Nokia, the world’s largest cellphone maker, has lost a legal battle to avoid defending itself at the U.S. International Trade Commission against a patent-infringement lawsuit by InterDigital.
Terry McBride thinks the smartphone is going to upend the current version of the record industry as profoundly as the iPod changed the last one. In a speech to college musicians, Mr. McBride said smartphone apps “will radically change the business.”
Microsoft executives have long spun visions of a world where computer users can seamlessly share information between a PC, the Web, and a cellphone. But the company has made little progress in making that vision a reality–at least until now.
As the battle for the smartphone market heats up, comparisons abound between Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Storm, released in November, and Apple’s iPhone.
For starters, both devices boast a touchscreen, forgoing the buttons found on more conventional phones. But the more important comparison, from the bottom-line perspective, lies in which device carries a fatter margin.
Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion Ltd. have high hopes for the BlackBerry Storm, which they spent nearly two years developing as their big response to Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
But despite a marketing campaign that cost more than $100 million, the smartphone has gotten off to a bumpy start.
Research In Motion shares are getting a lift today from RBC Capital analyst Mike Abramsky, who raised his rating on the stock to Outperform from Sector Perform. He upped his price target on the stock to $75, from $45.
U.K. paper The Guardian this morning reports that Orange, the mobile phone operator owned by France Telecom, is considering yanking Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Bold from its handset lineup because of what the paper calls persistent software errors.
After combing through Research in Motion’s Dec. 19 6-K filing, Avian Securities wireless analyst Matthew Thornton writes that the company’s prospects are still intact as it moves past its recent product delays in introducing new BlackBerrys.
Christmas is coming a little early for RIM and its investors. The company provided guidance for the fiscal quarter ending February that was above Wall Street expectations–a feat almost no company has been able to achieve in the current environment. But it’s not all fruitcakes and candy canes.
Is it a coincidence that Apple’s iPhone 2.2 update was released on the same day the BlackBerry Storm hit stores with a touchscreen, 3G connectivity, and enterprise-friendly functionality that rivals anything Apple has on the market? I think not.
Verizon’s debut of the Storm, the first touchscreen BlackBerry, caused quite a ruckus in some places–in Manhattan, hundreds of people waited outside Verizon Wireless stores. When one store ran out of phones an hour after opening, police were called to restore order among rowdy customers.
Goldman Sachs is a little bit in love with Research In Motion this morning. “…we want to take advantage of the stock’s very compelling valuation and upcoming catalysts, including the Storm launch and fiscal Q3 (November) earnings,” according to the firm’s Simona Jankowski. She believes that the launch of both the Bold and the Storm in the same quarter can reduce the risk to RIM’s numbers. Also, sales of the Bold are “off to a good start.”
Across the board, estimates for Research In Motion are coming down, with analysts citing factors such as a late launch for both the Bold and the Storm, increased competition from the iPhone, and weak consumer demand projected for calendar Q4. Overall, states UBS analyst Maynard Um, “We do not expect RIMM to be immune from the weakening economy.”
Goldman Sachs has updated its three “Technology Framework Lists,” which include its top five growth picks, its top five tech value plays, and–sadly–its five least favorite tech names.
Verizon Wireless and Research in Motion should be thanking one particular customer service rep for stopping at least one customer–me–from defecting to AT&T and the iPhone this week. I had called in to find out about altering my existing family plan and porting my phone over to AT&T when she asked me if I’d heard of the Blackberry Storm.
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