ANDROID DEVICE Sales Soar - RIM and Apple Decline

 The following article compares various smartphones and other hand-held devices and concludes that Android's overall share of the U.S. smartphone market grew from eight percent to 19 percent during that period, putting it in third place, while Apple's remained basically the same from 29 to 28 percent and Research in Motion fell from 36 to 31 percent after an initial rise in February and March.
   . . . June

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Android Device Sales Soar as RIM and Apple Decline
Yahoo! News:Adam Dickter, Tue Oct 5, 4:57 pm ET

During the same period, Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices dropped from 34 percent to 26 percent of new sales, and Apple's iPhone dropped from 32 to 25 percent.


That period of time covers Apple's announcement of a new iPhone (with months of publicity about it) and one month of sales of the device. So the drop in Apple's sales is likely a result of consumers holding off purchases in anticipation of the iPhone 4.


"It's a common pattern, especially for Apple, for folks to hold off until the new updated device comes out," said Kirk Parsons, a senior wireless analyst at J.D. Power and Associates. "The news about a new device launch is announced months in advance, so it's human nature to wait until a new version comes out."


Between June, when the iPhone 4 was launched, and August, Apple's smartphone sales rose from 21 to 25 percent. But during that same period, Android sales took off at a greater rate, climbing from 26 to 32 percent, as smartphones such as Motorola's Droid X and Samsung's Galaxy were released.


Android's overall share of the U.S. smartphone market, including new adopters and previous users, grew from eight percent to 19 percent during that period, putting it in third place, while Apple's remained basically the same from 29 to 28 percent and Research in Motion fell from 36 to 31 percent after an initial rise in February and March. The data released Tuesday did not look at the share of smartphones running Microsoft's Windows Mobile, Palm's webOS, or Nokia's Symbian systems. 

The data contains "no surprises whatsoever," said Parsons. "Our data also suggests that folks that own an Android-based device have higher overall satisfaction than Apple, not counting the 4G version." 

The survey results were announced on the same day that AT&T and Motorola unveiled three new Android-based phones, the Bravo, Flipout and Flipside, which will make a total of eight Android options on the carrier's shelves. 

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New BlackBerry tablet 'The PlayBook' to compete with iPad

 According to the article below, Research in Motion Ltd., the Canadian company that gave us the BlackBerry, still the dominant phone in corporate circles -- thinks its business customers will have room in their briefcases for at least one more device: the PlayBook. They showed off the tablet for the first time Monday and is set to launch it early 2011, with an international rollout later in the year. Way to go!
    . . . June


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CTV Winnipeg- New BlackBerry tablet will compete with iPad
CTV News:

NEW YORK — The Canadian company that gave us the BlackBerry -- still the dominant phone in corporate circles -- thinks its business customers will have room in their briefcases for at least one more device: the PlayBook.

Research in Motion Ltd. showed off the tablet for the first time Monday and is set to launch it early 2011, with an international rollout later in the year. With it RIM is betting on a smaller, lighter device than Apple Inc.'s iPad, which kicked-started the tablet market when it launched in April.

The PlayBook will have a 17.8-centimetre screen, making it half the size of the iPad, and weighs about 0.4 kilograms to the iPad's 0.7 kilograms. Unlike the iPad, it will have two cameras, front and back, which both shoot in high definition.

The PlayBook will be able to act as a second, larger screen for a BlackBerry phone, through a secure short-range wireless link. When the connection is severed -- perhaps because the user walks away with the phone -- no sensitive data like company emails are left on the tablet. Outside of Wi-Fi range, it will be able to pick up cellular service to access the web by linking to a BlackBerry.

But the tablet will also work as a standalone device. RIM co-Chief Executive Jim Balsillie said its goal is to present the full web experience of a computer, including the ability to display Flash, Adobe Systems Inc.'s format for video and interactive material on the web. That means the tablet will be less dependent on third-party applications or "apps," Balsillie said.

"I don't need to download a YouTube app if I've got YouTube on the web," said Balsillie, who leads the company along with co-CEO Mike Lazaridis.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has resisted allowing Flash on any of the company's mobile gadgets, arguing the software has too many bugs and sucks too much battery life.

"Much of the market has been defined in terms of how you fit the web to mobility," Balsillie said. "What we're launching is really the first mobile product that is designed to give full web fidelity."

In part, the PlayBook is a move by RIM to protect its position as the top provider of mobile gadgets for the business set. Balsillie says he has had briefings with company chief information officers and "this is hands-down, slam-dunk what they're looking for."

Analysts agree that RIM's close relationship with its corporate clients could help the company establish a comfortable niche in the tablet market despite Apple's early lead.


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