Posted on October 28, 2009, at 10:55 am .
Now that Indonesia and Singapore have such devices as the Curve 8520, Bold and Storm, App World is the next obvious move.
Users from these countries were elated when we posted about How to Get Free Apps from App World in Any Country, but now they can do it legitimately and get paid apps as well.
According to the press release, users can find applications “specifically built for the region.” Some Indonesia specific apps include Taxi Indonesia Dialer, Makan and Caripromo. Users from Singapore will enjoy applications such as iCab SG. Foyage, Spionard and Pintas are also available for users in both Indonesia and Singapore.
Posted on September 30, 2009, at 10:09 am .
Not too long ago BlackBerry Cool published an article regarding the success of RIM in Indonesia. The article highlighted the fact that the BlackBerry is popular for two main reasons: its price point and its brand reputation.
Data from Indonesia’s largest mobile advertising network, InMobi, confirms the above notion that BlackBerry is beating iPhone in Indonesia, a country home to over 237 million people. From January 2009 to June 2009, mobile ad requests on Blackberry phones increased by 842%, compared to mobile ad requests on Indonesia iPhones, which increased only by 205%. See the above graph for a better picture of how the two devices differ in usage.
For RIM to further succeed in Indonesia and the rest of the developing world, they are going to have to launch more low-end devices. While the 8520 did an excellent job of satisfying some of the demand for a cheaper smartphone, there is still plenty of opportunity for an even cheaper device. A BlackBerry with the most basic of functionality would still provide a smartphone experience the developing world would cherish.
Posted on September 15, 2009, at 11:58 am .
Inside the Roxy Mas IT Mall. Roxy Mas is the largest cell phone shopping mall in Indonesia. Hundreds of shops sell second-hand phones. [Courtesy]
Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands in Southeast Asia and has an estimated population of around 237 million people, making it the fourth most populous country in the world.
Back in 2004, RIM began selling BlackBerry devices through the country’s main provider Indosat and growth has been tremendous. In 2008, BlackBerry sales rose 550% year-on-year. There are now more than 350,000 users across the region, a number that could reach 1 million by the end of this year, according to Marc Einstein, an industry manager at research and consulting firm Frost and Sullivan.
While 1 million may seem insignificant compared to the estimated 28 million BlackBerry users worldwide, the growth rate and potential are enough to make Indonesia a very lucrative market.
While we’re on the subject of smartphone growth, the iPhone has been fairing very poorly in Indonesia. In developing countries and countries with a smaller GDP, price point is key. The iPhone doesn’t have the price flexibility that the BlackBerry does and therefore has seen only around 15,000 users in Indonesia, a relatively insignificant number.
Continue reading about the opportunities and challenges faced by RIM in Indonesia
Posted on March 2, 2009, at 11:33 am .
After I wrote about the BlackBerry Bold in Japan overheating, I got a swarm of emails from people saying they’ve had similar overheating problems in their home country. Here are some examples:
From Spain (about Romania):
The first time I traveled to Romania with my new Bold it got VERY hot. Also the battery was consumed in 2 or 3 hours. I was permanently charging it and at the same time it was getting hotter and hotter. Although there was able a 3G network I changed the mode to 2G. Then, the overheating problem disappeared and the battery become useful for 1.5 days. My point is the device had some troubles to connect properly with the local network and was permanently looking for a better signal consuming extra battery and producing hot.
From Singapore:
I brought my bb bold a month ago & experience overheating yesterday. The battery just drain off and it felt very hot. I m staying in singapore. Is it a battery problem. I believe oem battery may be a problem instead of device.
From America about Indonesia:
I bought a Telstra bold in Indonesia, with firmware 4.6.0.144. I was having trouble with the radio losing signal even in high signal areas. I upgraded to firmware 4.6.0.190 and started to experience heading problems around the center of the unit and rapid battery depletion. I upgraded further to firmware 4.6.0.216 and the problem went away.
Thanks for all your emails!
If you have experienced overheating, comment with details about what happened and where you were at the time.
UPDATE: I just got another email, this one from Australia:
I am comms admin for an Australian business, we just upgraded some of our users to new blackberry bold’s and guess what? They are overheating like cakes and shutdown by it self and you can never switch them back on again till after a long time waiting.
Posted on September 4, 2008, at 8:49 am .
Sorry Americans, I know this stuff just makes you rip out even more clumps of hair, but the world must know that Indosat, Celcom, Bouygues, and TELE2TANGO all plan on packing the BlackBerry 9000. It might actually be a bit of a relief, as many won’t have the Bold available until mid- to late- September, which is the rumoured AT&T release date. You won’t be alone guys, just hang in there. Here are the details…
(via RIM)
Posted on August 26, 2008, at 8:04 am .
The latest report from mobile advertising agency AdMob ran through some numbers based on the four billion ads they’ve served up. As you can see, Nokia remains top dog in mobile browsing activity, capturing a solid 34% of the global share thanks primarily to heavy adoption in Africa and Asia, followed up closely by Openwave (AKA WAP) at 29%. BlackBerry took a sad little 3% slice of the pie, right along side Motorola, Palm’s and Apple’s browsers. The BlackBerry 8300 and BlackBerry 8100 are still on the American Top Ten handsets list, though the top four spots are taken by Motorola. Even internationally, the Pearl does alright, getting 9th. place. In terms of geography, Indonesia has seen about ten times more traffic than last year, and Asia on the whole has seen a significant increase in activity.
(AdMob via Electronista)
Posted on August 15, 2008, at 10:00 am .
Indonesian carrier Indosat recently launched some nice prepaid options for week- and month-long BlackBerry service. It’s all-you-can-thumb internet browsing, e-mail, instant messaging and whatever else you want to do with your data, just remember that it doesn’t count SMS, voice or tethering. The 7-day deal will cost 50,000 rupiahs (or $3.50), and the 30-day prepaid service goes for 175,000 rupiahs (or $20). For travelers with an unlocked BlackBerry, this is a pretty sweet deal, and even local users who only need occasional data use, the plan could come in handy. Head on over here for more info on Indosat’s BlackBerry On Demand service, or text “BIS1 BB” and your BlackBerry model number to 889 to get started.
(Slashphone via Engadget)
Posted on June 6, 2008, at 11:54 am .
Coming straight out of Jakarta this morning, RIM and Telkomsel, Indonesia’s largest carrier announced a new prepaid BIS option for the world’s largest archipelagic state. The solution allows customers to activate BlackBerry Internet Service easily via SMS, with service automatically disabled if there is insufficient credit in the account.
The prepaid BlackBerry Internet Service from Telkomsel is available via an unlimited package with a tariff of Rp/ 180,000 per month. For more information, go to: www.telkomsel.com
(via RIM)
Read the full press release after the jump
Posted on November 9, 2007, at 9:36 am .
One of Indonesia’s bigger carriers, Indosat, has announced that they’ll be carrying the BlackBerry 8800 and the BlackBerry 8300. Although there are 8310s landing elsewhere, the old Curves are still a great option for carriers looking to kick-start their BlackBerry game, and provide a solid foundation to release incremental upgrades after they’ve dropped in price internationally. The 8800 and 8300 join the Pearl on Indosat’s lineup, completing the usual tri-pronged BlackBerry attack on consumer, prosumer and enterprise markets.
Posted on June 6, 2007, at 11:55 am .
Bango released a report today on mobile web usage, revealing the U.S. has tripled its numbers in the last year.
According to Bango data, the top five countries accessing the mobile web via Bango in April 2007 are the UK at 27%, the US at 21%, South Africa at 11%, India at 9% and Indonesia at 3%.
Not that India needs any more wireless news, but apparently 9% of all mobile page views come from India, and is rising at a rate set to overtake Europe’s in a couple of years. The report highlights flat data rates as a big push factor for mobile web browsing, and forecasts a drop in flat data rates in the US in order to remain competitive, not that we’d ever suggest that there’s something wrong Canadian rates.
