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RIM’s ‘Big Announcement’ hurt more than it helped…

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RIM put out a Tweet the other day that insinuated that the new BlackBerry 7 devices were going to be announced yesterday, July 26th.    The exact verbage…

You got it! New #BlackBerry devices are coming w/ our new OS, BlackBerry 7! Check back tmrw 4 deets on #BB7FanNight. ^CH

Most people, myself included, took this to mean that RIM was going to release details on new BlackBerry 7 devices that are coming.  What RIM actually meant was that they were releasing details on #BB7FanNight…  That is a load of BS and RIM knows it…

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BlackBerry Was The Best Selling Smartphone In The UK Last Year!

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We keep hearing how the the BlackBerry is getting trounced here in the U.S. by competitors like the iPhone and Android, however, we often forget that Research in Motion, the company that makes BlackBerry devices is a global company.  According to data from GfK, the BlackBerry was the best selling smartphone in the UK…

Using data exclusively from consumers sales channels (ie the networks and consumer electronics stores), the research concluded that not only did BlackBerry handsets command 28.2% of all smartphone sales in 2010, RIM also managed to gain 36% of the Christmas sales, with over 500,000 shifted.

[Via TechRadar]

SMRpodcast #53: All The Comforts Of Home, But, With A Seatbealt In Your Tail

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Listen Now [podcast]http://traffic.libsyn.com/simplemobilereview/all-the-comforts.mp3[/podcast]
Hosts: Rod Simmons, Chris Ashley, Robb Dunewood

  • Recorded: January 30th, 2011
  • Published: January 31st, 2011
  • Duration: 1hr 32min 30sec
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Instructions to subscribing to podcasts [Read more…] about SMRpodcast #53: All The Comforts Of Home, But, With A Seatbealt In Your Tail

SMRpodcast #51 — BlackBerry Is About To Get Rolled

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Listen Now: [podcast]http://traffic.libsyn.com/simplemobilereview/blackberry-is-about-to-get-rolled.mp3[/podcast]
Hosts: Rod Simmons, Chris Ashley,Brent Harman, Robb Dunewood

  • Recorded: January 16th, 2011
  • Published: January 17th, 2011
  • Duration: 1hr 31min 31sec
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Instructions to subscribing to podcasts

SHOW TOPICS

CES

  • We cover some of the announcement from CES
  • Rod talks about the Playbook as one of the best devices
  • Brent said he has no interest in the Motorola Atrix
  • Robb got an iPad

We discuss if the Verizon iPhone will impact Android sales

  • Robb says no
  • Brent says no
  • Chris says yes
  • Rod says yes
  • hard discussion begins

We discuss Google

  • Rod is wondering if anyone cares about Chrome OS
  • Chris says no
  • Robb isn’t sure where they will fit in
  • Brent makes the case on how Chrome OS will work

BlackBerry Playbook

  • Rod mentions that the Playbook is coming out on Sprint
  • Robb clarifies that they are getting the 4G device everyone else can get the WIFI

Why were there no Windows Phone 7 devices at CES

  • Chris says that the Mobile World Congress is more the venue for Microsoft and Phone 7
  • Argument ensues

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Opening Song

Santa Clause Is Coming Town by Pleasure – Amazon

Research In Motion To Filter Out Porn Per Indonesian Ban

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In a statement issued today Research in Motion said that it will filter pornographic internet content for its 2 million users in Indonesia as well as open a local server so that the government of Indonesia can gain access to encrypted data.

Indonesian Communications and Information Minister Tiffatul Sembiring has called for tighter internet controls and wants RIM to block access to porn sites to comply with an anti-pornography law in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

To make a long story short, internet service providers were asked back in July of last year to restrict access to pornographic material based on a law banning such content passed back in 2008.  RIM either had to comply, or, risk being shut down.

RIM said, “it is fully committed to working with Indonesias carriers to put in place a prompt, compliant filtering solution for Blackberry subscribers in Indonesia as soon as possible“.

Poll: Will Research In Motion Announce Any New BlackBerry Phones At CES 2011?

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It’s clear that Research in Motion’s focus at this year Consumer Electronics Show is laser targeted on the BlackBerry PlayBook.  Will, however, the company with the biggest percentage market share of smartphone users in North America announce any new additions to it’s aging lineup of BlackBerry smartphones?

Is The BlackBerry PlayBook The Next BlackBerry?

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There is no question that a huge point of focus for Research in Motion at CES 2011 will be the BlackBerry PlayBook.  Even though the show officially doesn’t start until today, RIM has already let bloggers to play around with the device and a Sprint 4G BlackBerry PlayBook has been officially announced and is supposed to come out this summer.  This has kind of got me to wondering, is the BlackBerry PlayBook actually the next generation BlackBerry?

One of the things that I really like about the BlackBerry PlayBook is that it is small enough to fit into the breast pocket of a man’s sport coat.  This is, in my opinion, just one of the huge advantages over the current iPad (a glorious device by the way).  There are places that I just don’t take my iPad because I have to actively carry it, but the PlayBook can fit into my jacket pocket.

Now that we know that Sprint is sticking 4G into the PlayBook there is no reason to believe that you couldn’t make a phone call from it.  We don’t know if Sprint or RIM will actually make voice a priority for the 4G PlayBook, however, the ability clearly would be there if the carrier allows it.  A 7-inch tablet is still a bit too big to be a primary phone, but, how hard would it be for RIM to shrink the PlayBook down to, say,  4.7 inches?  Maybe 4.3 inches?  Something tells me that RIM probably already has…

Gang, I think that the BlackBerry PlayBook may actually be the next BlackBerry smartphone…

Rant: Jim Balsillie On RIM Is Going To Stat Competitive With Apple And Google

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During yesterday’s third quarter fiscal 2011 earnings call, Research in Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie had this to say when Rod Hall of JP Morgan essentially asked how RIM is going to stay competitive with Apple and Google getting people to believe that RIM isn’t just playing catch-up…

I think the PlayBook redefines what a tablet should do. I think we’ve articulated some elements of it, and I think this idea of a proprietary SDK and unnecessary apps — though there’s a huge role for apps — I think is going to shift in the market, and I think it’s going to shift very, very quickly. And I think there’s going to be a strong appetite for web fidelity and tool familiarity. And I think there’s going to be a rapid desire for high performance. And I think we’re way ahead on that. And I think CIO friendliness, we’re way ahead on that.

Now, how do you align or go over the top on carriers and content providers? Well, we have different strategies, and that’s fine, and there may be room for more than one model, who knows. And, you know, it’s a very dynamic market. Plus, there’s enormous growth and shifts happening around the world, you know.

How many fronts people want to take on contention, that’s a question you can ask. Do you want to go over the top of banks, do you want to go over the top on content, do you want to go over the top on carriers, do you want to go over the top on video content providers? I mean, who knows, you know? What part of it’s good strategy and what part of it’s a bridge too far? I mean, who knows?

The truth of it is, you really want a lot of it on your smartphone, and you really want a lot of it, we believe, on a tablet. And you fit with your content providers — who are really changing their strategies for mobility, because they want a sustained model — carriers are aggressively trying to change their models, banks are getting involved.

So, I think the PlayBook clearly sets the bar WAY higher on performance, and you’re going to see more. I think the enterprise stuff, we’re seriously extending. I think the BlackBerry is still number one in social collaboration. And I think with the PlayBook and that environment we’re going to set the new standard on performance and tools, very powerful tools. And we’re growing very very fast. So, that’s a lot.

Connected home? I think there’s ways to seamlessly extend what’s going on in the home, and you’re going to see a lot of how we’re doing that, rather than going over the top. But, you know, it may be a prerogative.

But you’re going into some pretty serious plays when you go in the connected home too hard. You have to pay attention to the fact: What’s the role of the satellite company or the cable company in that? The content vendors get fed paying through them. And also, how do you insert ads very well with these content vendors?

There’s a lot of moving parts, but I think we’re just well ahead on the PlayBook, well ahead internationally, and extending very very well. And so, people can have their views on sentiment, but when is it a good entry strategy, and when is it a bridge too far? Who knows? We have turbulent ecosystem right now. How do you work with banks, how do you work with carriers, how do you work with content, how do you work with enterprise ecosystem?

And I think these business models are highly shifting, and if people think there’s just a straight-ahead shot for everybody, and it’s all just predictably extended the way it’s going now, I think that’s a highly questionable assumption. These business models are highly in flux.

One thing I’ve always liked about Jim Balsillie is that if you ask him a question he usually will tell you what he is thinking.  He may wrap lot of other stuff on his mind around his answers that actually end being more interesting than his actual answers, but, answer your questions he will…

[Source]

Research In Motion Reports 3rd Quarter Fiscal 2011 Results

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Research In Motion Reports Third Quarter Results

WATERLOO, ONTARIO — (Marketwire) — 12/16/10 — Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM)(TSX: RIM), a world leader in the mobile communications market, today reported record third quarter results for the three months ended November 27, 2010 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP).

Highlights:

  • Record BlackBerry(R) smartphone shipments of 14.2 million grew 40% over the same quarter last year
  • Revenue grew 40% over the same quarter last year to $5.5 billion
  • Q3 Earnings per share of $1.74 were up 58% over the same quarter last year
  • Cash increased by $446 million to $2.5 billion at the end of the quarter

Q3 Results:

Revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2011 was $5.49 billion, up 19% from $4.62 billion in the previous quarter and up 40% from $3.92 billion in the same quarter of last year. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 82% for devices, 15% for service, and 3% for software and other revenue. During the quarter, RIM shipped approximately 14.2 million devices.

Approximately 5.1 million net new BlackBerry(R) subscriber accounts were added in the quarter. At the end of the quarter, the total BlackBerry subscriber account base was over 55 million.

“We are pleased to report another record quarter with strong growth in shipments of BlackBerry smartphones leading to record revenue, subscriber additions and earnings. RIM’s business continues to grow and diversify as BlackBerry adoption accelerates in markets around the world,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “With strong results and momentum from our recent product introductions, as well as growing excitement from our partners and customers around upcoming smartphone, tablet, software and service offerings, we are setting the stage for continuing success.”

The Company’s net income for the quarter was $911.1 million, or $1.74 per share diluted, compared with net income of $796.7 million, or $1.46 per share diluted, in the prior quarter and net income of $628.4 million, or $1.10 per share diluted, in the same quarter last year.

The total of cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments was $2.47 billion as of November 27, 2010, compared to $2.03 billion at the end of the previous quarter, an increase of $446 million from the prior quarter. Cash flow from operations in Q3 was approximately $975 million. Uses of cash included capital expenditures of approximately $300 million, common share repurchases of approximately $133 million, and intangible asset purchases of approximately $45 million.

Q4 Outlook:

Revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 ending February 26, 2011 is expected to be in the range of $5.5-$5.7 billion. Gross margin percentage for the fourth quarter is expected to be similar to third quarter levels. Earnings per share for the fourth quarter are expected to be in the range of $1.74-$1.80 per share diluted.

Update on RIM’s Board of Directors:

RIM announced today that its board of directors has appointed co-Chief Executive Officers Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis as co-chairmen of the board. John Richardson remains as lead independent director of RIM and will continue to facilitate the functioning of the board independently of management. The board believes these appointments, in conjunction with Mr. Richardson serving as lead independent director, represent an appropriate and effective leadership structure for RIM. RIM also announced today that Jim Estill has resigned his position as a director of RIM due to a business conflict. RIM thanks Mr. Estill for his 13 years of serviceon the board.

Conference Call and Webcast:

A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 5 pm ET, December 16, 2010, which can be accessed by dialing 800-814-4859 (North America), 416-644-3414 (outside North America). The replay of the company’s Q3 conference call can be accessed after 7 pm ET, December 16, 2010 until midnight ET, December 30, 2010. It can be accessed by dialing 416-640-1917 and entering passcode 4310313#. The conference call will also appear on the RIM website live at 5 pm ET and will be archived at http://www.rim.com/investors/events/index.shtml.