Tag Archives: ThorstenHeins

RIM posts Q2 earnings: $2.87 billion in revenue, softer $235 million loss

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Research in Motion headquarters

RIM may have given us hope that its transition to BlackBerry 10 has turned a corner, but that doesn't mean the dark clouds have entirely broken just yet. The company's second fiscal quarter saw it generate $2.9 billion in revenue, a slight gain over last quarter, while it posted a net loss of $235 million -- again better than expected, but not the best news it could deliver. Waterloo's main challenge was holding on to its smartphone base. While RIM did expand the total BlackBerry user base to 80 million, its phone shipments dropped from 7.8 million to 7.4 million and were braced by shipments of just 130,000 PlayBooks, or half as many tablets as were delivered in the spring.

The sunshine is mostly found in the total picture. RIM says it's still on track to deliver the first BlackBerry 10 phones in early 2013; while the smartphone maker is bracing for an operating loss in its ongoing third quarter, the higher revenue and reduced losses suggest to CEO Thorsten Heins that RIM is getting its fiscal house in order before BlackBerry 10 (hopefully) renews interest. Full details of the company's financial performance are available after the break.

Continue reading RIM posts Q2 earnings: $2.87 billion in revenue, softer $235 million loss

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RIM posts Q2 earnings: $2.87 billion in revenue, softer $235 million loss originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBM for BlackBerry 10 gets a retooled UI, predictive keyboard with language detection

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Everyone's favorite messaging service, BBM has broke from cover in its new BlackBerry 10 digs at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012. The software is sporting a redesigned UI, which places the focus on your contacts' photos instead of the regular ol' list of names. Speech bubbles that we've all become familiar with are still here and emoticons get cozy as well. Another new feature is the predictive keyboard that's capable of detecting the language that you're typing in and offers the appropriate suggestions that you may need -- even if you're switching back and forth.

Gallery: BBM for BlackBerry 10

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BBM for BlackBerry 10 gets a retooled UI, predictive keyboard with language detection originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM: BlackBerry 10 carrier testing starts in October, OS remains on schedule

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RIM BlackBerry 10 carrier testing starts in October, the OS itself is on track

Worried that RIM might face any further delays of BlackBerry 10? Don't be. CEO Thorsten Heins just confirmed at his BlackBerry Jam presentation that carrier testing for the new OS should begin this October, and that the platform launch is still slated for early 2013, as we were told this spring. As he's mentioned in the past, Heins believes carriers are "excited" about the BlackBerry update, implying that this is what's driving the certification process months in advance. Whether or not optimism is alive and well among providers, the news could be a relief for carriers and BlackBerry developers alike, either of which is likely keen to minimize the shift towards an Android-and-iPhone duopoly in the smartphone space.

Gallery: BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012

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RIM: BlackBerry 10 carrier testing starts in October, OS remains on schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from Blackberry Jam Americas 2012!

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Details about BlackBerry 10 have been trickling out for months now, but BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 is finally here, and we're hoping to get a longer look at RIM's next-gen OS. Company CEO Thorsten Heins is kicking things off with his keynote this morning, so join us after the break as we bring it to you live.

September 25, 2012 11:30 AM EDT

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Live from Blackberry Jam Americas 2012! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 starts tomorrow, get your liveblog here!

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BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 starts tomorrow, get your liveblog here!

You may think that RIM's down and out, but Thorsten Heins thinks he has the Canadian mobile giant back on track, and he'll be telling us why at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012. The show starts at 8:30AM Pacific Time tomorrow, so keep it locked on our liveblog and see what he has to say as it happens. We can't say for certain precisely what he'll be talking about, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that BlackBerry 10 will be heavily involved. Tune in tomorrow to find out!

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BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 starts tomorrow, get your liveblog here! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM promotes UK and Ireland head in preparation for BlackBerry 10

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Thorsten Heins is assembling his crack team for BlackBerry 10, hiring and firing to assemble the lineup of business heavyweights he needs. RIM's UK and Ireland chief Stephen Bates is the latest to move, being promoted into the newly-minted role of European Managing Director, while former product manager Rob Orr will take his place. A RIM spokesperson told ZDNet that the moves are to ensure the company's BB7 legacy devices remain strong sellers in a key market while preparing the region for the advent of BB10.

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RIM promotes UK and Ireland head in preparation for BlackBerry 10 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM confirms BB10 standard screen resolutions for touch and keyboard devices

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DNP RIM details screen resolution standards for touch and keyboard devices

RIM took some time out from its worldwide tour to confirm that it's standardizing screen resolutions for BB10. Tim Neil took to the company's developer blog to say that forthcoming full-touch devices will ship with 1,280 x 720 displays, while keyboard-style phones would pack 720 x 720 screens. The only handset that won't play by these rules is the first (presumably flagship) BB10 handset, since it's too late to change its 1,280 x 768 screen. The company's urging developers to get tweaking to ensure apps run properly on the new gear -- or add letterboxing to offer a Sergio Leone feel to your mobile gaming.

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RIM confirms BB10 standard screen resolutions for touch and keyboard devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM is taking two BlackBerry 10 beta units on tour soon for carrier previews

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As the world awaits the arrival of BlackBerry 10 hardware, the Wall Street Journal has a report from RIM CEO Thorsten Heins that the company is ready to start showing off the "nearly complete" devices to carriers next week. Separately, CrackBerry has heard the same from its sources, along with word that more internal employees are becoming a part of the beta test group (already plugging away since May on alpha dev units like the one shown above) as well. As RIM is preparing to ramp up production of test devices, the CEO was also ready to confirm more details about the hardware, including that two devices are due at launch -- one all-touchscreen and one QWERTY / touchscreen combo -- with plans to expand to six models evenly split between the two options, and that it will stick with removable batteries.

Before RIM tries to convince end users early next year that its new OS was worth the wait, it will have to persuade potential carrier partners. Fortunately, if you believe one unnamed WSJ source, it's already showing a "marked improvement" over existing phones that makes BlackBerry more competitive with Android. We're not sure if that will keep BBM addicts on the hook until new hardware launches, but with the roadshow about to commence we should hear more concrete details soon.

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RIM is taking two BlackBerry 10 beta units on tour soon for carrier previews originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 22:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of July 30th, 2012

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Mobile Miscellany week of July 30th, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, the Galaxy Nexus for Sprint and Verizon Wireless each became available for free, while in the MVNO world, Simple Mobile dropped the price of its high-speed unlimited smartphone plan to $50. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of July 30th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of July 30th, 2012

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Mobile Miscellany: week of July 30th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Interview: RIM CMO Frank Boulben

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The Engadget Interview Frank Boulbon

It's been said before that RIM CEO Thorsten Heins surely has one of the toughest jobs in tech. It's a title he no doubt shares with Frank Boulben, the company's newly minted CMO. After all, it's Boulben who will be taking charge of the marketing for the company so badly in need of a new image. The Orange / Vodafone expat, naturally, sees very bright things ahead for Research in Motion's future -- a future that hinges almost entirely on the success of the company's much delayed BlackBerry 10.

Like Heins, Boulben insists that all who have seen the much anticipated mobile operating system thus far have been thoroughly impressed -- it's a sentiment that we certainly can't debate. Of course, given all of the trouble the company has run into bringing the OS to market, the number of folks who can claim membership in that exclusive club is small indeed. When the first BB10 devices finally hit early next year, Boulben's team will be tasked with making sure that number increases significantly enough to ensure the company's success in a field that is increasingly dominated by the likes of Android and iOS.

We spoke to Boulben about his plans to help spread the BlackBerry gospel, the time he spent as an executive at the also-troubled Lightsquared and the changes RIM must make to ensure it's success in the future.

Continue reading The Engadget Interview: RIM CMO Frank Boulben

The Engadget Interview: RIM CMO Frank Boulben originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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