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Apr. 26, 2010

RIM (Research In Motion Ltd.) unveiled today some updated versions of two of its smartphones that should bring increased functionality and that should see an increase in competition in the smartphone market.

The maker of the Blackberry said that it is set to launch a CDMA version of its Blackberry Bold smartphone, the model No. 9560.

The wireless device is designed to replace the CDMA/GSM-enabled Tour that RIM launched domestically in 2009 with Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel.

RIM's Bold updates over the Tour will include embedded Wi-Fi connectivity and a trackpad to replace the unpopular and hard-to-use trackball that is on the Tour.

The Bold will continue with global capabilities with the inclusion of support for UMTS/HSPA in the 2100 MHz mobile band and EDGE/GPRS/GSM in the 900/1800 MHz bands.

RIM also announced a 3rd generation version of its candy bar-style Pearl device that will include support for UMTS/HSDPA networks.

For now, RIM didn't indicate the 3G spectrum bands that were supported by the new device, although the current 2G model is offered by both AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA.

AT&T Mobility uses its 850 MHz/1.9 GHz spectrum for its 3G network, while T-Mobile USA relies on its 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum for its 3G network.

Overall, the updates to the Pearl also earn the diminutive device an upgrade from its previous 8000-series identifying numbers to the 9000-series range.

Sprint Nextel said it will begin offering RIM's new device on May 23rd for $200 after all rebates and a two-year contract.

In addition to the new devices, the Canadian company also announced its Blackberry Mobile Voice System 5 that works with Cisco Systems’s Unified Communications Manager to allow VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls to be placed over Wi-Fi-enabled Blackberry devices.

The Waterloo, Ontario company said its latest version of the service will allow employees to use single number shared between their desk phone and mobile phone to make and receive calls over a Wi-Fi connection.

Overall, smartphones were the rage in the wireless industry last year. In February 2009, analysts were already talking about the potential of the smartphone market, and now many of them believe sales of the advanced MIDs (mobile Internet devices) that connect to the Internet will soon overtake sales of regular mobile (read passive) phones.

The year began with the rapid expansion of Google's new Android phones. Google's open development operating system was actually launched in 2007, and as of the beginning of 2009, there was only one Android device on the market: the G1 sold by T-Mobile USA.

Palm was also one of the first to get the hype machine whirring at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January with its new Palm Pre.

When Palm finally launched the Pre in early June exclusively on Sprint Nextel's network, loyal Palm fans lined up for the new smartphone. Initial sales were okay, but the Palm Pre didn't even come close to creating the sales momentum experienced by Apple's iconic iPhone when it was first launched in 2007.

Still, the Pre launch was a turning point for the mobile industry, and more wireless handset makers and mobile service providers continue to flood the market with MIDs.

The most noteworthy Android device hit the market in early November. Verizon Wireless launched the Motorola Droid amid a $100 million marketing campaign. The aggressive advertising push seems to be working. Analysts now estimate that Verizon and Motorola will sell at least 1 million devices by the end of the year.

In June, T-Mobile USA and HTC introduced the second Android handset into the U.S. market, the MyTouch. And just before Android's second birthday, the much-anticipated flood of Android device announcements began. Mobile handset makers such as Samsung, Motorola, LG and HTC all announced multiple Google Android devices.

Not to be left out, Apple certainly didn't stand still either this year. In June, the company started selling the iPhone 3GS. AT&T agreed to subsidize the older iPhone 3G even more, and consumers were suddenly able to buy an iPhone for $99.

Overall, a faster CPU and more functionality on the iPhone 3G S rapidly increased sales for the new smartphone this year. Apple also reported that it sold a little over one million devices worldwide the first weekend it was on the market.

Apple's competitors also launched their own app stores in an effort to capitalize on the mobile applications frenzy. Google launched the Android Market, which today has more than 20,000 applications.

Research In Motion, which makes BlackBerry devices, launched the BlackBerry App World. Nokia launched its Ovi Store in some U.S. markets in 2009, though the store is still not available in the U.S.

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Source: Research In Motion.