Qualcomm and BlackBerry heading for Korea now that WIPI’s gone
With that pesky WIPI mandate rightfully out of the way, Qualcomm Brew is making a comeback, while RIM will make an entry into South Korea’s mobile space.
Qualcomm Brew has been absent for a while from South Korea because of the Wireless Internet Platform Interoperability mandate. Brew is Qualcomm’s mobile platform for mass produced mobile phones, such as general purpose ones that are decidedly non-smartphones.
Meanwhile, RIM has just announced that it will start selling one of its most popular smartphones in South Korea later this month. The said smartphone is the BlackBerry Bold 9000.
For those that don’t know, Qualcomm’s Brew mobile platform features the uiOne user interface and can run C, C++, Flash, Lua, and Java applications. Qualcomm says it will open up all core software resources to handset makers and operators while providing the mobile platform itself for free. Meanwhile, developers can get in on the action by going to www.brewmobileplatform.com.
As for RIM’s intentions to sell the BlackBerry Bold 9000 in South Korea, it will be available to corporations starting on Dec. 29th from SK Telecom, which has been selected as the local wireless partner. A BlackBerry Bold launch party will be held next week in Seoul, with the Bold itself shipping early next year.
This is a great time for all players in the mobile industry, though the South Korean giants Samsung, LG, and Pantech, should start watching the competition more closely.
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