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There may be plenty of buzz about next generation iPhones, or Apple’s efforts to capture the smartphone market, but Research in Motion doesn’t seem fazed.  Wednesday, when the phone maker released Q4 earnings, the numbers were strong.  Even amidst a slowing economy, RIM (Nasdaq: RIMM) easily beat guidance and doubled year over year results.

For the three months ending March 1st, RIM earned $412.5 million (72c a share) on revenue of $1.88 billion.  Both numbers are more than double year ago results when RIM reported earnings of $187.4 million (33c a share) on revenues of $930.4 million.   The Wall Street consensus was for fourth quarter earnings of 70c a share on revenue of $1.86 billion (Thompson).

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Speculation about Apple products is always a popular pastime.  Lately, two questions are dominating the discussion: how close are we to seeing the second generation iPhone? And, When it gets here, what goodies does it have in store?   The answers depend on who you ask but they may be here sooner than largely expected.

When, When, When?
Regarding timing, the widely held consensus is that June will be home to D-day (delivery day).  The theory is Apple will use their popular developer event to reveal a faster (3G), more feature laden phone.  That timing would also match the planned rolled out date for software upgrades.  Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is among those taking that position.  (He’s also predicting at least three models of iPhones will be sold globally in 2009 and the annual tally for that year could push 45m units sold globally).

Others are pointing to the newly revealed Samsung Instinct, a 3G, Touch-controlled phone with an uncanny resemblance to the iPhone.  It has some of the things the current iPhone is missing like expandable memory and a haptic system that provides tactile feedback to touch.  Apple will beat that phone to market, they say.  They won’t let Samsung get to a 3G touch sensitive phone first.  Accordingly, for these speculators it’s by June at the latest.

Another fork in the rumor path is being fueled by existing phone supplies which are currently dwindling. Click to Read More

Carl Icahn’s not asking Motorola if “they can hear him now.”  Wednesday, the beleaguered company caved to shareholder pressure and announced they would agree to split the business into two separate companies.  One will house the mobile devices (cell phone) business.  The other will become home to their broadband and mobility solutions group.

In a press release, Motorola said the separation is expected to happen in 2009 and that it will be implemented as a tax-free shareholder distribution.  A new CEO will be recruited to run the phone company.

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Responding to the decision to split the company by Motorola’s board, investor Carl Icahn sent the following letter on Wednesday. It is reprinted from a copy attached to filings made with the SEC (they are available on their Edgar Database):

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The dinner table may be set at Electronic Arts but the guest list seems to be changing.  After naming former Ticketmaster CEO John Pleasants as COO last week, today the company announced the surprise departure of Chief Financial Officer Warren Jenson.   For now, a replacement isn’t officially being named but that news is expected to come relatively soon.

In the interim, under a transition agreement (available here), Jenson has signed to remain on board through September. Click to Read More

Despite a burgeoning market for smart-phones and a voracious consumer and corporate appetite for Blackberry’s and iPhones in the US, once leading player Palm continues to struggle.   Their market share is hovering around nine percent (Apple took approximately 28 percent of the U.S. Smart Phone market in less than one year.  RIM’s Blackberry has 41%. (via Canalys)).  Since October,  Palm’s stock price has fallen more than 60%.  Since Elevation Partners purchased a 25% stake in June, the company’s market cap has shrunk to just above $500m 

(Palm’s shares were up about 10% to $19.57 per share following the deal but optimism was short-lived as Palm continued to lose business and see cash reserves erode.)

Thursday, Palm announced their earnings for the third quarter.  After two quarters of lowered guidance, there was again little to get excited about.  Click to Read More

The convergence of fitness and entertainment technology has become something of a trend.  Nintendo has been hawking their Wii Fit platform.  Apple’s been joined at the foot with Nike.  Now Samsung is working out with Adidas.

Today the electronics maker introduced the MiCoach, a curious combination of mobile phone and MP3 player that is aimed narrowly at the fitness market.   Every bit a convergence device for the gadget freak, the system bundles all the key functionality of a cell phone with a small 1GB MP3 player, a heart rate monitor and an electronic training monitor into a single device.  All that’s missing is a water bottle and gym membership.

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