Now that there’s new management at the helm of Canadian BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM), the company’s future is the subject of much discussion and speculation.   I have been researching, collecting and consolidating information to our readers with an exclusive insider view of the Research In Motion’s (RIM) product and release road map strategy for 2012.

I came across the following RIM Roadmap Deck that best illustrates where the company is headed in the coming months.  The following summarizes RIM’s product launch roadmap for the next 15 months:

• Apparently two new Blackberry Curve smartphones are to be launched in short order.  the BlackBerry Curve 9230 and the BlackBerry Curve 9320. The 9230 will be an EDGE smartphone and the Curve 9320 will be an HSPA device
• Rumor has it that RIM will be launching two new Blackberry PlayBook – a 10-inch Playbooks running the latest build of RIM’s well-received Playbook OS, version 2.0. Playbook OS 2.0 with the capability to support 4G LTE is scheduled to arrive in February.  With a 7-inch 3G capable model coming by April.
• It seems that the BlackBerry London which will reportedly run RIM’s new QNX-based smartphone operating system, BlackBerry 10 is still on track for a September launch
• There is now another BlackBerry 10 smartphone in the works that will launch as part of Balackberry Bold series accessories. The phone features a touchscreen display and QWERTY keyboard, and it is planned for a December release
• A QWERTY slider running BlackBerry 10 has been talked about for the first quarter of 2013.

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With the announcements at the recent CES – one has to wonder – what is 2012 the year of?” Will it be SmartTVs? Perhaps it’s the year of the interactive technology? Or maybe it is 4G LTE smartphones that will steal the spotlight this year. As of this early date, it is Android devices that look to have the competitive advantage this year. It very well could be a great opportunity to win over mind and market share, but they need to leverage the lead before Research In Motion (Blackberry) and Apple bring their own 4G LTE devices to market later this year.

What kind of growth are we looking at? According to DigiTimes who published 2012 estimates, Monday, they are anticipating between 4% and 5% of smartphones shipped this year will be 4G LTE capable. When reviewing their sources it is really clear that Android manufacturers are months ahead of the competition. Samsung, LG, Pantech, Motorola Mobility and HTC were named as industry players that will be launching 4G LTE handsets.

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Depending on how quickly Apple and RIM work and how effective their messaging is, the gap could be quickly closed and the opportunity lost. More specifically, there is buzz around Apple’s to-be-released products this year, the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, which based on rumor will be 4G LTE capable.

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One point this writer would like clarified is what the ramifications of this technology coupled with the race to get smartphones with the capability to use it will be. Will the current trend continue pattern of “sign long-term contract with service provider, get free smartphone”? Or will we be able to break free from this carrier imposed yoke with unlocked cell phones that will empower us to choose our preferred service provider and negotiate a service contract that best meets our interactive needs at the right price!

Only time will tell what the implications will be. At the moment, 4G LTE has not been well-explained to the public and is potentially cost inhibitive. So, without a little tweaking it may turn out to not be the year of the 4G LTE network after all.

Is 2012 the year of Research In Motion? Last year was rough for the once mighty smartphone and tablet OS company, but with its recent CES recognition for the impressive QNX car technology and now the PlayBook 2.0 something tangible to review, RIM may have some more blue skies in its futures. View this interesting video for more insight on Blackberry’s PlayBook 2.0

According to recent reports, the PlayBook 2.0 will be available in February and will make the tablet actually functional again. How? Top of the list is that native email and calendar are now included and the company has caught up with the times and integrated social media networking (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) and all of your friends posts and activities can be viewed in the Contacts Hub.

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Next, the keyboard has been drastically revamped to incorporate autocorrect and algorithmic predictive typing. That will adapt to your typing style and suggests its guess of your next typed word. Surprisingly, this tablet does feature Android apps in its App World and reviews indicate that they run as smoothly as native code.

In fact, Alec Saunders, the VP of Developer Relations, has hinted at RIM learning its mistakes from its initial PlayBook launch and are humbly making changes to bring a competitive product to market that will allow for innovation with developers, tech accessories, and other peripheral technology. This attitude change has brought valuable partnerships with EA Games and Rovio and will create a compelling story for customers.

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Added incentive for investing in RIM and the PlayBook upon its release in 2012 is its competitive pricing. At $299 it may very well be the contender it was created to be in a market dominated by Apple and to a lesser degree Android. As more news is released on the upcoming launch, we will keep you posted on whether the body has changed drastically enough to require new protective cases purchases and how current PlayBook customers will be able to recycle their other existing accessories.

The appeal of Apple and its iPhone, iPad, and other products has often been one of exclusivity.  In the spirit of a handsfree world, Visual Voicemail gives customers access to voicemail without dialing and has been one such feature iPhone users have been able to take advantage of.

Luckily for consumers with both unlocked cell phone or regular  handsets, they already have their pick of Bluetooth and headsets to up their convenience and safety abilities. And, the Visual Voicemail functionality may be coming their way shortly. Recently documents were leaked indicating that Visual Voicemail will become available on select Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S 2, the Motorola Droid RAZR as well as the BlackBerry Bold 9900 .

For Canadian customers on the Rogers’ network, they will have the benefit of an in-house developed application. Rumors noted that service should be available in February and will cost the same as the non-visual enhanced voicemail currently available with Rogers. For RIM,the launch will extend these new services to support BlackBerry 9700 and Blackberry 9790 devices.

The service will be named “Visual Voicemail Plus” and finally offers an edge on iPhone users: the capacity to save voicemail messages indefinitely. As ever, this kind of storage is exactly the kind of convenience that customers look for at every level of their experience which accounts for continued use of memory cards with smartphones.

Undoubtedly, additional platforms and devices will supported after the launch. The leaked documents noted that any phone with MMS functionality will have Visual Voicemail made available as well. This will include less popular mobile OS like legacy Symbian and Windows Mobile. The biggest question mark is whether the new Rogers Visual Voicemail Plus offering will require additional data plans as the product works through data usage in lieu of dialing.

It is common knowledge that both Apple and Google are the foremost thought leaders in the technology industry and as a result have secured global dominance of the smartphone OS market space. What is surprising is reviewing the numbers and trends that show an astronomical growth for the two giants over the course of 18 months. As can be seen in chart provided by comScore – the leading provider of online digital world measurement metrics – U.S. mobile subscribers are used to demonstrate the dramatic transition in market shares in the ever growing smartphone market. Discover the benefits of online shopping…. experience the largest assortment of wireless device accessories at the lowest prices on the Internet.

In less than a year and a half (between August 2010 and November 2011), the combined U.S. market share for Google and Apple – based on the number of mobile subscribers of iPhones and Android phones – jumped from 43.8 percent to 75.6 percent! When one considers the exponential growth of the mobile market and the rapid consumer adoption of wireless devices such as unlocked cell phones and tablets as well as for the associated branded protective accessories… it becomes apparent how staggering the revenue potential of these combined markets really is.

Another drastic market shift is the fall of beleaguered Canadian high-tech giant, Research In Motion. RIM has been plagued with technology based challenges, security issues, lackluster apps, production setbacks, numerous litigations and dismal product design, which all contributed to its fall from grace. Losing subscribership in the 18 month period, RIM’s BlackBerry market share dropped from 37.6 percent to 19.7 percent. Microsoft didn’t fare any better when it’s popularity poll was cut almost in half. Lastly, market laggard, Palm who? Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool! Discover select accessories, such as stylus & pens, SD Micro memory cards, batteries, speakers and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

So how and why did Android and Apple win over so many consumers? Analysts and industry experts seem to agree that unlocked phones for carrier neutrality, provided subscribers with the freedom to break away from being tied in with long term service provider contracts and negotiate lower priced service plans that best met their lifestyle needs . Secondly, the branding of not only the device, but the wide array of innovative top brand accessories drew customers in. Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky! Discover the latest innovative protection solutions of stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specially designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes with our. Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside our brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

In retrospect, 2011 was a huge year for the wireless industry.  With a giant falling at the same time that global mobile connections surpassed 6 billion, and worldwide smartphone penetration approaching 10%… all in a world with 7 billion people .   The availability of connected devices within the market place has fueled a meteoric rise in usage across all ages… with, smartphone penetration in the United States topping 44%.   The accessories market has also seen skyrocketing growth in stride with the surge in mobile device usage.  Consumer’s are not taking any risk with their expensive devices preferring to protect them from scratches and blemishes in innovative designer inspired bags, sleeves and protective cases.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

The smartphone’s rapid growth and continued market expansion can be attributed to two leading platforms Adroid and iOS  while other operating system platforms continue to struggle to maintain onto their meager share of the market.

While Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS is heralded as a breath of fresh air… sales and consumer interest continue to be disappointing.  Alas! What can we say of our beleaguered and fallen giant … RIM;  once the pearl of the mobile industry;  now with the failure of the PlayBook tablet and the BlackBerry OS, which was once the most desirable mobile experience continues to be  continues to be plagued with security issues.  Enhance your mobility… turn your device into a power tool.  Discover the select accessories, such as, stylus & pens, data cables, batteries, SD micro cards, desktop chargers, earpieces & headsets as well as glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

The onset of 2011 looked very promising for RIM…. which unveiled a number of next-generation devices; including the 9300 Curve, 9900 Touch, 9930 Bold Touch and the highly anticipated BlackBerry Dakota.  RIM was also hard at work on it first tablet offering – the BlackBerry Playbook.  RIM offered a number of options to developers with the ability to support Android based application for it first QNX-based device.  Brilliant move right…. it would give RIM access to Google’s massive Android ecosystem and provide PlayBook users with a huge catalog of apps available upon launch.  Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan… and for Rim, boy did this turn out to be a snafu!

The Playbook launched in April amidst challenges and controversy.  Due in part to the pressing need to have a tablet on the market… the PlayBook debut was marred by the lack of native support for email, contacts, calendar or even the highly-regarded chat client that put BlackBerry devices on the map – the BlackBerry Messenger.   Furthermore, the tablet launched without support for Android applications and the current catalog of lackluster apps remain a huge problem for RIM to this day.   Let the latest in trend setting fashionable accessories express your unique style!  Experience  an extensive array of award-wining design protective cases and skins that deliver modern style, stunning design and smart protection.  Make your mobile devices stand out.  Customize your look – how cool can you be?

To compound matters even further,  despite RIM’s best efforts it was only ready to announce one device at the BlackBerry World conference in late April – the BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 and while it was a device BlackBerry users had been clamoring for, it also came to market more than a year later than it should have with an operating system and user interface that was stale at best.

Worse was yet to come as internal stirrings set off seismic quakes after pent up unrest among RIM’s own employees finally reached its boiling point.  At the breaking point and completely exasperated  a high-level RIM executive published an open letter in an effort to get his message across to RIM’s top ss.   In its response to the open letter, RIM indicated that while it was addressing several issues, the company was “thankfully in a solid business and financial position to tackle the opportunities ahead.” Despite, cheery forecast by RIM’s top management , company would go on to disappoint with its second and third-quarter earnings, and its fourth-quarter guidance suggested that relief would not come soon.  Discover XMI Speaker’s uncompromised sound quality and a revolutionary design accentuating  today’s interactive lifestyle.   Earpieces and headsets combine sophisticated style and precision engineering that deliver brilliant sound for your total listening pleasure.

Today, RIM remains between a rock and a hard place.  In the midst of continually weakening sales, the first PlayBook  update is scheduled for February 2012; providing native email support and other PIM functionality, BBM is still proving to be a challenge and will not be part this ‘fix’.  Even more disturbing is the fact that the first RIM smartphone to run on the new BlackBerry 10 OS  – the BlackBerry London – will be delayed until delayed until late 2012.  Discover an extensive selection of the latest lithium technology replacement cell phone and wireless devices batteries.  Ensure your device is powered by brand name batteries for longer operating life.

Of major concern is the latest controversy brewing at RIM… inside sources at RIM have indicated to BGR that Mike Lizaridis was lying when he said that the company’s new lineup was delayed due to the setback get LTE chips.    In fact BGR claims it was told that RIM is simply pushing this out as long as they can for one reason, they don’t have a working product yet.”   According to BGR, their source communicated something shocking for a high-level RIM employee to say. He told BGR that RIM is betting its business on a platform and ecosystem that isn’t even as good as iPhone OS 1.0 or Android 2.0. “There’s no room for a fourth ecosystem,” he stated, “and DingleBerry also works on BlackBerry 10.”   Get powered up for work, life and play easily and conveniently with a collection of desktop chargers , wall chargers and car chargers.   Get all the power and energy you need for the mobile lifestyle.

There is no question that RIM has the talent to succeed in the modern smartphone market. It also has a user base that continues to grow with each quarter. The vendor has a lot of catching up to do, however, and it once it finally does launch its first BlackBerry 10 phone, it had better be a blockbuster with a massive marketing budget to back up its launch. In the meantime, RIM has a tough six-plus months ahead.

Telus? Rogers? Foreign words to most Americans. Unavoidable brands for Canadians.

While the mobile carrier options are different, the mobile device brands, their popularity, and availability are very comparable between the US and Canada. And – consumers in both countries are better server in choosing a carrier and subscription plan with the freedom of an unlocked device.

So what are the trends and popularity for this year? Two words: Samsung and Android. According the research group ComScore, Android is chipping away at the market share previously held by the beleaguered RIM’s BlackBerry OS… In a short three month period Android captured an additional 4.4% of the market as RIM dropped 4.5%.

The gaining momentum and recent successes may be in part thanks to the popularity of Samsung’s smart phones (accounting for over a quarter of the mobile devices in the US market).  This is no paltry amount of handsets based on the newest census of users indicating a whopping 234 million Americans use cell phones. That number is only going up as cables and other neat accessories help optimize great camera features, user-friendly screens for increased typing, and the whole gambit of functionality that make us multi-tasking masters.

But what are they really being used for these days? This youthful writer hazards a guess based on personal usage: most everything but talking.  And the increase in mobile device accessories, headphones, applications, and everything in between highlights this shift in user behaviors.  We use them as the pocket PCs that they are to browse Facebook (and update statuses), indulge in online shopping (after using the bank app to check account balances), fill the social calendar via texting, stream music from Pandora while running, or keeping fidgety fingers occupied while waiting in line with a quick game of Solitaire.

As the ComScore report indicates time and again, the collective giant of consumerization is driving trends and commerce that the carriers and handset manufacturers cannot ignore.

It was a very good article but there are a few issues that we’d like to bring up.  First off the person writing this post is a Blackberry user and more specifically uses the Blackberry Curve 8900.  This is going to be as unbiased as possible as the author thinks both manufacturers have great products.

Like the article mentions it comes down to preference.  If you like Blackberry phones then you will likely stick with them and the same goes for iPhone users.  There are iPhone users that get the new iPhone every year when Apple releases it.  The only really difference is that Apple only has three phones all that look similar (slight look variations every year) and Blackberry has five or more active phones.  The choice isn’t necessarily a good thing as some people don’t want to have to from so many.

A couple of things the article said were true although they aren’t a big problem.  The first one was “The iPhone automatically changes its time when you enter a new time zone. BlackBerrys remain set to their home time zone for time stamping all emails with that time—unless you change the time in settings.”  While this is true it takes a total of fifteen seconds to go and change it to Network time.  This means that every where you go your phone will update its time based on the network.  So if you are on the east coast you will be on east cost time if you are on teh west coast your phone will say the time in the west coast.

The other issue was “The BlackBerry’s AC adaptor takes up two power outlet spots, while the small, square iPhone plug occupies only one outlet, making it more versatile and able to charge in more locations.”  We aren’t sure why they would say that.  Yes the iPhone has small one inch charger but the prongs are not retractable.  This means if you travel with it there is a chance they can bend or break.  The Blackberry charger is larger and by larger we mean the same size as every other charger.  The advantage is that the prongs are retractable and make for nicer travelling.  It only takes up two electrical outlets if you place it in the top socket.  Although an annoyance it is something that is common with a lot of plugs.

Overall we would highly recommend reading the article if you are thinking of either getting a new smartphone (Blackberry or Apple in particular) or if you are thinking about switching from a Blackberry to an iPhone or vice-versa

Basically the Curve 8520 will be an upgrade to the 83xx series and a mid-level change to the Curve 8900.  It won’t have the exact same.  The screen won’t be as good as the Curve 8900 and the camera will only be a 2MP instead of a 3.2MP, but it will be good for people who are looking to get a new curve but don’t want to spend the 500$-600$

Well thanks to Crackberry.com it looks like the new Curve 8520 will be available in August, which hopefully means that PureMobile will have it shortly afterwards for all you.  Also it looks like it will be available in different colours like red, blue, black, white, etc… but that’s just a rumour.

So like everything else it’s still not sure exactly when but hopefully the Curve 8520 will be out in time for people to enjoy the new phone over the summer

[image courtesy Crackberry.com]