate our profits? Why is it that people don’t appreciate our growth? Why is it that people don’t appreciate the fact that we spent the last four years going global? Why is it that people don’t appreciate that we have 500 carriers in 170 countries with products in almost 30 languages?”
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Over the weekend cross platform mobile IM client LiveProfile was released for the BlackBerry. LiveProfile for BlackBerry is an application similar to BlackBerry Messenger in that it shows you when your messages have been delivered, read, and even when contacts are typing a message back to you. The really cool thing, is that it is cross platform meaning that you can chat with contacts that use devices other than BlackBerry, currently Android and iOS.
LiveProfile for BlackBerry is currently in beta, and, has already received one update, since being released just last Friday. Live Profile had to do an emergency upgrade of their servers because of the ridiculous number of downloads that Live Profile is receiving… Over 277,000 in a single day and Live Profile is now the number 4 free download in the social networking category in the Apple App Store. I suspect you will see similar results BlackBerry App World once the LiveProfile for BlackBerry is hosted there.
If you really like BlackBerry Messenger, but, have friends that you can’t BBM with because the have an Android device or an iPhone, I suggest you take a look at Live Profile for BlackBerry. You can download it from http://liveprofile.com/get. If you are on iOS or Android, you can pick up Live Profile for your device via your respective app store…
Download LiveProfile for BlackBerry from http://liveprofile.com/get
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According to BGR sources Research in Motion is bringing BlackBerry Messenger first to Android, and, eventually to iOS. All the details like when this will happen and how much, or, even if RIM will charge users of BBM on third party platroms is still kind of sketchy. BBM on Android, however, is definitely a go and we should see it launch sometime this year.
BGR’s sources say that BlackBerry Messenger for Android is being worked on first because it is easier for RIM to develop and integrate this type of solution on an open platform,but, the plan is for the company to create a BlackBerry Messenger for iOS client eventually…
What do you think? Is this a good move for RIM?
[Read]
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