Omio News Blog

BlackBerry Claim No.1 Spot in UK Smartphone Market, Bolstered By December Prepay Handset Sales

Research In Motion, the Canadian firm behind the BlackBerry, have rolled out the brass band to trumpet the success of their handsets in the UK throughout 2010 and December in particular.  BlackBerry as a brand seems to be bolstered by sales of their Curve range, available on prepay and affordable SIM-free deals, like the Curve 8520 handsets, and the slightly fancier Curve 3G models.  Statistics come courtesy of market research firm GfK.

According to the stats.  BlackBerry had a 36% share of the overall UK smartphone market in December 2010 making them the No.1 smartphone brand in the UK.  BlackBerrys proved to be something of a Christmas gift hit, shifting  over 500,000 units.  The figures point to BlackBerry being the No.1 prepay smartphone brand with 51.1% of all prepay handsets sales .  We have to agree that’s a lot of stockings stuffed!

Part of the BlackBerry brand’s success over this period can be put down to the uptake of mobile social networking in lower cost handsets.  They have called another couple first places, claiming their handsets to be the No.1 home of the Twitterati by reporting over 6 million Twitter app downloads, as well as claiming to be the No.1 for ‘engagement on Facebook’.  Reports that a RIM representative will be available to attend all the weddings are, as yet, unsubstantiated.

The BlackBerry brand has in the past veered towards the business/productivity market thanks to its physical keyboard and secure email infrastructure, with handsets like the Bold 9780 honouring this tradition.  However they have also infiltrated the consumer market, through valuable exposure as something of a celebrity fashion accessory. For the higher end of the market, handsets such as the hybrid qwerty/touchscreen Torch 9800 and the entirely touch orientated Storm 2 still appeal to the high end user.  The much lauded security of their emailing and messenger service, has had much positive press in disaster situations as well.  During the July 7th London bombings for example, as the mobile networks ground to a halt with the sudden increase in traffic, BlackBerry users reported that their BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and email services still remained active.

The BlackBerry user base, is now expanding into new territories.  For the younger, more cost conscious prepay user, the attraction is clear towards more affordable handsets like the Curve 8520 and the Curve 3G.  Both contain all the social networking and multimedia functions that you’d care to shake a stick at, and the ease of the classic qwerty keypad loved by messaging addicts the world over.  The brand exclusive BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service also provides a solid cost-free means of staying in touch with 55 million other BlackBerry users worldwide, without fear of international text costs or tipping over your monthly text allowances.  BBM itself has also developed into something of a social network in its own right, with profiles, file sharing and recently enabling the exchange of contact details via visual QR Codes, rather than the slightly cumbersome PIN id’s. Whilst many of us have at some point heard or referred to them as CrackBerrys, due to the addictive power of their messenging services, this also points to their success at creating a strong user loyalty.

Whilst some are happy enough to splash something in the £500+ range for a high end touchy-feely handset off contract, many more utilise the subsidised model to offset the initial costs.  An 18 or 24 month contract to a mobile provider puts handsets such as the Samsung’s Galaxy S,  HTC’s Desire range, Apples iphone and the higher end Blackberry Storm 2 within range of anyone who is prepared to shoulder the higher monthly rate.  However it shows that in the prepay end of the market, consumers are demanding smarter phones.  The inevitable forward momentum of technology means features that were once deemed high end, soon filter down to become standard issue.  The handsets of the near future at CES proved that manufacturers were looking to faster 4G connections, 3D screens, dual core processors and Near Field Communications (think contactless credit or Oyster cards) to push the envelope for high end cutting edge mobile tech, and keep us tech heads all cooing over, and shelling out for the latest flash mobiles.

So whilst RIM’s stats rightfully celebrate their 2010 success in the UK, in the world smartphone market, the picture is somewhat different.  Industry analysts and data crunchers Canalsys released figures indicating that Google’s unstoppable ‘Droid army is dominating the worldwide smartphone market overall, with a 33% market share.  This share is made up of handsets notably by Samsung, LG and HTC, but its not so much the handset that matters, rather the platform itself that is important.  Android phones dominated sales with 33.3 million handset sales, growing 600% and edging Nokia off the top spot.  Apple  and RIM seem some way behind, selling 16.2 million and 14.6 million units respectively by the end of 2010.

In the near future RIM are looking to make a move into the lucrative and yet Apple/Android dominated tablet market, with the upcoming release of the BlackBerry Playbook.  They must hope that some of that brand loyalty will carry users over from their established and new markets.  If Apple were to make a similar yet opposite move and release the oft rumored ‘iPhone Nano’, a smaller, affordable iOS device, it could be seen as an aggressive maneuver to expand out from the high end handset market, into territory that is currently being gobbled up by RIM in both the UK and also the US and Latin America.  Whilst Apple have never been closely associated with the words ‘cheap’ or ‘affordable’, this could help them win back some of this market share from Google and possibly spell trouble for RIM.

However, it begs the question, do Apple really need to make such a move to attack Google’s dominance?  Further figures this time from Asymco- (seriously, who comes up with these names?) shows Apple ending 2010 having gobbled up a staggering 51% of the entire mobile industry’s profit pie chart.  In any event, if Apple ever were to make such a move, they may find themselves having to physically prize the phones out of the hands of hoards of loyal BlackBerry addicts,  before they can take over any of RIM’s market.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G In The Pink On Vodafone, Free From £25

We love us a good new handset colourway on Omio, and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G appearing in a lovely pink hue is no exception.

This slender refurb to the Pearl range might rock an 12-button alphanumeric keyboard rather than the familiar QWERTY effort that BlackBerry has become synonymous with, but this hasn’t hindered the handset in the slightest.

Still equipped with RIM’s fantastic line in messaging and connectivity, the Pearl 3G has a 3.2-megapixel camera and dedicated media keys to ensure that the handset is equally comfortable at work and play.

Available on Vodafone deals from £25 per month offering 500 minutes and unlimited texts as well as 500MB of internet data, the pink BlackBerry Pearl 3G will be gracing VIP tables and designer purses from today.

The Pearl 3G is currently only on Vodafone in pink, but Blackberry are currently not making any promises that this is exclusive to the network…so you might want to hold out if you simply must have your phone match your outfit.

RIM Weighs In On BlackBerry Ban In Middle East: “If They Can’t Deal With The Internet, They Should Shut It Off”

Canadian phone maker RIM have issued a heated response to the United Arab Emirates government’s ban on the use of BlackBerry devices in the country from October 11th, calling the situation “not a BlackBerry-only issue”.

Citing security concerns – namely that the BlackBerry servers were too securely encrypted for the government to monitor and regulate content distributed on the devices – the UAE telecoms regulator will be severing internet, mail and messaging for the 500,000 subscribers currently residing there. The ban will also extend to visitors to the country, with travellers being required to hand them in at the nation’s border.

RIM’s co-CEO Michael Lazardis defends the company against the situation, claiming that the handset ban was merely a political power play.

“This is about the internet,” Mr. Lazaridis said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “Everything on the internet is encrypted. This is not a BlackBerry-only issue. If they can’t deal with the internet, they should shut it off.”

Nevertheless, BlackBerry are in negotiations with the various territories in question, hot on the heels of word that officials in both Indonesia and Egypt wish to follow suit in the ban unless RIM relax their security and allow governments to snoop on users.

The situation casts a shadow over the manufacturer’s recent high-profile unveiling of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 (above left), a handset that they claim to be the ‘best BlackBerry yet’. An amalgam of the touchscreen-driven Storm and full QWERTY experience found in the Bold range of devices, the Torch is RIM’s first ever slider device, and also marks the debut of a ‘simpler and more intuitive’ BlackBerry 6 operating system.

Early reactions were mixed, which whilst impressive and a strong offering by BlackBerry standards, was not considered by critics enough of an evolutionary leap to compete favourably with the iPhone 4 or the current swathe of Android smartphones. The Torch is available now, exclusively on AT&T in the US, and has been ranged by both Orange and Vodafone for a UK launch later in the year.

Source: TechEye

YouGov Poll Shows Nokia Falling Out Of Favour With Consumers

A YouGov survey has shown that the number of consumers considering a Nokia for their next phone has fallen by 12% since last year.

Only 34% of shoppers would current consider a Nokia as a follow-up to their current handset, as opposed to nearly 50% in 2009.

Nevertheless, Nokia loyalty saw the manufacturer continue to place above both BlackBerry and HTC in terms of phone favour, with 31% and 28% opting for the other two brands respectively.

Speaking to 2,121 smartphone fans at the beginning of last month, YouGov polled the users about their mobile likes and dislikes, finding that a whopping 70% would recommend Apple’s iPhone to others, whilst 56% were considering the handset and 41% were fully expecting to opt for the fruity device next time round.

Contrast that with Nokia’s painful 12% recommendation rating, and it’s clear to see that something needs to change for the manufacturer.

Reasons mentioned by those moving away from Nokia are the lack of available apps, and perceived poor quality of the operating system, as well as merely wanting a change of brand.

Russell Feldman, Research Manager in YouGov’s technology and telecoms team said:

“Where Nokia once led the market, it has drastically fallen by the wayside…significantly outperformed by both Apple’s Apps store and Android Marketplace. The results of our data consistently show that the market leader is fast becoming an also-ran in the smartphone market.

“New products, software and apps are needed soon if Nokia is to keep up with its rivals.”

It’s not a good time for the Finnish phone maker with Nokia fan sites closing left and right, as well as engaging in a very public war of words (which quickly became a legal one) with high profile Russian journalist Eldar Murtazin.

Nevertheless the development and promotion of apps in Ovi Store, the offer of full and free navigation with Ovi Maps, the investment in future platforms with Symbian and MeeGo as well as a real effort in new handsets like the Nokia N8 show that the manufacturer is realising that a lot needs to be done to regain smartphone supremacy.

Let’s hope they still have the fight in them.

Source: YouGov via Mobile Today

Another Peek At BlackBerry 6 OS Shows Off Swipey, Pokey Social Loveliness

Well, someone’s been looking pretty closely at the smartphone competition, haven’t they?

RIM’s new video showing off the BlackBerry 6 operating system – due to land this Summer – shows off just how much the Canadian manufacturer is skewing their handset experience to the casual user.

Gone are the stuffy colour palettes and austere feel, replaced with an iTunes Cover Flow-style media interface, iPhone inspired speech bubbles for BlackBerry Messenger and tile icons all around.

Don’t worry Android fans, RIM have cribbed from your favourite OS too with a notifications pull down showing off the latest social networking bleats and a revamped browser based on the same WebKit software.

Clever additions include better integration between different methods of getting in touch with users – from calling to RSS – as well as a simultaneous posting button to multiple networks.

The main thing of note is that the operating system is fast, fluid and completely touch-driven…does it spell the beginning of the end for BlackBerry’s iconic QWERTY keyboards?

We doubt it, but the worlds of touch and physical input are definitely sitting much closer to each other on the BlackBerry 6 bus.

Check in out in motion below.

BlackBerry Reboots App World, Bevy Of New Features Coming To 2.0

US manufacturer BlackBerry has made great strides in turning the brand from corporate to cool in recent years, but has had distinctly less success at turning the messaging device into a home for applications.

In reaction, BlackBerry has revamped their App World offering, promising a suite of brand new features and appeal more to the 25 million people that have downloaded the software portal to their device.

Recognising that the original App World was lacking in some departments, BlackBerry has added much-needed options to (hopefully) get users downloading in their droves, from easier payment methods to better promotion of the latest and greatest applications.

Here’s a run-down of what we can expect in BlackBerry App World 2.0, currently slated for a beta later this summer…

BlackBerry ID

Arguably the biggest change to BlackBerry App World, BlackBerry ID introduces a persistent online account that stores all of your purchasing history, independently of your device.

Logging into BlackBerry World with this ID also enables all of your downloaded applications to be transferred to another handset, without all of the hassle usually associated with moving software between devices.

QR Barcodes

Making use of the BlackBerry’s camera, the functionality to support QR barcodes has been added to this reloaded revision of App World.

A quick scan of these barcodes gleans a wealth of information to the device, including links directly to the application and the ability to automatically fire up a download.

QR codes can be found everywhere – in magazines, on websites, even the sides of buildings. Giving developers the chance to promote their software in exciting and unconventional ways might get the new breed of BlackBerry fan app-snapping wherever they see a QR code.

Top Paid and Free Apps

Perfected by Apple’s App Store and picked up by the Android Market soon after, a list of the most popular applications is a quick and easy improvement to BlackBerry’s efforts.

On App World 2.0 will be a list of 25 of the newest applications, as well as the best selling themes, paid apps and free software. No amount of advertising can compete with some decent word of mouth, so the ability to see what’s the latest craze from the home screen is a useful and practical addition.

New Payment Methods

Another hindrance to the App World was the fact that Paypal was the sole method of payment, requiring every BlackBerry user to already have an account before they could buy any of the virtual wares on offer.

Thankfully, the decision to add support for both credit card and network billing should help things, making those frivolous app purchases a little impulsive.

In the case of the latter, each app purchase will be added to your monthly phone bill. Plans are in place to sort this arrangement with UK carriers, with many US networks already on board.

In addition to these changes are smarter search functionality, a more streamlined interface and more intuitive category breakdown of apps, simply making it easier to find what you like.

With the chance for eager users to trial the App World 2.0 service ahead of a full-scale roll out, it is good that BlackBerry is making a concerted effort to improve the way that they deliver applications to users.

Digital download services on mobiles are a proven winner, but it is the rare integration of a strong desktop client in iTunes and a profusion of quality titles (as well as some guilty pleasures) that has made the App Store so popular.

As long as BlackBerry are equally as committed to delivering decent apps and fun distractions alongside pricey productivity software, then App World 2.0 is a place that users with only be too happy to take regular trips to.

No iPhones For UK Government Workers But Blackberry OK, Says Minister.

U.K. government ministers have been issued with Blackberries after Apple’s iPhone was deemed a security risk, according to Health Secretary Simon Burns.

The news arose after Burns was questioned in Parliament by MP Tom Watson, who is known for being particularly active in technology issues, who wanted to know what devices the government were issuing it’s employees with. Burns explains that the iPhone had been ruled a security risk by CESG (the information assurance arm of GCHQ) while RIM’s Blackberry models had a proven track record in security and stability, which is essential when dealing with sensitive or confidential business. Minutes from the parliamentary exchange can be found here.

Other customer of RIM include the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.K.’s Defense Ministry and more than half of the U.K.’s Police force.

Apple’s iPhone has been adopted by a number of banks, however security services are reluctant to follow after a number of flaws have been found since it’s launch in 2007. In 2009 security researchers found a flaw in the iPhone’s SMS function that could be exploited by a malicious attack. Although this was quickly patched up by Apple, this has clearly done little to assure the UK’s government departments.

Smartphones in general are less susceptible to malware than PC’s running Windows, however, as they become more complex, connected and advanced, they represent an ever increasing concern for agencies like CESG who’s responsibility it is to maintain government department’s information security.

Via PC World

Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105 – RIM’s Most Powerful Yet – Now Available To Order!

We’ve just spottted the latest Blackberry available on pre-order, slightly earlier than we anticipated. The Blackberry Pearl 3G is the first Pearl handset to pack 3G connectivity and with its 642Mhz processor, the Pearl 3G is RIM’s most powerful handset yet.

The neat little handset comes in two versions – the Blackberry Pearl 9105, which is available to order now, features a traditional 14-key mobile keypad with 3 characters per key. Meanwhile the forthcoming Blackberry Pearl 9100 has a condensed 20-key QWERTY keyboard, with 2-characters on each key.

Looks-wise, we can’t help but think the Pearl, minus it’s trackball has lost some of it’s “Pearliness”, but the new optical trackpads that RIM have installed on the Blackberry range are superior in terms of reliability, functionality and navigation

So, if you’d be hankering after a Blackberry, but put off by the bulk, now’s your chance to grab the new Pearl 3G!

Blackberry Pearl 3G deals starts from as little as £20 per month on Orange, with more expensive deals being significantly reduced by Mobiles.co.uk’s half price line rental offer. For instance: 400 minutes, Unlimited texts, Internet, Blackberry Email package is available for £30 per month on a 24 month contract – before you’ve subtracted the 18 months line rental half price line rental!

More details on the Blackberry Pearl 9100 as they become available to us.

Official Twitter App Launches For iPhone, BlackBerry Gets Revamp

Great news for mobile Tweetaholics, as both the iPhone and BlackBerry get app-tastic updates to the popular micro-blogging service.

The bigger news is arguably the iPhone client’s debut, with fan favourite Tweetie proving so good that it was scooped up by Twitter themselves and revamped as an official offering.

Added functionality like top retweets, the ability to browse tweets by closeness to your location and connecting contacts to their Twitter names makes this free application more robust than the majority of paid alternatives filling App Store shelves.

Not leaving the QWERTYphiles behind, the official Twitter application for BlackBerry phones (still in beta) is also receiving an update, delivering additional features and flexibility as requested by users.

Tweaks include the ability to edit retweets, keyboard hotkeys for swifter navigation and predictive text for your fave usernames…all very handy! A full list of changes resides on the BlackBerry blog.

The Twitter app for iPhone is available now, whilst the BlackBerry Twitter update is rolling out over the airwaves any moment…now.

Bankers Trade Their BlackBerry To iPhone For Business

British bank Standard Chartered is offering its staff the opportunity to replace the BlackBerry as their working weapon of choice with the iPhone.

“It’s a group-wide initiative involving wholesale and consumer banks globally,” said a Singapore-based spokeswoman for Standard Chartered, in an interview with Reuters.

The issue of corporate e-mail encryption and security is often the reason that RIM’s BlackBerry devices are the first choice for banks and similar institutions, but the process of migrating to the iPhone – now able to offer more robust messaging, contacts and Exchange mail support after the 3.0 update – began last month for Standard Chartered.

Numerous banks in both Asia and the UK have responded to bankers’ personal requests to use the Apple device for business, citing widening the choice of handsets on offer rather than simply shelving the BlackBerry.

Despite the BlackBerry shifting market position from city boy accessory to celebutante party piece and sponsor of metallic pop groups, the iPhone’s transition into the world of business is likely to be restricted to the most agile of firms…for now.

“If more companies switch to the iPhone, this is of course bad news for RIM,” said Lu Chialin, an IT industry analyst at Macquarie Securities in Taipei. “However, it will take a long time for companies to do their own internal testing before deciding to change, so it will be a while before it has any effect on RIM.”

With the next update due to bring yet more corporate-friendly updates in the form of multitasking, the iPhone stands to become number one in the eyes of consumers both on and off the clock.