#BlackBerry to offer free voice calls through #BBM by February

Smartphone maker BlackBerrywill introduce free voice calls on its instant messenger app over next month through an update which will also allow users to surf and create BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) channels, share content and geographical location on the go.

Krishnadeep Baruah, senior director, channel marketing in Asia Pacific for Blackberry, told ET that the global update of the app will happen 'within a few weeks', which will put BBM in direct competition with apps like Viber, Line and WhatsApp, that allow users to make free calls and send audio as chats.

The Canadian company that had launched BBM voice for BB 10 users last year, will make the free calling feature available across Android,iPhone and BlackBerry OS 5 upwards smartphones. Around 100 million people worldwide use BBM across OS platforms.

Baruah said that video call on BBM, that is available on BB 10 devices, will be available for users across platforms in the near future, but declined to confirm whether it will be part of the next app update. The company may also launch BBM for Windows devices in the future, the only operating system that does not support BBM at present. "We're constantly evaluating and hopefully at the right time we will be able to launch on newer platforms," Baruah said, without specifying a timeline.

The smartphone maker that has lost significant market share in India, from 5% to 0.5% in a year since September 2012, is looking at monetising BBM and BBM channels globally and locally.

BBM Channel is an extended version of the messenger where users can upload content and subscribe to public (free) and private (paid) channels of other users, which may include companies or individuals. Channel owners can post messages, share pictures, start discussions, post animated images and chat directly with subscribers.
The social media platform which was launched in November, a month after BBM was made available across platforms, has over 250,000 channels globally.

Companies like Bharti Airtel, Loop Mobile, Cafe Coffee Day, music website Gonna.com and news portal Firstpost already have their BBM channels that will be available for users to subscribe in India, once the app is updated. Baruah said that the company wanted to capitalise on the instant messaging phenomenon which has elbowed out traditional text messaging, and is expected to explode over the next couple of years.

Ref - TOI

How to make #iPhone a #BlackBerry 'clone'

If you love your iPhone but would prefer a physical keyboard, Typo could be for you. 

But you might want to order soon. BlackBerry, the company that made physical typing on mobile devices an addictive craze, is suing Typo Products LLC, accusing it of copying its world-famous keyboard. 

The idea's great: With BlackBerry's ongoing struggles and the rise of touch-only iPhones and Android phones, physical keyboards on mobile devices were headed to obsolescence. That's a big loss for people who can use their thumbs to type as fast as 60 words per minute on a physical keyboard. 

Enter the Typo Keyboard, a Ryan Seacrest-backed phone case that was showcased at this week's International CES gadget show in Las Vegas. 

How it works
Typo's keyboard slips over an iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S like a protective case. 

Its similarities with BlackBerry phones are notable: It has angle-cut keys suitable for thumb-typing. The keyboard layout is nearly identical - for example, with parentheses above the "T" and "Y" instead of the "9" and "0" on a typical keyboard. Thick silver bars separate rows of keys. 

Physically, there are a few differences. Because the Typo case covers the iPhone's home button, it added one with the same function on the bottom right. There's a Bluetooth function on the "0" key so the Typo can connect to the iPhone wirelessly. A light bulb key on the bottom left gives Typo's keys some lighting to use in dark environments. 

The dispute
In a federal lawsuit filed Friday in San Francisco, BlackBerry alleges that "Typo chose to copy BlackBerry's iconic keyboard design" and is making money off of BlackBerry's widespread recognition and goodwill. 

Typo responded in a statement that BlackBerry's claims "lack merit" and that the company is excited about its "innovative keyboard design." 

Look and feel
In my hands, the Typo works fine - just like a BlackBerry - except it is blocked from using AppleInc.'s autocorrect function while typing. So that means you have to tap misspelled words that are underlined in red later and choose from options to fix them. If you have an iPhone 5S, the fingerprint sensor will be covered up, so you'll have to resort to inputting a passcode. 

Development
Laurence Hallier, the CEO and co-founder of Typo, said testers of the device included BlackBerry users and others. 

"We wanted that thumb-typing like the BlackBerry," he said. "We went out and priced it out. We built prototypes. It took us 18 months." 

Typo Products is a Los Angeles startup co-founded by Seacrest and Hallier. 

Availability
Typo sells for $99 and is expected to start shipping on Monday. It works only with the iPhone 5 and 5S, not the 5C or older iPhones.

#BlackBerry launches #Porsche Design P'9982 luxury smartphone

Canadian handset maker BlackBerry in association with Porsche Design launched a new all-touch Porsche Design P'9982luxury smartphone. 

Though the price of the handset was not disclosed, BlackBerry said the device is fashioned from high-quality materials and features a customised version of its 10.2 operating system. 

BlackBerry has also launched a second Crocodile model strictly limited to 500 devices globally, it said in a statement. 

The P'9982, which extends the Porsche Design luxury brand's range of modern luxury smartphones, features a satin finished frame, complemented by a hand-wrapped genuine Italian leather back door. 

"Engineered luxury meets powered performance - what has been true for the first Porsche Design smartphone is even truer for the all-touch P'9882," Porsche Design Group CEO Juergen Gessler said. 

The smartphone will be available at Porsche Design stores, select carriers and retailers globally starting November 21, with the exclusive retail launch at Harrods, Knightsbridge, London. 

The limited Crocodile edition will be available from early December, and will be exclusive to the Porsche Design shop-in-shop at Harrods. 

Other BlackBerry handsets with Porsche Design include P'9981 in gold, silver and black.

#BBM downloads touch 10 million mark on Android, iOS in first 24 hours PTI | Oct 23, 2013, 08.01 PM IST

NEW YORK: Canadian handset makerBlackBerry said its popular chat application BBMfor rival Android-based handsets and iPhones has witnessed over 10 million downloads in the first 24 hours of its re-launch.

The struggling smartphone maker had yesterday resumed the rollout of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).

"It's been 24 hours since we resumed the launch of BBM for Android and iPhone. And what a day it's been! We've already had more than 10 million downloads of BBM," BlackBerry EVP (BBM) Andrew Bocking said in a post on the company's official blog.

In September, BlackBerry had paused the global rollout of its instant messaging service BBM on rival phones, blaming the delay on issues caused by an unreleased old version of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger).

"When we saw almost one million people install an unreleased version of the Android version, another million use workarounds to download BBM onto their iPhones and another six million people pre-register to know when BBM became available for iPhone and Android, we knew we were on to something huge," he noted.

The application has also seen 'overwhelmingly positive reviews' on Google Play and the App Store. BBM has earned 60,000 five-star reviews on Google Play from about 87,000 reviews, he added.

On Apple's App Store, BBM rose quickly in the free app rankings in the first 24 hours, taking the number one slot in more than 75 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Indonesia and most of the Middle East, Bocking said.

BlackBerry said it will add more new features to BBM to promote it as the private social network.

"While we're excited to bring BBM to iPhone and Android - we aren't stopping there. Work isn't slowing down at all. We committed to delivering a BBM experience on iPhone and Android that was equal to that on BlackBerry 10. That means bringing BBM Video, BBM Voice and BBM Channels...

"My team is still committed to bringing those features to BBM on Android and iPhone in the near future. And we are not stopping there - we have some great new features planned that will build on BBM as the private social network you count on for immediate conversations you can control and trust," Bocking said.

BlackBerry rolls out #BBM to Android, iPhone users (BBM now available download from bbm.com)

TORONTO: BlackBerry said that it has begun to roll out its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service to users of Android and iPhone devices.

The long-awaited cross-platform offering, which was delayed after issues arose following the initial launch last month, is now being rolled out in a phased manner.

"To help manage this unprecedented pent-up demand for BBM, we are implementing a simple line-up system to ensure a smooth rollout," Andrew Bocking, who heads the BlackBerry'sBBM business, said in a blog post on the company's website.

BlackBerry said last week that 6 million Android and iPhone customers had pre-registered for the launch.

The company said those that had already signed up for the service at BBM.com are being allowed to use the platform right away, while others will be signed on as fast as possible.

BlackBerry Announces BBM is Coming to iOS on September 22nd

BlackBerry has announced that BBM is coming to iOS on September 22nd and to Android on September 21st.

That’s right BBM fans — the iconic mobile social network will begin rolling out for Android and iPhone customers around the world from September 21. Soon, you’ll be able to easily connect with friends on different platforms. As you may know BBM was previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, and it will be available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store.

BBM for Android and iPhone features:
● BBM Chat – Enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Not only does BBM let you know that your message has been delivered and read, it also shows you that your friend is responding to the message.

● More than chat – With BBM you can share files on your phone such as photos and voice notes, all in an instant.

● Keep your group in the loop – Multi-person chats are a great way to invite contacts to chat together. BBM Groups lets you invite up to 30 friends to chat together, and go a step further than multi-chat by sharing photos and schedules. And, with Broadcast Message, you can send a message out to all your BBM contacts at once.

● Post Updates and stay in the know – BBM lets you post a personal message, profile picture and your current status, and lets your contacts know instantly in Updates.

● Your unique PIN – Every BBM user has a unique PIN that maintains your privacy, so you don’t have to give out your phone number or email address to a new or casual contact.

Availability:
BBM will be available as a free download for Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) beginning at 7AM EDT on September 21. BBM for iPhones running iOS 6 and iOS 7 will become available for each market on the App Store schedule of 12:01 AM local time on September 22. For more information, or to download BBM for Android or iPhone, visit www.BBM.com.

The company has also announced a BBM Channels feature which will launch later this year.

BBM Channels will provide a forum for active, real conversations between you and the people, brands, celebrities, artists, service providers, communities and more, that matter to you. By creating a Channel, individuals and brands can engage their friends and communities in conversations sparked by their thoughts, ideas and passions. Subscribing to a Channel will let you join conversations with people who share your interests. In addition, BBM Video calling and BBM Voice calling are planned for availability for Android and iPhone in a future version.

BlackBerry denies abnormally high return rate for Z10 phone

No, BlackBerry Z10 sales aren't falling off a cliff.

BlackBerry shares took a hit today after a few analysts criticized the tepid launch of the Z10 phone in the U.S., with one analyst claiming that the return rate was higher than the sales rate. Another said sales have dropped significantly at carrier stores.

BlackBerry, however, denied the claim, calling it "absolutely false." The company said the return rates in the U.S. and around the world have been in line or better than its internal expectations, as well as consistent with the return rates for other premium smartphones.

The performance of the Z10 is critical to the company's comeback plans, as it represents the first of a new generation of BlackBerry devices. The company has put a lot of resources behind the phone in the hope that it gets it back into the game.

Waiting in the wings is the BlackBerry Q10, which comes with the traditional physical keyboard, and is expected to launch as early as the end of this month. The Q10 is expected to draw in fans of the older BlackBerry design.

BlackBerry reported that it had shipped 1 million Z10 phones to its partners in the last quarter, but that didn't include U.S. sales, which began late last month. All eyes will be on BlackBerry's next earnings report for a more accurate tally of the Z10's performance.

Here's BlackBerry's full statement:

BlackBerry wishes to respond to media coverage today regarding speculation that there have been abnormally high levels of returns of BlackBerry Z10 devices. This is absolutely false. Our data shows that return rates for BlackBerry Z10 devices both in the U.S. and on a global basis are in line with or better than our expectations and are consistent with return rates for other premium smartphones in the market today.

RIM's Last Remaining Co-Founder Leaves BlackBerry

Mike Lazaridis, the last remaining RIM co-founder and former co-CEO, is leaving BlackBerry, reports the WSJ. He will retire as vice-chairman effective May 1st.

“[RIM CEO] Thorsten [Heins] and his team did an excellent job in completing BlackBerry 10,” he said in a statement. “We have a great deal of which to be proud. I believe I am leaving the company in good hands. I remain a huge fan of BlackBerry and, of course, wish the company and its people well.”

BlackBerry is now without any of its three co-founders. Former co-CEO Jim Balsillie left in March 2012, and Douglas Fregin retired from vice-president of operations in 2007.

“I admire Mike for his many achievements and for his vision in helping bring BlackBerry 10 to fruition,” Heins said in a statement. “On a personal level, I am grateful to Mike for his help, guidance and advice during my first 15 months as CEO of BlackBerry. I wish him all the best.”

BlackBerry is currently launching its new BlackBerry 10 operating system alongside two new devices, the Z10 and Q10.

Apple iPhone is outdated: BlackBerry CEO

 Apple's iPhone is outdated, according to the chief executive of BlackBerry. 

Thorsten Heins made the comment on the eve of the much-delayed launch of the new touchscreen BlackBerry in the United States. AT&T begins selling the Z10 touchscreen BlackBerry on Friday, more than six weeks after the company launched the devices elsewhere. 

Heins also told The Associated Press that a new keyboard version of the BlackBerry won't be released in the US until two or three months from now. He previously said it would be eight to 10 weeks, but now he's saying it could be delayed an additional two weeks. 

Both the touchscreen and keyboard models are part of BlackBerry's attempt at a comeback after the pioneering brand lost its cachet not long after Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone. 

Heins said a lack of innovation at Apple has left iPhone's user interface outdated. He noted iPhone users have to go in and out of applications and the device doesn't allow for multitasking like the new BlackBerry Z10 does. 

"It's still the same," Heins said of the iPhone. "It is a sequential way to work and that's not what people want today anymore. They want multitasking." 

BlackBerry's new software allows users to have multiple applications open like on a desktop, he said, noting that with BlackBerry you don't have to close an application to check an email. 

"We're changing it for the better because we're allowing people to peak in the hub," Heins said. 

Heins said the iPhone was revolutionary five years ago, but he said it's now "just kind of sitting there." 

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined comment. 

But the delay in selling the new keypad BlackBerry, called the Q10, complicates company's efforts to hang on to customers tempted by the iPhone and a range of devices running Google's Androidoperating system. Even as the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals in recent years, many BlackBerry users have stayed loyal because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen found on the iPhone and most Android devices. But the temptations to switch grow with each additional delay, despite favorable reviews for new system. 

Heins said the Q10 keyboard version BlackBerry is just not ready yet and said part of the reason is out of his control. 

"It's our job to deliver the right software package and the right software quality to the carriers," he said. "Then it is on the carriers to decide how intense they want their testing cycle to be and that really can range from a few weeks to three months." 

US carriers reportedly haven't made testing a priority because BlackBerry, which is based in Based in Waterloo, Ontario, has dramatically lost market share. The US has been one market in which BlackBerry has been particularly hurting, even as the company is doing well overseas. According to research firm IDC, shipments of BlackBerry phones plummeted from 46 per cent of the US market in 2008 to 2 per cent in 2012.

The iPhone and Android now dominate. 

Heins said the company has to regain market share in the US for BlackBerry to be successful. 

"You got to win here to win everywhere else," he said. "That's just the way it is. We've lost market share quite a bit, to put it mildly, and we absolutely need BlackBerry 10 to turn us around." 

Heins said initial sales in other countries are encouraging, but he could not release numbers ahead of BlackBerry's earnings report. 

"I get more and more excited every day," he said. "I really have to make sure I stay grounded and I don't lose my sense for reality. But for the whole company this is so important to finally be here, and to see people buying it, after we were told 30 months ago when we started that two quarters down the road we would be bankrupt, we would be out of business."

BlackBerry Z10 Launches Today in the U.S.

BlackBerry is launching its BlackBerry Z10 smartphone in the U.S.A. today. The smartphone is the first to run the company's new BlackBerry 10 operating system.

The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone features a 1.5 GHz dual core processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 64GB cards. The smartphone also includes the latest enhancements in high density pixel and screen technology to display clear, sharp, and incredibly vivid images. It features a micro HDMI out port for presentations, and advanced sensors such NFC (near field communications) to support mobile payments and the exchange of information with a tap of the smartphone.

Pricing and Availability:
The BlackBerry Z10 will be available from AT&T, and Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile beginning today, and is expected to be available from Verizon Wireless on March 28, and from T-Mobile by the end of the month. The BlackBerry Z10 is expected to retail for $199.99 with a 2 year contract, however, pricing may vary by carrier.

More information about the new device and operating system can be found.

BlackBerry CEO Says iPhone is Dated

In an interview with The Australian Financial Review, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins says the iPhone is now out-of-date.

According to the CEO, the latest wave of smartphones including the Galaxy S 4, have eliminated the hold Apple had on the smartphone market.

Apple did a fantastic job in bringing touch devices to market ... They did a fantastic job with the user interface, they are a design icon. There is a reason why they were so successful, and we actually have to admit this and respect that,” Mr Heins said.

“History repeats itself again I guess ... the rate of innovation is so high in our industry that if you don’t innovate at that speed you can be replaced pretty quickly. The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about is now five years old.”

Apple's iOS interface has remained fundamentally unchanged since the original iPhone. Do you think it's time for a change? Is the company really falling behind other manufacturers? Let us know what you think in the comments.

BlackBerry India MD Sunil Dutt resigns

BlackBerry, which was earlier called Research In Motion, announced that its India managing director Sunil Dutt has resigned. He leaves the company with immediate effect. 

Varghese Thomas, corporate communications director at BlackBerry India, told TOI, "In the interim, Rick Costanzo, executive vice president for global sales, will take over the leadership of the team in India as (the company) starts the search for a new sales lead as soon as possible." Dutt's resignation comes at a time when the company is going through a critical phase following the launch of BlackBerry Z10, a new smartphone with which it hopes to win back market share from Apple's iPhone and Androiddevices. 
"Sunil Dutt has left his position as managing director, BlackBerry India, with immediate effect. We wish Sunil well for the future. India is an extremely important market for BlackBerry and our aim is to continue to build on our recent momentum with the launch of BlackBerry 10," said Thomas. 
BlackBerry 10 is the new operating system for the BlackBerry phones. The company has developed it with an aim to take on Google's Android and Apple's iOS that powers iPhone. In the last few years, BlackBerry's market share has declined sharply as consumers opt for full-touchscreen phones running on operating system developed by Apple and Google. 
The number of units shipped by BlackBerry was so low in India in Q4, 2012 that the company did not even feature in the top five smartphone vendors in a report published by IDC. 
BlackBerry launched Z10 in India on February 25. In January, Dutt told TOI that BlackBerry 10, which powers Z10, was akin to the new beginning for the company.
The device has received praise from technology reviewers and bloggers for its new user interface but the availability of apps remained a concern. In India, it has also been criticized for having a very high price of over Rs 43,000 while smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One Xare available for around Rs 30,000. 
On Friday BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins told Bloomberg that he was surprised by how well the Z10 sold in India after its debut. He claimed that five days' worth of inventory sold out in just two days. "I got an emergency call from my manager from India saying, 'I'm sold out after two days,'" said Heins. "So now we're scrambling to reload those channels."

BlackBerry Z10 launched in India for Rs. 43,490

BlackBerry has launched its new flagship smartphone Z10 in India for Rs. 43,490. BlackBerry Z10 is a full-touch device that comes with a 4.2-inch LCD screen with a 1280x768 resolution.
It runs on the new BlackBerry 10 operating system (Review), which the company has built from the scratch. The device is powered by a dual-core processor that clocks at 1.5GHz along with 2GB of RAM. The internal storage available on the smartphone is 16GB. It has an 8-megapixel rear camera that can capture 1080p videos and 2-megapixel camera in the front. Z10 comes with 1,850 mAh battery, which as per the company claims gives 10 hours of talktime and 312 hours of stand by time.
BlackBerry Z10 (Review) will be available to customers, who had pre-booked starting Tuesday and will be available at 2,000 retail points across 50 cities by Thursday or Friday. As per earlier speculations, BlackBerry Z10 was expected to be launched in India with a price tag of Rs. 39,000 and the current price seems to higher than what was expected.
Commenting on the launch, Sunil Dutt, Managing Director for India at BlackBerry, said, "Without a doubt the BlackBerry Z10 is among the most important and much awaited BlackBerry launches in the history of the Indian smartphone industry. And we are thrilled to launch the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone with our carrier and retail partners across India. With BlackBerry 10 we have re-designed re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry to create a new and unique mobile computing experience and we are uniquely positioned to change the way in which our customers treat mobile technology. With BlackBerry 10, every feature, every gesture and every detail is designed to keep you moving".
BlackBerry had showcased two smartphone - Z10 and Q10 at the gala event in New York on January 30. The Q10 is a QWERTY smartphone that is expected to start retailing from March 2013.So far the price for this smartphone is kept under wraps.
Overall, it is expected that there will be a total of six BlackBerry 10 smartphones available in the market before the end of the year. However some reports suggest that the company will not launch any entry level BlackBerry 10 smartphones in 2013.

BlackBerry Z10

BlackBerry Z10 key specifications

• 4.2-inch LCD screen with a 1280x768 resolution
• 1.5GHz dual-core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16 GB internal storage, can be expanded by up to 64GB
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 2-megapixel front camera
• BlackBerry 10 OS
• 1,850 mAh battery
• 130 x 65.6 x 9 mm
• 137.5 grams

No native Instagram app for BlackBerry 10: Report

BlackBerry is banking a lot on its new operating system BlackBerry 10 to make a comeback. In order to succeed in this mission the Canadian smartphone maker is striving hard to maintain a robust ecosystem. BlackBerry had recently rechristened its BlackBerry App World as BlackBerry World. The name change was in line with BlackBerry's plan to reposition its store as not merely an app store but to add mobile and video content as well.
The company had launched its BlackBerry 10 device Z10 on January 30, 2013 with 70,000 applications available for the consumers. This was made possible thanks to the 'Portathon sessions' that BlackBerry had organised to entice developers to port their existing applications to the BlackBerry 10 OS. The company was offering range of incentives under this scheme including a change to get their hands on a limited edition red coloured BlackBerry Z10 smartphone.
Most of the popular applications such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Angry Birds were already available at the time of the launch. However, one big name missing in this array of apps was that of Instagram. It was expected that the app will come soon enough, but that may no longer be the case.
As per a report from AllThingsD, it seems that BlackBerry 10 is not likely to get native Instagram app in the near future. In conversation with AllThingsD, sources close to Instagram said "There will be no [native] Instagram for BB10 for now. Frankly, I'm not sure there will ever be."
This would definitely come as a blow to BlackBerry as Instagram is quite a popular photo sharing app on the Android and iOS platforms. However, there have been reports in the past that suggest that BlackBerry is already working on porting the Android version of Instagram to its BlackBerry World. So this means that the BlackBerry 10 will be able to get a feel of Instagram but not the real thing. Though this does not sound like a deal breaker but it will be interesting to see till when Instagram will ignore BlackBerry 10.

Canada's tech giant Research In Motion Ltd, now renamed just BlackBerry, has launched the much delayed BlackBerry 10 with a slew of new features and innovations