Apple announced on Monday that it will launch its wildly popular third-generation iPad tablet in 21 additional countries this month. Beginning on April 20th, the new iPad will be available in South Korea, Malaysia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and eight more countries. Then on April 27th, the device will launch in Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel and five additional countries. Apple confirmed in March that it sold more than 3 million iPad tablets during the device’s first four days of availability. The company’s full press release follows below.

New iPad Arrives in South Korea & 11 Additional Countries This Week

CUPERTINO, California―April 16, 2012―Apple® today announced the new iPad®, the third generation of its category defining mobile device, will arrive in South Korea and 11 additional countries on Friday, April 20. The new iPad features a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video. The new iPad still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light.

In addition to South Korea, the new iPad also will be available beginning on Friday, April 20 in Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela. Beginning on Friday, April 27, the new iPad will be available in Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand.

The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The iPad Wi-Fi + 4G models will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model.** The new iPad will be sold through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com) and select Apple Authorized Resellers. Additionally, iPad 2 is available at a more affordable price starting at just $399.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

**4G LTE is supported only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the U.S. and on Bell, Rogers and Telus networks in Canada. Data plans sold separately.

Best Buy on Friday reported weaker than expected revenue for the five weeks ended December 31st, 2011. The company noted $8.4 billion in revenue, which was flat compared to the same period last year but included a comparable store sales decline of 1.2%. The company’s international segment generated $1.9 billion in revenue, a 1.7% decrease and a 4.3% drop off in store sales. Its domestic segment generated $6.5 billion in revenue, which was up 0.4% from the same period last year but it also represented a 0.4% drop in store sales. Read on for more.

“Based on our performance in December we continue to expect to achieve our annual guidance, despite customer traffic that was lower than expected until the last week before Christmas, which resulted in December revenue that was slightly lower than our expectations,” Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said. “The actions we have taken during the year to improve our performance online and in key connectable products such as tablets, eReaders and smart phones continued to deliver strong growth in December.”

Cell phones helped drive domestic revenue and mobile-related store sales increased 20% over December of last year. Domestic tablet and eReader store sales jumped into the low triple-digits and domestic online channel sales increased 26%. Best Buy’s full press release follows below.

Best Buy Reports December Revenue of $8.4 Billion

Continued strong growth online and in connected products including mobile phones, tablets and eReaders
Company reaffirms fiscal 2012 EPS guidance range

Fiscal 2012 December Revenue Summary
(U.S. dollars in billions)
	Revenue		Revenue % Change		Fiscal Dec. 2012  Comparable Store Sales % Change(1)		Fiscal Dec.  2011  Comparable Store Sales % Change(1)
Total company	$8.4		0.0%		(1.2%)		(4.0%)
Domestic segment	$6.5		0.4%		(0.4%)		(5.0%)
International segment	$1.9		(1.7%)		(4.3%)		(0.1%)

December Highlights

• Domestic segment online channel sales increased 26 percent
• Domestic segment tablets and eReaders comparable store sales each increased low triple-digits
• Domestic segment mobile phones comparable store sales increased 20 percent

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 6, 2012 — Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY), a leading multi-channel global retailer and developer of technology products and services, today reported revenue for the five weeks ended Dec. 31, 2011, of $8.4 billion, which was flat compared to the prior-year period and included a comparable store sales decline of 1.2 percent.

“We built off of share gains in the third quarter to deliver December sales that we believe compared favorably to the retail CE industry,” said Brian J. Dunn, CEO of Best Buy. “Based on our performance in December we continue to expect to achieve our annual guidance, despite customer traffic that was lower than expected until the last week before Christmas, which resulted in December revenue that was slightly lower than our expectations. The actions we have taken during the year to improve our performance online and in key connectable products such as tablets, eReaders and smart phones continued to deliver strong growth in December. I want to thank our employees for their significant dedication to serving our customers during this key holiday period.”

The company’s Domestic segment generated $6.5 billion in revenue for fiscal December, an increase of 0.4 percent when compared with the prior-year period. The Domestic segment’s revenue performance was driven by the addition of new stores in the past 12 months, partially offset by a comparable store sales decline of 0.4 percent. Domestic segment areas of comparable store sales growth included tablets and mobile phones within the Computing & Mobile Phones revenue category, eReaders within the Consumer Electronics revenue category, and the Appliances revenue category. Tablets and eReaders each delivered low triple-digit comparable store sales gains during the month. Mobile phones had a 20 percent comparable store sales increase during the month, driven by strong smart phone sales. These increases were more than offset by comparable store sales declines in other areas, including gaming within the Entertainment revenue category and digital imaging within the Consumer Electronics revenue category. Gaming and digital imaging both experienced low double-digit declines in comparable store sales. The company noted that televisions experienced a mid single-digit comparable store sales decline within the Consumer Electronics revenue category. The company also noted that overall Domestic segment inventory levels finished fiscal December in line with its expectations.

The Domestic segment online channel delivered a 26 percent revenue increase compared to the prior-year period, driven by a strong traffic increase and momentum from share gains achieved in November.

The International segment’s fiscal December revenue totaled $1.9 billion, a decrease of 1.7 percent versus the prior-year period. The revenue decline was driven primarily by a comparable store sales decline of 4.3 percent and unfavorable fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, partially offset by the addition of new stores in the past 12 months. The International segment comparable store sales decline was driven by comparable store sales declines in our stores in Canada and Europe. Sales results for all countries in the International segment other than Canada are reported on a two-month lag.

Company Reaffirms Fiscal 2012 Annual EPS Guidance Range 
The company is confirming its annual adjusted diluted EPS guidance in the range of $3.35 to $3.65 as previously disclosed in its press release dated December 13, 2011. This guidance includes the estimated impact from fiscal 2012 share repurchases and excludes the gain on the sale of investments and previously announced charges, which are comprised of the purchase of CPW’s share of the Best Buy Mobile profit share agreement, a non-cash impairment charge to reflect the write-down of Best Buy Europe goodwill, restructuring charges (primarily associated with U.K. big-box store closures) and other related charges.

The company’s annual guidance reflects basic EPS loss calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) in the range of ($3.52) to ($3.17). This loss is primarily driven by charges attributable to Best Buy outlined above which total approximately $2.6 billion in fiscal 2012. Please see table titled “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Guidance” attached to this release for further details.

(1) Best Buy’s comparable store sales is comprised of revenue at stores, call centers, and Web sites operating for at least 14 full months as well as  revenue related to other comparable sales channels. Relocated, remodeled and expanded stores are excluded from the comparable store sales calculation until at least 14 full months after reopening. Acquired stores are included in the comparable store sales calculation beginning with the first full quarter following the first anniversary of the date of the acquisition. The portion of the calculation of the comparable store sales percentage change attributable to the International segment excludes the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The method of calculating comparable store sales varies across the retail industry. As a result, Best Buy’s method of calculating comparable store sales may not be the same as other retailers’ methods.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements:
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that reflect management’s current views and estimates regarding future market conditions, company performance and financial results, business prospects, new strategies, the competitive environment and other events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “project,” “guidance,” “plan,” “outlook,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the potential results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements are the following: general economic conditions, changes in consumer preferences, credit market constraints, acquisitions and development of new businesses, divestitures, product availability, sales volumes, pricing actions and promotional activities of competitors, profit margins, weather, natural or man-made disasters, changes in law or regulations, foreign currency fluctuation, availability of suitable real estate locations, the company’s ability to react to a disaster recovery situation, the impact of labor markets and new product introductions on overall profitability, failure to achieve anticipated benefits of announced transactions and integration challenges relating to new ventures, consummation of the transaction with Carphone Warehouse Group plc and unanticipated costs associated with previously announced or future restructuring activities. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the company’s annual report and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Best Buy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 25, 2011. Best Buy cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete, and any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Best Buy assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement that it may make.

SIMPLE Mobile recently introduced two new international calling plans. Customers can now opt to sign up for a $10 unlimited international long distance plan or a $10 pay-as-you-go option. The $10 monthly unlimited plan allows customers to place calls to more than 50 countries including to Canada, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The $10 pay-as-you-go option can be used to place calls to any country in the world at low per-minute rates, and the full list is available on SIMPLE Mobile’s website. The carrier also noted that international text messaging is included. “We continue to offer free international text messaging with all our current plans and our totally new international calling plans are the perfect compliment to that feature,” SIMPLE Mobile senior vice president of marketing Tim Garrett said. “The majority of SIMPLE Mobile customers have friends and family outside of the US, so these upgrades will definitely appeal to them.” Simple Mobile’s full press release follows after the break.

SIMPLE Mobile® Launches New Unlimited International Long Distance Plan To Revolutionize The Industry

Irvine, CA ­ (December 22, 2011) ­ SIMPLE Mobile®

(www.mysimplemobile.com) is shaking up the wireless world again by offering two new international long distance options. New and existing SIMPLE Mobile users can upgrade their unlimited domestic calling plans with the company’s new $10 Unlimited International Long Distance or $10 Pay-As-You-Go International Flexibility supplemental features. As with all of SIMPLE Mobile¹s plans, unlimited international text messaging is also included.

The $10 Unlimited International Long Distance Plan is ideal for those people who frequently make international calls to any of the more than 50 countries the plan is compatible with, including Mexico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. For people looking to make calls to a broader range of countries, the $10 Pay-As-You-Go International Flexibility Plan offers amazing rates to every country worldwide. A full list of countries and features supported through international calling plans is available online at http://www.mysimplemobile.com/ILD.

“We continue to offer free international text messaging with all our current plans and our totally new international calling plans are the perfect compliment to that feature,² commented Tim Garrett, SVP of Marketing for SIMPLE Mobile, ³The majority of SIMPLE Mobile customers have friends and family outside of the US, so these upgrades will definitely appeal to them. The revolutionary $10 Unlimited and Pay-As-You-Go options can cover our customers¹ international calling needs through the same dependable, hassle free style of wireless service SIMPLE Mobile has been providing them with domestically.”

More information on SIMPLE Mobile and the company¹s unlimited

wireless plans can be found online at http://www.mysimplemobile.com.

International Long Distance service provided by Elite Telecom. To see complete Terms & Conditions and determine eligibility to principle cities and landline destinations, visit www.mysimplemobile.com/ildterms

About SIMPLE Mobile

SIMPLE Mobile® (http://www.mysimplemobile.com) is, well, simple. They offer the hottest new unlimited wireless service, outstanding.

Apple recently posted a support page with information about the international rollout of iTunes Match and iTunes in the Cloud. iTunes Match is now officially available in 17 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. However, 9to5Mac points out that users in other countries such as Brazil have noticed that iTunes Match is working. Apple also provided information on the international markets in which it has rolled out iTunes in the Cloud. There are more than 120 countries in total although unlike the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia, most countries do not feature broad support for repeated downloads of music, music videos, TV shows apps or books. Apple customers in Algeria, for example, can only re-download books and apps.

[Via 9to5Mac]

Read

Samsung on Thursday unveiled two new dual-SIM smartphones, the Galaxy Y Duos and the Galaxy Y Pro Duos. A phone with two SIM card slots offers a number of benefits; it’s perfect for two people hoping to share a single phone in emerging markets, but it’s also great for business travelers that want to use one account for personal matters and a second as a business line. The Galaxy Y Duos runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and has a processor clocked at 832MHz and a 3-megapixel camera. The Galaxy Y Pro Duos offers similar specs but has a smaller 2.6-inch display and a full QWERTY keyboard. Both phones will initially launch in Russia. The Galaxy Y Duos will then roll out into Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southeast and Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Africa and China. The Galaxy Y Pro Duos will launch in Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southwest Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Samsung’s full press release follows after the break.

Balance work and play with GALAXY Y DUOS and GALAXY Y Pro DUOS

2011.12.22

Samsung adds Dual SIM smartphones into its GALAXY smartphone line-up

SEOUL, Korea – December 22, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the latest additions to the GALAXY smartphone series, Samsung GALAXY Y DUOS and Samsung GALAXY Y Pro DUOS. Beginning in January 2012, these new devices will be available in Russia, and GALAXY Y DUOS will be gradually rolled out to Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southeast and Southwest Asia, Middle East, Africa and China. GALAXY Y Pro DUOS will be coming to Europe, CIS, Latin America, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Africa.

GALAXY Y DUOS and GALAXY Y Pro DUOS feature a unique Dual SIM system that maximizes communication flexibility by allowing two separate phone numbers and a simultaneous use of data on the same device. Users who need to balance busy professional and social lives can access and seamlessly switch from one line to the other with GALAXY Y DUOS or GALAXY Y Pro DUOS.

“With the tremendous success of the Dual SIM feature phones, we are now very pleased to be introducing the first Dual SIM smartphones powered by Android™. “We have been actively exploring this market and are well aware of the need for Dual SIM smartphones,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “With the GALAXY Y DUOS and the GALAXY Y Pro DUOS, Samsung will be offering more choices for all consumers.”

Samsung’s First Full Touch Smartphone with Dual SIM, GALAXY Y DUOS
GALAXY Y DUOS is for young and practical consumers who want to manage their professional career and busy social life with affordable price. Beyond the flexibility of its dual SIM card system, GALAXY Y DUOS is a beautifully designed smartphone contained in a 11.98mm polished metallic casing. Its ergonomic design is complemented by a 3.14” full touch display that provides optimal legibility for a smartphone of its size.

Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and running on a powerful 832MHz processor, GALAXY Y DUOS offers advanced performance and versatility needed to successfully manage busy professional and social lifestyles.

GALAXY Y DUOS also provides users with multiple options to enrich their social lives. It features ChatON, Samsung’s unique cross-platform communication service that connects all mobile users into a single community. Users can also stay connected through Social Hub, which supports email, social network integration and instant messaging, displaying all of your communication in a single inbox.

Samsung’s First QWERTY Smartphone with Dual SIM, GALAXY Y Pro DUOS
Samsung is also introducing GALAXY Y Pro DUOS, which offers additional benefits for young professionals with the combination of a full QWERTY keyboard with a 2.6” display, giving them more business-friendly experience with better flexibility and usability.

GALAXY Y Pro DUOS offers enhanced productivity with the inclusion of Polaris and Find My Mobile professional tools. Polaris offers easy viewing and editing of a wide range of Office documents, enabling you to work with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and even PDF files while on-the-move. Samsung’s Find My Mobile Service ensures peace-of-mind by letting users remotely lock the phone at anytime, as well as trace the phone or remotely wipe its contents in case of loss or theft.

The users can also enjoy Social Hub Premium, offering support for push email and messaging, and seamless calendar and contact synchronization between the phone and users’ Google, Yahoo and MSN accounts.

AT&T recently launched its new “AT&T Call International” VoIP application that, exactly as its name implies, allows its customers to place international phone calls from their AT&T’s phones using a Wi-Fi connection anywhere in the world. AT&T’s per-minute VoIP rates are cheaper than its international roaming plans and, judging from AT&T’s product page, calls placed to wireline phones appear to be more affordable than those placed to wireless phones. Customers will be billed for calls placed through the app directly on their credit cards at the end of each monthly billing cycle. AT&T Call International is available for free from the Android Market, BlackBerry App World and in Apple’s iOS App Store.  

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read

Spurred by the iPhone 4S launch, several analysts expect sales of Apple’s iPhone lineup to explode during the fourth quarter of this year. “The timing of the 70 [international] launches could have some impact on sales ahead of the launch, the US/International split, and hence, our estimates look conservative,” UBS analyst Maynard Um said in a recent note to investors. “A similar 27.5 percent U.S. / 72.5 percent international split from this quarter would imply 42.5 million units in CY4Q or an upside of 14.5 million iPhones.” Apple shipped 17.1 million iPhones during the fiscal fourth quarter, and the lower-than-expected sales were blamed on rumors and anticipation ahead of the iPhone 4S launch. Um predicts a huge turnaround for Apple in the fourth calendar quarter, and of course he isn’t alone. The “resoundingly successful” iPhone 4S launch is expected to result in a big holiday season for the Cupertino-based company, Ticonderoga Securities said in a recent note.

Google updated its Translate application for Android devices on Thursday with support for 11 additional languages as part of a major update. The application will now translate and speak English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Russian and Turkish. Google originally launched the conversation feature of Google Translate in January of this year and subsequently added support for Japanese in the wake of the country’s earthquake and tsunami crisis. Users can speak words and then correct them, if there was an error, before the phone speaks them in the translated language. The text translation aspect of Google Translate offers support for 63 different languages. A video of the application in action follows after the break. 

Thanks, Grizzly

Read

Beginning on September 18th, AT&T will offer a new $25 GoPhone prepaid plan that will include 250 minutes and unlimited messaging. Starting on the same day, customers can opt to sign up for a new $10 international long distance plan that offers 250 minutes of calling to more than 50 countries. The minutes for both plans expire after 30 days. GoPhone customers will also be able to roam in Canada at a rate of $0.39 per minute. Text messages in Canada will cost $0.25 per message sent and $0.20 per message received. AT&T currently offers thirty different GoPhone devices ranging from basic handsets to more advanced Android or Windows Phone-powered smartphones. The plans do not require a contract and unsubsidized phone prices range from $19.99 on the low-end to $500 on the high-end.

Prepaid Calling Never Looked So Good: New $25 Monthly GoPhone Plan

AT&T Customers Can Also Choose New $10 International Long Distance Package GoPhone Roaming Now Available in Canada

Dallas, Texas, September 12, 2011

Key Facts:

• Starting September 18, GoPhone customers can choose a $25 monthly plan which includes 250 nationwide voice minutes and unlimited, nationwide messaging every 30 days.
• Also starting September 18, AT&T* will begin offering a $10 International Long Distance package for prepaid customers which includes 250 minutes to over 50 countries for 30 days.
• GoPhone roaming now available in Canada.

Customer Benefits

GoPhone options are better than ever. AT&T’s prepaid customers can enjoy unlimited nationwide messaging and 250 minutes of domestic calling for $25 per month starting September 18. Earlier this year, AT&T launched an unlimited talk, text, and web plan for $50 per month with no long-term commitment (data not included on smartphones).

Also on September 18, customers can purchase a new international long distance feature—250 minutes of international calls to over 50 countries—for only $10 a month.

With the new $10 international long distance feature, minutes can be used to call international landline numbers to all countries on AT&T’s designated list. Calls to mobile numbers are included in Canada and a number of additional countries.

For more information, please visit att.com/gophoneintLD starting September 13.

GoPhone Roaming in Canada

GoPhone customers can now enjoy service as they travel to popular areas in Canada such as Montreal, Niagara Falls and Vancouver. Pricing includes:

• Voice – $.39 per minute (no surcharges)
• Text – $.25 per message sent, $.20 per message received

Quotes

“We’re constantly exploring ways to add value to the GoPhone user experience,” said Judy Cavalieri, vice president, Voice and Prepaid Products, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Being able to enhance roaming capabilities in Canada and offering affordable international long distance plans allow customers to enjoy the amenities of global travel with talk, messaging and data without ever having to worry about long-term commitments.”

GoPhone Portfolio

AT&T offers a broad selection of plans and handsets for prepaid customers. With options such as the LG Thrive™ — the first Android smartphone available for GoPhone users launched in April — AT&T is steadily adding to prepaid value. Quick messaging devices, feature phones and smartphones with no long-term contract, credit check, or deposit are available options of which customers may take advantage. Smartphones require a separate data package to access data/web services.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

The $25 Monthly Plan includes 250 nationwide airtime minutes and unlimited domestic text, Instant Messaging, picture and video messages for a charge of $25 every 30 days.  Nationwide airtime over the 250 minutes will be charged at 10 cents per minute.  Unused airtime minutes do not rollover. Minutes included in this plan may not be used for International calls.

The International Long Distance Package includes 250 minutes of international long distance service to landline numbers in specific countries for 30 days. The list of countries and details about making calls to international landline and mobile numbers can be found at att.com/gophoneintLD. Countries and/or call destinations not included on the list will be charged at standard pay per use rates for international long distance. For details on pay per use charges go to att.com/gointl.

Following first-quarter earnings that sent investors and the media into a tizzy, analyst coverage of RIM has been fairly monotone. The consensus? The company is doomed. Sure, there’s been an odd half-hearted vote of confidence here and there, but the majority of analyst coverage we’ve seen has been negative and investors are exiting en masse. In a 45-page report published last Tuesday, however, analysts at Macquarie Capital Markets paint a different picture of RIM’s business. Despite product delays and declining market share, the firm issued an Outperform rating and set a 12-month target on shares of RIM stock at $40. Read on to find out why.

Macquarie writes that while RIM took a beating in the key North American market last quarter, the company’s international performance in the fiscal first quarter grew 86% from the same quarter a year earlier. The firm sees continued success for RIM in several markets, citing a variety of advantages including lower handset costs and subsidies for BlackBerry devices versus the competition, a reluctance to push the iPhone in numerous markets for fear of cannibalizing texting revenue, and even spectrum and network capacity restraints at international carriers that spur the need for devices with minimal data consumption — an area where BlackBerry phones shine.

“Buyside and sellside capitulation creates an opportunity for long-term value investors to own a high quality tech name at a compelling valuation,” Macquarie’s report reads. It continues, “We believe comparisons to Nokia or Nortel are unfounded. Device revenue outside of North America should grow 81% y/y in Q2, led by Indonesia, Thailand and Latin America. We expect, even with international device revenue slowing to just 3.6% in F13, which could prove overly bearish, services growth will continue. The company should exit the year with $3.4bln of cash (after buyback) and no debt, despite the shortfall in earnings.”

Macquarie sees RIM’s enterprise business and the company’s growth in international markets as having the potential to carry the company forward for longer than other firms expect. ”RIM’s numerous challenges have been well documented in recent downgrades, earnings reports and press articles: delayed product launches, insufficient and misallocated R&D, poor management reaction to changing industry trends, subpar communication with investors, strengthening competition, falling ASPs, and ineffective CEO and Board structure ring the loudest,” Macquarie’s report notes. “We view these risks, both self-inflicted and structural, as formidable but not yet insurmountable. We believe that RIM’s international business and its software and services segments have a longer tail than many shareholders expect and that current share prices already imply negative value for the US device and tablet businesses.”

With 12.9% of the global smartphone market last quarter according to Gartner, RIM is still the No. 3 smartphone vendor in the world behind Nokia (25.5%) and Apple (16.8%). RIM is also the No. 3 smartphone vendor in North America behind Apple (27.1%) and HTC (18.6%), though the firm’s share has plummeted from 41.3% in the first quarter of 2010 to 16.5% last quarter.

On Tuesday AT&T officially announced that its customers can now sign up for a $50 unlimited GoPhone plan that includes unlimited text, talk, and web for $50 per month. AT&T’s GoPhone option does not require a contract and it also allows customers to text Mexico, Canada, and 100 other countries at no additional cost. AT&T’s new pricing is a considerable drop from the original $60 per month GoPhone option, which just provided unlimited talk and text.Read on for the full release.

Prepaid Calling Just Got Better: Nationwide Unlimited Talk, Text & Web Plan Now Available for $50

AT&T Customers Can Save More Than 20% With No Long-term Commitment Starting June 26

Dallas, Texas, June 21, 2011

Key Facts

• Consumers can sign up for an unlimited talk, text and web nationwide GoPhone^® plan for $50 per month starting on June 26 with AT&T* — a savings of more than 20%.
• Plan includes unlimited text and instant messaging to Mexico, Canada and 100 additional countries.
• Customers can apply this new GoPhone plan to quick messaging phones such the Pantech P7040p, available for purchase on the same day for $59.99.
• Available to new and existing GoPhone customers with a feature phone.

Customer Benefits

AT&T GoPhone customers can now take advantage of a new unlimited talk, text and web nationwide plan for $50 per month. Unlimited text and instant messaging to Mexico, Canada and 100 other countries are also included at no additional cost.

GoPhone service can be purchased at AT&T company-owned retail stores, online at att.com/gophone and thousands of authorized retailers nationwide. Smartphone customers can choose unlimited talk and text for $50 and select one of three data package options from $5 to $25.

Earlier this month, AT&T announced the new Pantech P7040p, a stylish quick messaging phone, would also be available on June 26 in company-owned retail stores for $59.99. With a full keyboard, the Pantech P7040p is ideal for maximizing the value of this new plan.

Quotes

“As summer approaches, consumers want a plan that provides even more value as they connect with their loved ones in the U.S and abroad,” said Judy Cavalieri, vice president, Voice and Prepaid Products, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “GoPhone provides customers a unique opportunity to experience the dependability and availability of AT&T’s national wireless network with no long term commitment.”

GoPhone Portfolio

AT&T offers a wide selection of plans and handsets for prepaid customers – everything from feature phones to smartphones with no long-term contract, credit check, or deposit. In April, AT&T launched LG Thrive™, the first Android smartphone available for GoPhone customers. Smartphones require a separate data package to access data/web services.

Learn more about GoPhone offerings at www.att.com/gophone.

Not content with two press releases, Apple has just announced that the iPad 2 will be hitting over 10 countries this week, starting with Japan on April 28th. On April 29th, the iPad 2 will be available for purchase in Hong Kong, India, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, and in the UAE . The iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will then be available in China starting on May 6th. Hit the break for Apple’s full press release.

iPad 2 Arrives in Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore & Eight Other Countries This Week

Wi-Fi Version Available in China on May 6

CUPERTINO, California—April 27, 2011—Apple® today announced that iPad® 2, the second-generation of its breakthrough post-PC device, will arrive in Japan on Thursday, April 28 and Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and eight additional countries on Friday, April 29. iPad 2 will be available at Apple retail stores at 9 a.m. local time, select Apple Authorized Resellers, and online through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com) beginning at 1 a.m. Additionally, iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in China beginning Friday, May 6.

iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime® and Photo Booth®, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect.

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in Japan on April 28 and Hong Kong, India, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and UAE on April 29 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in China on May 6, and further international availability will be announced at a later date.

iMovie® and GarageBand® for iPad apps are available for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store℠ on iPad orwww.itunes.com/appstore. The Smart Cover is available in a range of colors in vibrant polyurethane for $39 (US) or rich leather for $69 (US).

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Despite leaked information that Sprint and Google would launch Google Voice integration services on April 26th, multiple sources have confirmed that the service is already being rolled out to users. Sprint and Google announced the partnership last month, and the new service will allow Sprint users to access calls and text messages, or place calls through Google Voice’s Web interface using their Sprint number. Alternatively, users can opt to have their Google Voice number replace their Sprint number on their Sprint handset as well. International calls will route through Google Voice, which offers discounted fees. The feature is free and can be turned off at any time.

Thanks, Clayton!

Intel gathered by blog Android Central indicates that Sprint and Google will make their Google Voice partnership ready for prime time on April 26th. The venture, which was announced last month, will allow Sprint customers to seamlessly integrate their current wireless number with Google’s Voice service. Calls and texts sent from your mobile device will be logged by Google Voice’s online system, and calls can be made from the browser using the service’s VoIP feature. International calls made from linked mobile devices will automatically route through Google Voice — which offers deep discounting on international voice traffic. The feature has been available in beta for the last few weeks, but it looks like the two companies are finally ready to let everyone in on the fun.

Read

Apple’s iPad 2 goes on sale Friday in 25 countries around the world, and early reports from Australia are showing monumental lines for Apple’s latest tablet. AFP quotes an Apple fan as having waited over 53 hours in line for the iPad 2 launch in Sydney, Australia, with hundreds of people waiting behind him. In addition to Austrlia, people have lined up across the globe and most are only hours away from bringing one home from the store — if inventory holds up. The list of countries where the iPad 2 is now available includes: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Reublic, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

UPDATE: Hit the break for a video from Toronto, Canada sent in by a BGR reader. The video was shot of the Apple Store at the Toronto Eaton Centre, and it was taken at approximately 9:30 a.m. The iPad 2 doesn’t go on sale until 5:00 p.m.