RIM’s Leadership Says : BlackBerry OS 6.0 Coming Soon, And Will Be A “Quantum Leap”.
During RIM’s (Research In Motion) fiscal call on Thursday, RIM’s Co-CEO Jim Balsillie said that the upcoming BlackBerry OS 6.0 will be a “quantum leap” for BlackBerry Smartphones and their users. RIM plans to introduce two new devices sometime late this quarter or possibly early in Q3. Balsillie made a strong statement declaring that the BlackBerry brand will not only grow with the launch of the new devices and OS 6, but will also boost its competitive edge in North America.
I just wish I could wind the clock forward a few weeks,” Balsillie said. “I couldn’t feel better.
RIM is counting big on its upcoming OS to be a game changer for them. Balsillie and RIM are betting on enhanced features such as a dramatically Improved WebKit-based browser that is stated to compete with the likes of iPhone and Google’s Android. A new highly customizable home screen, A ramped up Media Player with iTunes, Windows Media, and Podcast support. Based on some initial reviews, the new OS does seem to be quite fast and responsive, and OS 6 users will notice the Apple and Google device style swipe gestures and pinch to zoom.
We’re trying to update the UI and fix the stuff that people wanted us to fix,”Mike Lazaridis RIM’s other Co-CEO said, adding that BlackBerry OS 6.0 will extend to both trackpad and touchscreen devices.
RIM showed some great numbers during the 1Qtr shipping over 11.2 million and sold it’s 100 millionth BlackBerry smartphone. Revenues came in around $4.2 billion, up from $3.4 billion a year ago and topping the previous quarter’s total of $4.1 billion.
According to Fierce Wireless:
Balsillie also speculated that operators’ introduction of tiered, usage-based data pricing will boost RIM’s growth, echoing a recent analyst note published by Susquehanna Financial’s Jeff Fidacaro. According to Fidacaro, the introduction of reduced entry-level data pricing will encourage a significant number of subscribers to swap their feature phones for smartphones, with BlackBerry devices ideally positioned to capture this new business thanks to their affordable prices and emphasis on low-bandwidth applications like email and instant messaging. Conversely, Fidacaro contends that data caps could limit future adoption of Apple iPhones, a device synonymous with high-bandwidth apps like streaming video.
Call Highlights:
- Revenue grew 24% over the same quarter last year to $4.24 billion
- Earnings per share in the first quarter increased 41% year over year to $1.38(1)
- BlackBerry(R) smartphone shipments grew more than 43% over the same quarter last year to 11.2 million and RIM shipped its 100 millionth BlackBerry smartphone during the quarter
- BlackBerry subscriber account base grew approximately 60% over the prior year to 46 million, with 4.9 million net new subscriber accounts added in Q1
- RIM’s Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program to purchase for cancellation up to 31 million common shares
So what do you think? With Apple’s launch of the iPhone 4G, and Google’s Android OS on the rise. Can BlackBerry still keep it’s market share. Sound off in the comments and let us know.
