RIM To Supply 3 With The First Blackberry Handset
Wednesday 20 Aug 2008
The 3 network is to partner RIM to stock their first Blackberry handset, the Blackberry Bold this autumn. The new partnership follows 3’s affiliation with Samsung for the first time this month.
The latest addition now means that 3 have the full range of major mobile phone manufacturers in its locker. 3 are looking to break into the business sector of the mobile market to bring more data services to its network and Blackberry is highly associated with mobile email.
RIM and Samsung are both aggressively pursuing a greater market share and adding 3 to their portfolios creates another avenue to increasing their sales.
Samsung’s first handset to be stocked by 3 this month was the
Samsung L770. Further high-end handsets such as the
Tocco and
Soul are expected to follow later this year.
The Samsung and 3 partnership marked the end of a contentious pact whereby Samsung did not partner the 3 network. Very similar to Vodafone not stocking the
LG handset range.
Samsung UK VP, Mark Mitchison said: ‘The fact that 3 will be ranging our phones is massive for us. We expect the agreement to be a big boost to our already increasing market share.’