Editor’s Note: Related tickers: BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE)
For years, the BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) was the smartphone of choice among professionals seeking ironclad security features and superfast email. But its perch at the top of the corporate and government ladder, the cornerstone of its business and perhaps its last bastion, has begun to erode. And that’s raising worries among investors and analysts that BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) may be running out of time. A slew of businesses and government agencies have abandoned BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) phones in recent months, a troubling trend for a company that has been refocusing its attention on business users after watching consumers depart in droves.
BlackBerry, Nokia to not launch 5-inch or above smartphones until end of 2013, say sources (DigiTimes)
While vendors of Android smartphones have been competing each other fiercely in the 5-inch segment, vendors of other platforms, including BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) are unlikely to roll out 5-inch or above models until the end of 2013 or in the first half of 2014, according to industry sources. Motorola is the latest branded vendor to join the 5-inch club by releasing two 5-inch models in the US. Rival vendors including Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) Mobile Communications, LG Electronics and HTC have all launched 5-inch or above models as their flagship smartphones, the sources indicated.
BlackBerry strikes back (IndianExpress)
These days, big technology companies—particularly those in the hyper-competitive mobile phone and tablet industries—are starting to resemble big film production houses. Similar to opening week at the movies, every mobile phone or tablet release needs to be a blockbuster and the only measure of success are the gross unit shipments and corresponding sales in the initial weeks. Sell big or die fast seems to be the harsh market reality. Take the case of BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), the Canadian device maker which invented the concept of on-the-go email more than a decade ago with clunky little devices with a mini keyboard.
BlackBerry opts for phablet with A10 (HispanicBusiness)
The look and feel of the device mimics that of the current BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) banner model, the Z10 and it reportedly runs BlackBerry 10.2. The sharp corners of the Z10 have been filed away to give a device that has contours in common with Samsung’s Galaxy S range. The display appears to be confirmed by the photos as a 5-inch 1280 x 720 AMOLED screen, which would file the A10 under the phablet category. The photos also show a full touch interface like the one seen on the Z10. …With the Z10, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) tried to move away from its focus on business users to entice consumers.
