Ampers & Dot

This is a post I never envisioned writing, but is actually long, long overdue.  As an avid Windows Mobile fan, who has more-than-occasionally dissected the smartphone market, I’ve somehow never really addressed Blackberry’s presence.  Mainly, because until recently, there wasn’t much to talk about.

Let’s quickly go through a little background information on Canada’s third largest export (after hockey and grizzly bears): Blackberries. And first, no: RIM (the Canadian company that makes Blackberries) likely doesn’t manufacture the devices up north, but it’s still noteworthy to point out that Canada is home to one of the most successful gadget manufacturers in the world. Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, Canada?

Anyway, RIM has had a strong history of making email-centric devices for the business masses. Originally in silly QWERTY-pager form, RIM started cranking out the Blackberry line about 10 years ago, which is interesting when you think of how few different devices have actually been produced.

Over the last three years we’ve seen the the Electron series, the Pearl series, the 8800 models, and most recently, the Curve series. And even more noteworthy, is that the Curve debuted on US shelves in the beginning of 2007. That was a year and a half ago. No new devices in a year and a half?

Let’s say that a different way: No new devices in a span when Apple produced two different iPhone versions? And even though the second iPhone was more of a haircut than a redesign, Apple will sell 14 million units in a time that Blackberry produced zero new hardware.

So what’s RIM doing to counter this? Surprisingly, a lot.

After 19 months without a new product (and new colors are not new phones, RIM… come on!), there are now FOUR new Blackberry models on the horizon. Seems strange to load the market that way… but wow- four new models!

First, is the long-rumored and highly anticipated follow up to the Curve, the Blackberry Bold (likely launching on AT&T the first week of November). Let me say this: I’m actually impressed with the Blackberry Bold. It’s a great looking device, with a great size factor, that should find its way into the jacket pockets of hundreds of thousands of executive suit-pockets before the end of the year.

Second, the upcoming Blackberry Javelin. A freakishly small but powerful device that has already garnered a large amount of attention (aka: $17,000 on eBay). I have no other comment about this. It sold for $17,000… that’s a lot.

Third, is a device that I personally thought was fake… until it was recently confirmed: the Blackberry Kickstart (Pearl 8220), which is basically two little Blackberry Pearls hinged together to make one whopping flip phone.  There are a number of rumors floating around about when and where this device will land, my guess is TMobile, just in time for the holidays.

And finally, the device that makes the Kickstart look conventional: the Blackberry Storm, RIM’s first keyboardless touchscreen device and a likely answer to the hoards of full touchscreen phones popping up from every corner of the mobile world. Although I’m not wild about the technology used for the touchscreen (the whole thing is one big button… to type you actually have to push the screen in repeatedly), this thing looks sweet and has the features to impress (and possibly convert) any smartphoner.  This will hit Verizon shelves (CDMA getting a Blackberry before GSM!? This deserves a post to itself…) within the next few months.

The point to all this? I’m impressed. Blackberry did exactly what they had to do. A company that generally made the same predictable devices and sold them to the same predictable people now has an arsenal to interest the entire market. RIM took a lot of risks and although they may not have perfect devices coming out of the risks, they’ve taken a step in the right direction by giving consumers options and giving the other guys (Apple and Windows Mobile) a little competition.

If you’re a Blackberry enthusiast, these are good times and it’s worth getting excited.  But if you’re not a Blackberry fan, now might be the time to take another look.

WARNING: this is one of the nerdier gadget posts. If you’re afraid of random letter acronyms, it might be best to stop reading now.  But if you’re still with me, enjoy!

It goes without saying that the iPhone has had its fair share of hype this summer.  But I’ll say it anyway: Apple dominated mobile phone news this year and you know what?  That bugs me.  So let me quickly get a few things out of the way before diving into this.  Yes - the iPhone is cool and game changing.  And yes - I wrote about it three more times than I should have this summer.  Good.  Let’s move on.

What bothers me about all this is that with all the hubbub around the iPhone there’s been one big story that has been severely overlooked: HTC’s killer year of developments.

For those unfamiliar, HTC (High Tech Computer Corporation (the coolest brand name ever!)) is a Taiwanese ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) and an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).  Got it?  Ok, let’s say that another way: HTC is a company that makes phones that are sometimes branded as “HTC” and sometimes branded as something else.  It would be like if Nike took the swooshes off of some of its shoes so that Adidas could buy them to slap a few stripes on there.  Weird, right?

Well anyway, for a long time HTC was only an ODM, sending its unbranded phones to companies like Compaq, iMate, Audiovox, and even carrier branded phones from TMobile, and AT&T.  But recently, HTC started selling phones with its own logo on them, and has actually been quite successful so far.

This year HTC successfully launched a self branded campaign for its Touch Diamond, a hopeful competitor to the iPhone consumer.  Surprisingly, the Diamond has already sold a million units since launch, and it’s not even available in the states yet (but will be out on Sprint networks by the month’s end).

Later this year HTC will continue its self branded success with the highly anticipated (by me) launch of the Touch Pro (already out in Europe) a more powerful device with a full keyboard (QWERTY, plus a row of numbers… a previously unimagined concept).   Plus, almost out of nowhere, HTC announced last week the launch of the S740 (needs a better code name…) a device that should appeal to just about any Windows Mobile enthusiast.

With the iPhone aside (and yes, that’s a large “aside”), HTC only has a few competitors in the Smart/PDA-Phone market this year.  Mainly, the new Palm Treo Pro (which received the best reviews of any Palm phone in years), TMobile’s largely hyped Android-powered Dream (the Google Phone), or Sony’s uber-phone, the XPERIA (which may or may not be delayed until 2009).

But wait… HTC’s biggest competitors (again, aside from the iPhone) all have something strange in common…

As the story goes, HTC is in fact the ODM for the Palm Treo Pro, the TMobile Dream, AND the Sony XPERIA!

HTC’s biggest competition is itselft (aside from the iPhone…).  HTC as an OEM is competing with HTC the ODM.  Strange, but true, and either way HTC wins.

So even though the times might be changing, it’s good to see someone stand up to the iPhone.  Now all HTC needs is some Steve Jobs like marketing… then who knows what could happen.