Fun Canadian Facts about BlackBerry

We're a few hours away from the opening keynote here at BlackBerry World 2012  in Orlando and we will soon know what will be revealed. In the meantime, RIM has shared some fun Canadian Facts about BlackBerry.

• BlackBerry is the #1 smartphone in Canada (as per comScore, MobiLens in December 2011)
• In Canada, 9 out of 10 BlackBerry subscribers are active users of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger)
• BlackBerry PlayBook became the no. 1 selling tablet in Future Shop & Best Buy after the launch of OS 2.0 and after it was discounted accross the board.
• BlackBerry is the leading OS among 13 to 17 year olds in Canada with 40.7% of the smartphone market.
• BlackBerry is also the leading OS among 18 to 24 year-olds in Canada with almost 34% of the smartphone market.

Don't forget to check the live webcast of RIM CEO Thorsten Heins' Keynote at 9 AM Eastern. Stay tuned for my continued coverage of BlackBerry World 2012 today.

Brand Finance: Beleaguered BlackBerry Brand loses $1 Billion in value

The latest analysis from Brand Finance plc. demonstrates that most leading Canadian brands are continuing to recover from the recession, with sustained increases in brand value since January. The combined value of the top 10 Canadian brands has now reached $47.3bn. However this is still a billion dollars less than the value of the world's most valuable brand, Google ($48.3bn).

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Video: BlackBerry OS 7 Launch Event in Toronto, Bold 9900 demoed

It was a big day for RIM as they unveiled three new BlackBerry smartphones in downtown Toronto as well as their BlackBerry OS 7. See our video from the event showing the new BB Bold 9900 demoing its new interface, snazzy new touchscreen and the new NFC (Near Field Communication) feature as well.

RIM releases 3 new smartphones, debuts BlackBerry OS 7

 RIM just announced its long awaited new lineup of BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones. With more than 225 carriers around the world completing certification programs for the new devices, this will be RIM’s largest global launch ever. The new line consists of the following:

• BlackBerry Bold 9900 Series:
• BlackBerry Torch 9810:
• BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860: 

Through the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, users will enjoy a much smoother and faster BlackBerry experience: 

• Faster browsing
• Proprietary Liquid Graphics technology for seamless touch screen navigation
• Voice activated universal search
• New augmented reality experiences that can be seamlessly integrated with BBM 6
• A comprehensive list of pre-installed apps, including: BBM 6, BlackBerry® App World, BlackBerry Balance, BlackBerry Protect, and more.