blackberry

Smartphone market share consolidates at top, study shows

The smartphone market leaders are more entrenched, and that's bad news for the underlings, based on a new study from ComScore.

ComScore's latest MobiLens report had no shifts in status among the major phone manufacturers and mobile operating systems in the three months ended in May, but the top two in both fields gained share while the bottom three all lost ground.

Apple ranked as the top phone maker with 39.2 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers, up 0.3 percentage point from the prior quarter, followed by Samsung with 23 percent market share, up 1.7 … Read more

Episode 43: Unboxing the BlackBerry Q10

The past three weeks of Always On showcased the roles tech can play in your summer vacation. In some cases, we determined whether or not your tech can survive your summer vacation. Now this episode doesn't involve snapping photos of spinner dolphins, desert road tripping in a tricked-out RV, or fitness tracking through mud at an average of 8,150 feet of elevation. But just because we're finally back home in the Bay Area doesn't mean we took a break from turning our environment into a tech battleground.

We start things off with an unboxing of the … Read more

BlackBerry 10.1 OS update for Z10 phone posted in error

BlackBerry Z10 owners on AT&T still can't get the latest update to the BlackBerry operating system.

Earlier on Friday, the BlackBerry OS 10.1 update for the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone was rolled out via AT&T. But that update was actually posted in error, a BlackBerry spokesperson told CNET.

BlackBerry now advises Z10 users who receive a software update notification to disregard it. The company said it's working closely with AT&T to deploy the official update soon.

This means that AT&T and BlackBerry are still behind in launching BB OS 10.… Read more

Sorry, Z10. BlackBerry A10 coming soon

CNET Update is prepared:

Monday is going to be a wild day with announcements about Apple, Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. This episode of Update breaks down the questions we need answered at the E3 video game conference, along with what to expect from Apple's WWDC keynote. Case maker Gumdrop is so confident that the iPad 5 will be announced, that it already is selling a case for it!

CNET's live coverage of Apple's WWDC 2013 keynote

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BlackBerry: Messenger won't reach iOS, Android on June 27

Updated at 10 a.m. PT with a headline change noting that BlackBerry is disputing T-Mobile's initial claim.

It looks like iOS and Android won't be able to download BlackBerry Messenger come June 27 after all.

Earlier on Thursday, T-Mobile U.K. tweeted that BBM would indeed be available for iOS and Android come June 27, even serving up an image of a BBM conversation running on a Samsung Android phone. However, that tweet has since been taken down, calling into question the accuracy of the information.

And a BlackBerry representative told CNET: "That date is completely … Read more

How FreedomPop's free mobile plan will work

CNET Update features a freebie:

Is FreedomPop's free mobile plan too good to be true? In today's Update episode, I explain how the plan will work when it launches this summer. The free model runs on Sprint's network and has unlimited texts, but monthly limits on data (500 MB of 4G) and voice (200 minutes).

Paying for more data and voice on FreedomPop is still cheaper than going with a major carrier. In an interview with CNET Update, FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols explained he's targeting a price of $9.99 for unlimited calling, and $17.99 … Read more

BlackBerry offers wireless upgrade platform for cars

At the Telematics Detroit conference, BlackBerry demonstrated to automakers how its platform could be used to send wireless software updates to cars.

BlackBerry noted that cars are coming out with feature-rich software in the dashboard for navigation, hands-free phone calls, and audio. BlackBerry's back-end platform allows automakers to remotely update this software, potentially adding features.

The platform was built on BlackBerry's existing capability of updating its mobile handsets over the air.

Tesla and Audi already have independently deployed this capability, offering customers wireless updates to dashboard features and, with Tesla's Model S, actual driving performance software.

BlackBerry'… Read more

Can BlackBerry move past 'solid ground' to recapture past glory?

ORLANDO, Fla.--If there's one message BlackBerry wanted to convey at its annual confab, it's this: "We're back."

"It hasn't been that easy, and there's still a lot of work to do, but man, have we reached solid ground with this company," CEO Thorsten Heins said during his keynote address at BlackBerry Live on Tuesday.

BlackBerry was busy Tuesday, offering a smorgasbord of news. There was the device announcement in the form of the budget-friendly BlackBerry Q5. There was the updated BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10.1 for the business-minded. There was … Read more

BlackBerry Messenger jumps to iPhone, Android

CNET Update busts out the Breakout:

Lots of news around BlackBerry in today's roundup. Not only is BlackBerry expanding the popular Messenger service as an app for Android and iOS, but it also is giving Messenger a social-media twist with BBM Channels.

BlackBerry keyboard fans in the U.S. are finally able to own the Q10 this summer when it arrives at T-Mobile, Verzion and Sprint. (Get the full Q10 review here.) Considering the phone was unveiled at the end of January, BlackBerry fans in the U.S. have had to wait awhile for any availability details. But as … Read more

BlackBerry Q5 handset becomes reality at BlackBerry Live

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Here at BlackBerry Live 2013, the long-rumored BlackBerry Q5 handset became legitimate. The midrange device will sport a design reminiscent of the old Curve models but use materials less pricey than what's in the current Q10 flagship.

That means the BlackBerry Q5 boasts a full QWERTY keyboard but won't sport the premium keys you'll find on the Q10. Instead, the Q5's buttons are flatter and more bubbly, not chiseled typing surfaces expertly angled for message-punching perfection.

Indeed, when I was able to spend some time with the Q5 after BlackBerry Live's keynote … Read more