BlackBerry Rio Is the Next All-Touch Flagship Smartphone Rumored for 2015

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There have been lots of rumors surrounding BlackBerry’s roadmap for 2015. The newest list of devices that the Canadian company plans to launch next year doesn’t contain an all-touch smartphone at all.

Although an all-touch handset has been rumored in the last couple of months, it appears that BlackBerry doesn’t want to bet on this category again.

Given the failed BlackBerry Z10 launch, we can’t blame the Canadian company for taking all precautions for this to not happen again.

It’s obvious that once you fail in a direction you try to change course as fast as possible, which is why the leaked roadmap for 2015 doesn’t contain a full-touch device.

Even though it’s hard to say how many BlackBerry fans or users of other platforms would be willing to purchase an all-touch smartphone launched by the Canadian company, it’s clear that there’s a market for this category, but only if the device comes at the right time and offers a certain set of specs.

While we’re not sure what really happened with the Z10 and why BlackBerry was left with a huge amount of units in its stock, the next all-touch smartphone launched by the Canadian company, the Z30, seems to have been more popular among customers.

Going back to BlackBerry’s roadmap for 2015, it looks like those who are anxious for the company to launch a high-end all-touch smartphone may be in luck after all.

After numerous more or less confirmed rumors denying the existence of such a device, the folks over at N4BB claim that BlackBerry is now working to bring an all-touch smartphone on the market in 2015.

It's too early to talk about specs, but more might be unveiled next year

The project is still in its infancy, which means it could be canceled at any time if BlackBerry feels that it’s not going in the right direction.

The new device is internally known as BlackBerry Rio and it could be an evolution of the previously leaked Z50, though this is just a speculation.

Given the fact that the device is in early stages of development, there are no details on specs, price, or release date yet. However, if the project really exists and doesn’t get canceled by the end of the year, more details will probably emerge in the next couple of months.

Until then, we can only hope that BlackBerry has a good idea of how its next all-touch smartphone should look and feel. Here’s hoping that more info on the BlackBerry Rio will surface sooner rather than later. What do you feel about an all-touch high-end BlackBerry smartphone?

 

 

Source from: http://news.softpedia.com

BlackBerry’s Q2 2015 Results Fall Short, But CEO Chen Touts 200,000 Passport Sales

BlackBerry has missed expectations on revenue for Q2 2015, with $916 million in money coming in, which compares to $1.57 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts had predicted north of $940 million for the quarter. Expenses were down under Chen’s leadership, with R&D spend dropping from $360 million to $186 million. Sales, marketing and administration also dropped from $527 million to $195 million, but cost cutting alone wasn’t enough to right the ship this quarter, or stave off greater than expected losses.

BlackBerry CEO John Chen explained on a subsequent earnings call that the company has seen 200,000 orders for its BlackBerry Passport, the new smartphone it unveiled earlier this week at a launch event held simultaneously in Toronto, London and Dubai. Chen emphasized the device’s enterprise user appeal, and the company’s Canadian roots at the event. BlackBerry also touted an active BBM user network of 91 million, which is up 6 million from the number last officially released in March. That’s not a meteoric growth rate, but it is a decent showing for the company’s messenger ambitions.

One point to note: BlackBerry had been talking up its device “sellouts” online at Amazon and its own store, but the fact that it’s also revealing that it had presumably less than 200,000 units to go around to satisfy initial demand means the accomplishment isn’t necessarily indicative of resounding success. Still, despite the disappointing performance for this quarter, the company at least has a few reasons to believe things could be looking up going into next calendar year. Chen still says that BBM and BlackBerry Blend, its cross-platform software for interacting with firewalled data, will need until at least FY 2016 before they beginning delivering meaningful revenue, however.

 

 

Source from: http://techcrunch.com

BlackBerry Classic Release Looks Delayed Until 2015

BlackBerry’s 2014 lineup is starting to take form, and while the company is expected to launch several new phones later this year it looks like one device could be delayed until 2015. A leaked product road map obtained by N4BB shows the firm’s plans for the year, and the BlackBerry Classic “Q20″ is mysteriously absent from its 2014 plans.


Based on the leaked road map, it looks like the BlackBerry Passport (codenamed Windmere) and the company’s new Porsche Design phone (codenamed Khan) should launch in the third quarter of 2014. The document also appears to confirm that Waterloo will keep selling the BB 7 OS-powered BlackBerry 9720 for the foreseeable future. As for the Classic Q20, it looks like it might not launch until next year.

Today’s leak also includes two more slides explaining BlackBerry’s upcoming lineup, including the Classic Q20. The company describes the upcoming smartphone as “powerful yet uncomplicated,” while the Passport is pitched as “unique yet purposeful.” Interestingly, there’s no mention of a high-end all-touch device, though the company is still promoting the “affordable” Z3.

We’re excited to try out the BlackBerry Passport for ourselves, but it seems like the smartphone’s bulky shape might be a turnoff for some people. The Classic Q20 could offer a more familiar option for die-hard BlackBerry fans, though if the company is facing new delays it could be a real issue later this year once competition from Apple and the rest of the industry begins to pick up.

 

 

Source from: http://www.technobuffalo.com

BlackBerry cuts ties with T-Mobile after email suggesting users switch

NEW YORK -- BlackBerry is ending its U.S. licensing deal with T-Mobile, saying the companies no longer have complementary strategies.

The disconnect appears to be related to a T-Mobile promotion that BlackBerry took issue with last month.

In a blog post in February, BlackBerry CEO and Executive Chair John Chen said that T-Mobile had emailed an offer targeting BlackBerry users on its network asking them to switch their BlackBerry devices to a competitor's smartphone. Chen said that BlackBerry had not been told of T-Mobile's plans in advance and thanked its customers for expressing their displeasure. Chen told its customers that BlackBerry was upset about the offer and that T-Mobile hadn't spoken with the Canadian company before or after launching the promotion.

(FILES) This file photo shows the BlackBerry 10 mobile platform being unveiled January 30, 2013 in New York City at Pier 36. Struggling Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry said April 2, 2014 it will not renew an accord allowing wireless carrier T-Mobile to sell its smartphones in the United States. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

BlackBerry's existing licensing agreement with T-Mobile U.S. Inc. expires on April 25.

Once the deal ends, BlackBerry customers on the T-Mobile network shouldn't see any change in their service or support, Blackberry said.

BlackBerry Ltd., formerly known as Research In Motion, said that it will work with T-Mobile to help any BlackBerry customers remaining on the T-Mobile U.S. network or any customers buying devices from T-Mobile's existing inventory.

BlackBerry said it's also working with its other carrier partners to give its customers options should they want to switch to another carrier.

Chen said in a statement that the company hopes to work with T-Mobile again when their business strategies align.

 

The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and other consumers before the iPhone debuted in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and phone calls. The BlackBerry has also been hurt by competition from Android-based rivals.

On Friday the company reported mixed fourth-quarter results as its adjusted loss was better than expected, but revenue -- which dropped below $1 billion for the first time since late 2007 -- fell short of analysts' expectations.

BlackBerry is transitioning its business from a smartphone company to a software business under Chen, who is deemphasizing the hardware business after last year's launch of the BlackBerry 10 failed to spark a turnaround.

Chen, who is credited with turning around Sybase, a data company that was sold to SAP in 2010, is putting more emphasis on BlackBerry's mobile device management business, a collection of software that allows IT departments to manage different devices connected to their corporate networks. He is also emphasizing BlackBerry's popular BlackBerry Messenger application that is now also available on Apple and Android devices. And he is trying to highlight Blackberry's embedded QNX software systems, which are used in-vehicle infotainment systems and industrial machines.

BlackBerry's stock rose 9 cents to $8.19 in midday trading Wednesday. Its shares are up almost 9 percent so far this year.

 

Source from: http://www.mercurynews.com

BlackBerry Ltd CEO John Chen looks back to get to smartphone maker’s future

BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty ImagesBlackBerry made another move to return to its past strengths when it unveiled a new flagship smartphone that resurrects the company’s legacy physical trackpad and menu buttons.

John Chen is hoping that moving one step back will help BlackBerry Ltd. take two steps winning back customers.

BlackBerry rolls out new phones, eBBM, enterprise messaging service, as part of comeback strategy

BlackBerry Ltd. is overhauling its product offerings with two new smartphones and key updates to its messaging and enterprise security technologies, as chief executive John Chen’s turnaround vision for the struggling company begins to take shape.

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Since taking over the embattled Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker in November, Mr. Chen has made it clear the company must return to its roots if it hopes to restore its fortunes and rebound to profitability.

On Tuesday, BlackBerry made another move to return to its past strengths when it unveiled a new flagship smartphone that resurrects the company’s legacy physical trackpad and menu buttons, which had been eliminated from its most recent high end QWERTY smartphone, the Q10.

The new device, dubbed the Q20, is due to be released later this year.

Combined with BlackBerry’s renewed focus on its corporate and government clients and a heightened emphasis on its most popular piece of software, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), it’s clear Mr. Chen believes the path to finding a sustainable future for BlackBerry lies in focusing and improving on those elements which led to its profitable past.

“In my first 90 days on the job, I consistently heard from our ardent BlackBerry customers that the hard buttons and trackpad are an essential part of the BlackBerry QWERTY experience, that made their BlackBerry smartphone their go-to productivity tool,” Mr. Chen said in a statement.

“I want these customers to know that we heard them, and this new smartphone will be for them.”

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Simon Dawson/BloombergJohn S. Chen, chief executive officer of BlackBerry Ltd., at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Investors, it seems, are on board with Mr. Chen’s back to the future approach. Shares of BlackBerry rose 7.8% to close at US$10.60 on the Nasdaq Stock Market in New York. BlackBerry shares are up roughly 60% since Mr. Chen took the helm of the company in November.

The launch of the Q20 was one of a series of announcements BlackBerry made on Tuesday the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.

BlackBerry also debuted a new full-touch smartphone designed for the Indonesian market — where BlackBerry remains strong — which marks the first smartphone to come from the manufacturing partnership the company signed with Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group in December.

As well, BlackBerry unveiled eBBM Suite, a new messaging platform for enterprise users in regulated industries which is designed to tie the company’s popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) technology deeper into its security infrastructure. The company also launched the latest version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) technology.

HandoutThe BlackBerry Z3, a new full-touch smartphone designed for the Indonesian market.

Since taking over from the ousted Thorsten Heins, Mr. Chen, who is best known for the turnaround of Sybase Inc., has cleaned house in the executive ranks at the Canadian mobile pioneer and turned the company’s attention back to its enterprise roots: selling smartphones and the technology used to secure and manage devices and mobile communications to corporations, governments and other large organizations.

“For the foreseeable future, our designers in North America will focus on enterprise only,” Mr. Chen told investors on a conference call in December.

To combat BlackBerry’s waning influence among enterprise customers in the face of rising competition from other mobile device management (MDM) firms, Mr. Chen has rebuilt the companies sales force to target regulated industries with new services like eBBM.

With eBBM, BlackBerry plans to begin offering a new version of its BBM messaging software that is designed for “regulated industries,” such as governments, financial institutions and companies in the health care industry.

BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty ImagesBlackBerry remains strong in the Indonesian market.

According to BlackBerry, the first component of the new eBBM platform will by BBM Protected, which will provide enterprise messaging with “end-to-end encryption of messages.” The new system is designed to enable employees to communicate with one another using BBM with an enhanced level of security, while still allowing those users to message their friends using BBM.

Companies will be able to implement eBBM later this summer. The service will be billed on a monthly per-user fee.

In a not-so-stunning revelation on Tuesday, Mr. Chen told a reporter from CNBC that if someone approached him looking to buy BBM, and was willing to fork over the US$19-billion price Facebook Inc. recently shelled out for rival WhatsApp Inc., he would recommend the board take the deal.

“I work for the shareholders. The standard answer, right?” Mr. Chen said.

“If somebody comes to me with $19-billion I would definitely sell it. I mean, I would recommend to the board to take it, but it all depends on what it is.”

While BBM has seen its user base grow to more than 80 million users since BlackBerry opened the platform up to non-BlackBerry devices — namely Apple Inc.’s iPhones, as well as devices running Google Inc.’s Android and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Phone software — the Waterloo company’s messaging service still trails WhatsApp’s 450-million strong user base by a wide margin.

 

Source from:  http://business.financialpost.com

Researcher: Middle East Blackberry Update Spies on Users

A BlackBerry update that a United Arab Emirates service provider pushed out to its customers contains U.S.-made spyware that would allow the company or others to siphon and read their e-mail and text messages, according to a researcher who examined it.

The update was billed as a “performance-enhancement patch” by the UAE-based phone and internet service provider Etisalat, which issued the patch to its 100,000 subscribers.

The patch only drew attention after numerous users complained that it drained their BlackBerry battery and slowed performance, according to local publication ITP.

Nigel Gourlay, a Qatar-based programmer who examined the patch, told ITP that the patch contained “phone-home” code that instructed the BlackBerries to contact a server to register. But once the patch was installed, thousands of devices tried to contact the server simultaneously, crashing it and causing their batteries to drain.

“When the BlackBerry cannot register itself, it tries again and this causes the battery drain,” he said, noting that the spyware wouldn’t have drawn any attention if the company had simply configured the registration server to handle the load.

The spying part of the patch is switched off by default on installation, but switching it on would be a simple matter of pushing out a command from the server to any device, causing the device to then send a copy of the user’s subsequent e-mail and text messages to the server.

The spyware appears to have been developed by a U.S. company, which markets electronic surveillance software.

Gourlay obtained source code for the patch after someone posted it on a BlackBerry forum. He said the code contained the name “SS8.com,” which belongs to a U.S. company that, according to its web site, provides surveillance solutions for “lawful interception” to ISPs, law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world.

Neither Etisalat nor SS8 could be reached for comment.

UPDATE: Veracode has provided an analysis of the spyware source code. The spyware apparently is designed to encrypt messages it grabs from a BlackBerry before it sends them back to the server so that anyone intercepting the data en-route would not be able to read it.

Wired.com spoke with Chris Wysopal, co-founder and chief technology officer of Veracode, who pointed out that the fact that the interception is done on the client device rather than on the ISP’s server — where it would normally be done — helps law enforcement, or whoever else might want to intercept the messages, circumvent encryption used by the sender of an e-mail, since it’s grabbing the message after it’s been decrypted on the recipient’s BlackBerry.

 

Source from:  http://www.wired.com

 

iPhone with a physical Blackberry QWERTY keyboard?

Typo 2

Typo 2 is an add-on accessory for iPhones. It is a simple case with a physical QWERTY keyboard which looks and feels like a keyboard from a BlackBerry smartphone.

The Typo 2 is available for pre-order and the price is at $99 (approx Rs 6,000).

Typo 2 is an add-on case that fits over the iPhone and makes it easier for typing. Those who upgrade from a BlackBerry handset to an iPhone would love the idea since they would be used to typing on the keyboard and a touch on-screen keyboard would be a clumsy.



Typo 2 was built for efficiency. The founders of the gadget were using two phones, a BlackBerry and an iPhone, one for typing and correspondence and the other for communication. They found it pretty annoying to switch between the two types of keyboards and decided to invent something that could make typing on an iPhone easier and, why not, as easier as a BlackBerry keyboard. Thus came the idea and Typo was born after two years of designing.



The design of the Typo 2 is kept simple, but the goal was to have a keyboard and case that would add the absolute minimum additional length and thickness to the iPhone, while still providing protection to the phone and a butter-smooth, tactile typing experience.

The result is Typo 2, which adds just short of a 1/4 inch in thickness and a less than 3/4 inch in total length to the iPhone.

Typo 2 was made possible by miniaturizing the components on our circuit board, using patented TYPOTouch keyboard technology and one of the world’s smallest Lithium-ion battery, measuring at just 1mm in thickness.

Both the hardware and software for Typo 2 were designed and engineered in California & Utah, manufactured and assembled in China.

 

Source from:  http://www.deccanchronicle.com

 

BlackBerry Torch 9810 review

BlackBerry may have lost its dominance of the business phone market, but you’ve got to give manufacturer RIM credit for keeping up in an increasingly crowded race. Of its recent slew of handsets the Torch 9810 is the one with the slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and includes a capacitive touchscreen and five-megapixel camera.

Design
Like virtually all slider models, it’s a bit of a chunky beast weighing 161g but has some sleek good looks thanks to its shiny black plastic with chrome-look trim.

The 3.2-inch screen is bright and clear and offers a perfectly decent 640×480-pixel resolution — sharp enough for viewing movies or reading smallish print on the web without straining your eyes. It’s sensitive in use too, easily distinguishing between brushes and presses, though the optical trackpad that sits immediately below it is very capable for navigating your way around menus and web pages.

The keyboard slides out from the bottom with a satisfying thunk to reveal 35 tightly packed keys. This is an area in which BlackBerry excels, and despite the small size of the keys, they’re carefully angled and ridged so that finding them under the thumbs is never a problem, and it’s easier to get up a decent head of texting speed here than on Samsung’s Galaxy Pro, for instance. An odd quirk of the keyboard however is that it won’t work when you’re holding the phone in landscape mode — as soon as you slide the keyboard out the screen is fixed in portrait mode and stays there, which can seem a bit weird at times.

Software, apps and performance
The operating system is the latest BlackBerry 7 OS, which offers a few tweaks to its predecessor rather than the kind of the radical reworking that Windows Phone 7 introduced over the old Windows Mobile platform. You’ll notice the difference though — the icons have changed, as has the menu layout. You now get four shortcut icons at the bottom of the screen, and you can scroll sideways to view different options in a range of sections: All, Favourites, Media, Downloads and Frequent (the latter here being a screen that is automatically populated with shortcuts to the apps you access most regularly).

BlackBerry’s new Universal Voice Search is here and although it doesn’t have as many features as the Android equivalent, which offers multiple interpretations of your words, it worked fine.

It also has the latest BlackBerry Messenger 6 (BBM) , which allows you to send free messages to other BlackBerry devices and wiil allow you to text your mates from within some games and apps, too. Incidentally, while BlackBerry App World has most of the basics covered, it’s looking distinctly under populated these days compared to its Apple and Android rivals.

The five-megapixel camera includes a very bright LED flash as well as autofocus, image stabilisation, geotagging, face detection and a variety of scene modes including macro. Picture quality is pretty good too and it features a 720p HD video recording capability. Many phones now capture video in 1080p HD, but 720 is still more than good enough for most uses. For storage, there’s 8GB of memory on board and you can add up to 32GB more via microSD card.

The 1.2GHz processor is powerful enough to keep things zipping along even when you’ve got multiple apps running, but there’s a price to pay with battery life however, which barely made it through a full day of heavy use.

Conclusion
The BlackBerry Torch 9810 adds an excellent slide-out QWERTY keyboard to a good sized touch screen, but the lack of apps and games in BlackBerry App World will be a turn-off for some when compared with rival Android and Apple models.

 

Source from:  http://www.wired.co.uk