BlackBerry

As BlackBerry rolls deeper into the smartphone world with the launch of BlackBerry 10, it looks like some countries will be left off of the map.

The device maker confirmed today that it has no plans to launch any BlackBerry 10 smartphones in Japan.

"We are in the process of launching BlackBerry 10 globally in key markets and we are seeing positive demand for the BlackBerry Z10 in countries where it has already launched," a BlackBerry spokesperson told CNET in an e-mail. "Japan is not a major market for BlackBerry, and we have no plans to launch … Read more

BlackBerrys haven't always had the top cameras in the industry, but with the BlackBerry Z10's 8-megapixel camera, things are turning around.

In my tests so far, the Z10's shooter largely succeeds. Over the course of my testing period, I got some really nice outdoor shots, plus some crisp indoor photos of everything from food labels to receipts. Of course, not every indoor picture or portrait turned out great, but I found the images usable overall (check out my Z10 review for even more photos).

So let's see how it compares with two other high-quality smartphone cameras, … Read more

BlackBerry customers in the U.S. awaiting the new Q10 smartphone may have a long wait ahead of them.

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins told the Associated Press this week that the Q10 phone, which offers a traditional physical keyboard, will probably launch eight to 10 weeks after the debut of the virtual keyboard Z10 model. The Z10 is already available in the U.K. and Canada, but likely won't hit the shores of the U.S. until March.

Doing the math, that points to a May or June launch date for the Q10, at least in the U.S. … Read more

From the most basic handsets to ultra-advanced smartphones that are essentially pocket computers, mobile phones are complex devices. They reach out to the cloud, surf the Internet, play music, run countless apps, connect to social-networking services, are messaging masters, and, yes, they even make voice calls. … Read more

BlackBerry (the company formerly known as Research In Motion) is reportedly seeing solid demand for its Z10 smartphone and analysts appear to be cautiously optimistic about sales.

Whether cautiously optimistic saves the company remains to be seen. Generally speaking, Wall Street analysts seem to be betting that sales of the Z10 will be strong enough to support an upgrade cycle for the installed base.

The themes so far boil down like this:

BlackBerry is extending a bit of a thank you to BlackBerry 10 developers who have created apps for its platform.

In a blog post, BlackBerry announced today that it will hand out 12,000 limited edition BlackBerry Z10 units to developers. Unlike the black versions of the Z10 shown off last week, the limited edition models will come in red.

The BlackBerry Z10 comes with a 4.2-inch touch screen and runs the company's latest operating system, BlackBerry 10. In a research note, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said that Z10 sales have so far been "solid" in Canada and the U.K., … Read more

BlackBerry is counting on Trend Micro to help ensure the security of its third-party apps.

Like other app store owners, BlackBerry already scans apps for malware to protect BlackBerry World customers. But the company will add Trend Micro's Mobile Application Reputation Service to take that protection a few steps further.

Both current and new apps submitted to BlackBerry World will be scanned by Trend Micro's cloud-based service to hunt for malware.

"BlackBerry is working with Trend Micro to implement a more robust approach for addressing privacy and security concerns related to third-party applications," Adrian Stone, director … Read more

The BlackBerry Z10 is off to a good start in several countries around the world, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claims in a research note obtained by CNET.

"Our initial checks indicate that sales in the U.K. are off to a strong start," Misek wrote in his note to investors. "Some stores had lineups out front with widespread sell outs of the White Z10 and limited stock of the Black Z10. Also, our checks indicate that preorders in the UAE and Canada have had a solid start."

The U.K. seems to be BlackBerry's best market. … Read more

The release of the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone will be remembered as either a breath of new life for the company or a last gasp as it fell into irrelevance. By all accounts, the Z10 is a tremendous step forward in design and hardware over previous BlackBerrys, but it's coming at a time when the smartphone market is crowded with established contenders with massive app stores already in place.

CNET contributor Ben Parr says that the Z10 and its keyboard-wielding buddy Q10 face a major deficit on the app front. He argues that iOS and Android have an insurmountable lead in the app race, meaning the Z10 will never attract the new customers BlackBerry needs to grow and survive.… Read more