Deep discounts bolster BlackBerry PlayBook sales, study finds

Research In Motion announced last week that it will take a $485 million charge in the third fiscal quarter due to poor sales of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor shipped 500,000 PlayBook tablets to retail partners during the slate’s first quarter of availability and just 200,000 units in the second fiscal quarter. Last quarter, RIM shipped just 150,000 units into sales channels. A string of big sales ahead of the holidays this year is apparently going a long way to clear unsold inventory however, and one study suggests adoption may have jumped by nearly 50% during Black Friday weekend. Read on for more.

Ad network Chitika on Tuesday published the findings of a traffic monitoring study that focused on impressions served to RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet between November 14th and November 30th. Beginning on November 22nd — and even before that date in Canada — RIM announced that select retail partners would offer the PlayBook tablet at a steep $300 discount, making the entry-level 16GB just $199.99. Starting in the early afternoon on Black Friday, impressions served by Chitika to PlayBook tablets began to climb.

Shortly after noon on Monday, traffic to PlayBook tablets saw a huge spike before leveling off on Tuesday. Even after stabilizing, however, PlayBook traffic was up about 46% over average levels before the holiday shopping weekend.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is the first device from RIM to feature the vendor’s new QNX-based operating system. While RIM’s debut tablet has not fared well in the market for a variety of reasons including a lack of native PIM support, we liked the slate as it compares to competitive offerings and found the UI to be a good fit for a tablet. RIM’s first smartphone to feature the QNX-based OS, now called BBX, is now on schedule to launch in the second half next year.

Verizon DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and DROID XYBOARD 8.2 tablets to launch this month

Verizon Wireless on Tuesday officially announced the DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and the XYBOARD 8.2, otherwise known as the Motorola XOOM 2 and XOOM 2 Media Edition tablets. Aside from different sized IPS displays, both devices offer support for Verizon Wireless’s 4G LTE network and are equipped with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording HD video, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi support and the ability to share a 4G LTE connection with other Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The tablets will ship with Android Honeycomb installed but will eventually be upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The 16GB DROID XYBOARD 10.1 starts at $529.99 with a new two-year contract, but 32GB and 64GB models will also be available. The DROID XYBOARD 8.2 will come in 16GB and 32GB capacities and pricing will start at $429.99 with a new two-year contract. Both tablets will be available from Verizon Wireless this month. Verizon’s full press release follows after the break.

VERIZON WIRELESS AND MOTOROLA MOBILITY INTRODUCE NEXT-GENERATION DROID XYBOARD TABLETS ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK

New Tablets Elevate Customers into an Unprecedented Realm of Communication, Entertainment and Productivity; Verizon Wireless Also Offering New DROID RAZR^™ by Motorola in White, Just in Time for the Holidays

BASKING RIDGE, N.J, and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) and Verizon Wireless today introduced two new additions to the DROID family to deliver new and unparalleled experiences on America’s fastest, most reliable 4G network, the DROID XYBOARD tablets.  The two new DROID tablets present new options for consumers looking to stay connected, productive and entertained.  Additionally, Verizon Wireless will debut the trendsetting DROID RAZR^™ by Motorola in a flashy new white color, a unique gift for the winter holidays.  All three products will be upgraded to Android^™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The new DROID XYBOARD tablets both boast the blazing speeds of Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network and the power of dual-core 1.2 GHz processors, 1 GB of RAM and MotoCast^™ for remote access to non DRM-protected music, pictures, videos and documents stored on work or home computers’ hard drives.  Both are equipped with scratch-resistant displays that use Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass to stay brilliant and a coating of water-repellent nanoparticles makes them resistant to accidental spills and splashes.

Lighter than a paperback book and thinner than an AAA battery, the DROID XYBOARD tablets feature Android^™ 3.2 Honeycomb, brilliant high-definition displays with wide viewing angles, magnesium-reinforced bodies with aluminum housing and super portable form-factors.  Both tablets offer robust Business Ready features, including enterprise-grade security and apps such as Quickoffice HD^® for document editing and creation, Citrix^® GoToMeeting^™ for productivity and collaboration and Google Talk^™ for video conferencing.

The DROID XYBOARD 10.1 is optimized for productivity with stylus support for easy notetaking and markup using a precision tip stylus, included in the box. The XYBOARD 8.2 is perfect for portable entertainment with 2.1 adaptive virtual surround sound and a high-definition display for enjoying Netflix^™ movies in up to HD quality, concert-like music and serious gaming.  Powered by the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and 8.2 customers can soar through the Web at blazing speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps within 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas.

Additional features for DROID XYBOARD tablets:

·         10.1-inch and 8.2-inch high-definition In-Plane Switching (IPS) display for DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and DROID XYBOARD 8.2 respectively

·         Mobile Hotspot Capability – share 4G LTE connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices

·         5-megapixel rear-facing HD cameras with digital zoom, autofocus and LED flash,  optimized for capturing the moment

·         1.3-megapixel HD front-facing cameras perfect for video chatting with friends and family

·         Dijit^™ app allows DROID XYBOARD tablets to double as a universal remote control with an electronic programming guide for TVs, Blu-ray Disc^™ players, digital video records (DVR), and most other consumer electronics

·         Support for Google^™ Mobile Services including Gmail^™, YouTube^™, Google Talk, Google Search^™, Google Maps™ and access to millions of books from Google Books^™

·         Supports a wide array of separately purchased accessories including an HD station for connecting to speakers and a larger screen, an HD dock to send content via HDMI out to HDTVs and home theater speaker systems and a stylish portfolio with Bluetooth^®-enabled keyboard and mouse

·         Wi-Fi Connectivity (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Pricing:

·         Both DROID XYBOARD tablets will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com this month.

·         The DROID XYBOARD 10.1 will be available in three models: 16 GB for $529.99, 32 GB for $629.99 and 64 GB for $729.99 all with a new two-year customer agreement.

·         The DROID XYBOARD 8.2 will be available in two models: 16 GB for $429.99 and 32 GB for $529.99 both with a new two-year customer agreement.

·         Customers that purchase a DROID XYBOARD tablet will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband data plan starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

• DROID RAZR in white will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com this month for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.  Customers that purchase a DROID RAZR will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Special promotion:

·         Customers will receive $100 off a DROID XYBOARD tablet and $50 off select Motorola accessories for a limited time when a customer purchases a DROID RAZR by Motorola with a new two-year customer agreement.

Verizon blocks Google Wallet on Galaxy Nexus

No sale: Verizon will apparently launch its Galaxy Nexus without Google Wallet enabled.

Verizon's Galaxy Nexus is expected to launch in the coming weeks without Google Wallet, at the carrier's request.

The phone, which was developed by Samsung in partnership with Google, will debut with the Web giant's mobile payments system disabled by Verizon's choice, a Google spokesman told CNET, confirming a story first reported by Computerworld.

"Verizon asked us not to include this functionality in the product," a Google representative told CNET.

It's unknown whether that omission is related to Isis, a partnership Verizon Wireless formed with AT&T and T-Mobile USA in an attempt to enter the mobile payments business.

Verizon Wireless representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While several other companies have announced plans to launch their own digital wallets, Google was the first to market. Google's service, which launched in September, allows owners of Android smartphones equipped with NFC (near-field communications) technology to tap or swipe their phones to make purchases.

Sprint is the only carrier partner currently offering the service (mainly because it's the only carrier offering the Nexus S 4G), but more carriers are expected to offer the service as more NFC-equipped smartphones come on the market.

Meanwhile, Isis is working on a different approach, offering a neutral platform that serves as a foundation for other parties such as retailers, credit card issuers, and payment networks that can plug in and offer their own services to their customers. Isis, which doesn't access any of the customer data, is expected to launch next year.

This development is likely to disappoint many Android fans who had been looking forward to the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, which will be the first handset on the market to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Kindle Fire offers ‘disappointingly poor’ user experience, UI expert says

User interface expert Dr. Jakob Nielsen, who describes himself as an author, researcher and consultant on user interfaces, recently studied the user experience of the Kindle Fire and dubbed it “disappointingly poor.” Nielsen said the lack of physical buttons impeded the reading experience, the device was too heavy and was “unpleasant to hold for long periods of time,” and while there was potential for a good magazine reading experience, Nielsen said the result was “miserable.” Nielsen even proposes a bit of a conspiracy theory to why the web browsing experience on the Kindle Fire might be inferior to other devices. “If I were given to conspiracy theories, I’d say that Amazon deliberately designed a poor web browsing user experience to keep Fire users from shopping on competing sites,” he said. “Amazon’s own built-in shopping app has great usability, so they clearly know how to design for the tablet.”

iPhone 4S best-selling phone at three top U.S. carriers in November, Samsung sales strong

Apple’s iPhone 4S was the best-selling smartphone at Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint in November according to a report released Monday night by Canaccord Genuity. According to checks performed by analyst Mike Walkley and his team, Apple’s iPhone 4S remained a top-seller across the board while Samsung’s Galaxy S II picked up momentum ahead of the holidays. Samsung’s flagship handset was the top-selling smartphone at T-Mobile and it jumped up into the No.2 spot at AT&T. Sprint’s Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch was the second best-selling smartphone at Sprint as well in November, and Motorola’s DROID RAZR was No.2 at Verizon Wireless. Read on for more.

(click to enlarge)

“IPhone 4S sales strength continues as distribution increases – Our November checks indicated iPhone sales remained strong in the US, particularly at AT&T and Sprint. Further, our checks indicated strong global share gains,” Walkley wrote. “With the iPhone 4S launching in new markets including China, Brazil, and Russia during December, we anticipate strong December quarter iPhone sales and have increased our estimate from 29.0 to 30.5M units.”

The analyst also noted that Apple’s iPad 2 is still the world’s top-selling tablet, though he did lower his unit sales estimates to 13 million in the December quarter, down from an earlier estimate of 14 million units.

HTC lost share in November according to Walkley, in line with the expectations set last month when the Taiwan-based vendor cut its fourth-quarter forecast. “Our November checks indicated weaker sales trends for both RIM and HTC, consistent with negative pre-announcements from both companies, as we believe weak trends are company-specific for both OEMs rather than indications of a weaker smartphone macro,” he wrote in his report. “Our checks indicated HTC has lost significant share at all four US carriers following the iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S II launches.”

Walkley’s checks also indicated that sales of BlackBerry smartphones in the U.S. slowed significantly in November, with the high-end Bold 9900 in particular showing slowed adoption. “Following early strength for the Bold 9900, our checks indicated BlackBerry sales slowed significantly during November due to high-end smartphone share losses combined with lower-priced Nokia feature-phones and sub-$200 Android smartphones adversely impacting BlackBerry sales in emerging markets,” Walkley said.

How to find out if Carrier IQ is installed on your phone in one tap

Carrier IQ, the vendor and carrier-installed rootkit software pulled into the spotlight last month by security researcher Trevor Eckhart, has caused quite a stir. Carriers including AT&T and Sprint use the software as a means of collecting data logs that might help them identify and address connectivity problems and other issues, but the software’s covert nature and wide range of snooping capabilities make it a concern. The good news is that detecting the software on your Android phone couldn’t be easier thanks to a new app from Bitdefender called Carrier IQ Finder. Read on for more.

Android phone users can install Carrier IQ Finder [Android Market link] from within the Market for free. Once the app is installed on your smartphone, simply tap the icon to open it and you’ll know in less than a second if your handset has the Carrier IQ software installed.

The bad news, however, is there’s precious little you can do about it at that point if you’re afraid your carrier might use the software to spy on you. The two main options — install Eckhart’s removal tool Logging TestApp Pro Key [Android Market link], or install a third-party ROM — each require you to root your device, which could lead to problems if attempted by less savvy smartphone users. With the Carrier IQ related lawsuits beginning to pour in though, carriers may soon issue software updates that remove the tool from their handsets in an effort to curtail damages.

Carrier IQ software is installed by carriers in an effort to “collect enough information to understand the customer experience with devices on our network and how to devise solutions to use and connection problems,” according to Carrier IQ’s website. The software logs a tremendous amount of sensitive data however, and it gives carriers access to all or most of it. Exactly how each carrier uses the software remains something of a mystery, but expect plenty of light to be shed on the software in the coming weeks and months as Carrier IQ falls under the microscope.