Last night, while covering the Apple Q2 results for iMore, I heard Tim Cook say something that I don't ever quite recall anyone from Apple ever saying before.

In response to a question about carrier subsidies on iPhones, and potential pressure, Cook said the following as part of his reply:

"Our engineering teams work extremely hard to be efficient with data and differently than some others. And we believe as a result of this iPhone has far better data efficiently compared to other smartphone that are using sort of an app rich ecosystem. Finally, and this is most important, iPhone is the best smartphone on the planet to entice a customer who is currently using a traditional mobile phone to upgrade to a smartphone. This is by far the largest opportunity for Apple, for our carrier partners and its a great fantastic experience for customers. So its a win win win there"

Sure, he didn't actually say "BlackBerry" anywhere. But his wording was carefully chosen, as usual. He said Apple is more efficient than other "app rich" ecosystems, meaning Android. By saying this, he clearly recognizes BlackBerry is more efficient.

But what surprised me even more was how he even acknowledged the importance of data efficiency at all. In some ways its nice to see Apple acknowledge the importance of something that RIM has been so good at for so long. But it's also clear that consumers don't really care that much about data efficiency.

I included the second part of Cook's quote to remind RIM how important it is to compete at the top. Apple is not just going after the smartphone market. They're going after the entire mobile market.

A week ago we had a look at the BlackBerry smartphones available on each of the top 5 UK networks. This list consisted of devices available on contract. With Pay and Go very popular in the UK, it was only right to roundup a list of all BlackBerry devices available for users who prefer Pay and Go.

You may want to bookmark this post as it will be updated accordingly, when new devices get added. Namely, the BlackBerry 7 devices we are all eagerly waiting for.

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Here in the UK we have the top 5 networks for buying your mobile phone on - O2 UK, Vodafone UK, T-Mobile UK, Orange and Three. Although T-Mobile and Orange trade under an individual name they merged back in July 2010, so a lot of their tariffs end up being very similar if not the same. With a handful of networks it is sometimes hard to know what networks sells which BlackBerry and where the best deal lies. Of course you have Phones 4 U and Carphone Warehouse that deal with all the networks but first off we shall look at BlackBerry devices and tariffs available directly from the networks. The costs shown are for a 24-month contract. For an 18-month contract add £5 to the monthly cost, unless otherwise stated.

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BlackBerry OS 7 devices are here (or at least on their way)! The BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930, BlackBerry Torch 9810, and the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 devices are soon to be hitting the shelves in a store near you. Up north, our Canadian colleagues have already managed to snag some of these next generation BlackBerry smartphones for themselves.

The rest of us, though, we wait anxiously for our chance to buy one of these OS7 devices. How long that wait is depends entirely on your wireless carrier and desired device. Scouring the blogs for this information can be a bit daunting; so we did the work for you.

After the break, you'll find our list of six seven major carriers in the US and Canada along with the devices they are rumored to carry. Unless otherwise noted, the information isn't official from the carriers and thus subject to change. Prices listed are promotional pricing only; purchasing a phone off-contract will, of course, cost more.

You're going to want to keep this one bookmarked as we continually update this list with all the latest in carrier pricing and availability. (And once a certain Curve-y device gets announced officically, we'll add that, too)

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There is no doubt that Verizon's preperations for a BlackBerry 6 for numerous devices is well underway. BlackBerry applications are randomly being updated, users are reporting some strange things happening with their PTT (push to talk) modules and well, we've already got a BlackBerry 6 leak for the Bold 9650 and Curve 3G anyways.

The most recent nod to the fact that launch is close could be the Verizon rebate forms which have mysteriously added two new SKU's for the BlackBerry Bold 9650. While it's not confirmation, it's speculated that the new SKU's are for the BlackBerry 6 preloaded versions of the BlackBerry Bold 9650. Just release it already, it's not like it's a huge secret any more Verizon. Your network already has many users running it.

Source: Engadget

Now available in Bahrain as an addition to VIVA's lineup of BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Torch sure is getting more and more international appeal by the day. New VIVA customers can pick up the Torch for 275 BD (730 USD) with two months of BlackBerry service included, free of charge. Once the two months are up, unlimited BlackBerry data plans can be had from VIVA for only 10 BD (27 USD) a month for both prepaid and subscription based service plans.

Atop the usual, VIVA also offers a “special number” with its service plan, for no extra cost. To my understanding, a special number is a regular phone number, but the customer gets to decide the digits. For example,  (+973) 12-34-56-78 could be considered a valid special number. All in all, a great package for a reasonable cost. Picking up a Torch in Bahrain anytime soon? Hurry up, as the offer is available for a limited time only!

• More Information Available Via The VIVA Website>>

Although a little late to the game, an important step is being taken towards a more modern and technologically advanced India. Major telecommunication providers in the country are launching 3G networks soon, with Bharti Airtel aiming to upgrade to the wonders of HSPA before the end of this year. Vodafone Essar takes a more conservative route and strives to make the switch to 3G early next year, while Tata Teleservices has previously announced plans to go 3G by Diwali (an Indian holiday, popularly known as the Festival of Lights). Diwali is set to occur on November 5, which surely will be an exciting day even without all the news about 3G.

Of course, it is important to mention that 3G connectivity has existed in India before. State-owned telecommunication companies Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) already provide 3G services. The difference is that 3G is now being adopted in a broader manner and as such will hopefully bring the majority of the Indian population up to date with 3G technology at an affordable price. It is namely the competition in this area, or the lack thereof, which has kept 3G out of reach for many consumers in India. And that will change, soon.

Source: LiveMint

We've been hearing for quite some time that release dates for the BlackBerry Torch 9800 on Canadian carriers was set for September. The big three, Bell, TELUS and Rogers have all confirmed an inevitable launch but no dates were set by any. Rumors suggest TELUS will launch on Sept 16th but, we now have the above information which suggests a Rogers release one day earlier on the 15th. We're assuming the $999.99 price point is just a Future Shop place holder so, nothing can be said about official pricing from this information. We'll be sure to keep you all updated though as we find out more information. So, who's grabbing a Torch on launch day in Canada?

Source: TrustedNerd

The forums are filling up. The CrackBerry support email is getting lots of folks stating issues and we're led to believe we may have an outage on our hands. Some folks are reporting slow web browsing, email delays and general connectivity issues. Thus far, seems limited to North America but, if you're in another area and experiencing issues then please, let us know in the comments. I'm on Rogers and not seeing this yet, how about you all?

While folks in the US have had the BlackBerry Torch 9800 available to them since August 14th, folks in Canada are still on the waiting list. Just about every Canadian carrier has stepped to the plate in letting us know they will be carrying the device but alas, none have given customers a date or even pricing. Bell is the latest to get a little bit closer to launch. Today, the sign up page has gone live for those interested in being notified when the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is available. It's no closer to a release date or pricing but any movement in this area is progress. If you're still on the fence about the BlackBerry Torch be sure to check out our extensive review and go from there.

Source: MobileSyrup

Here's a little reminder for all you folks who may not be interested in paying the big carriers prices. BGR was lucky enough back in March to get a listing of up coming devices for Cricket and as we let you know, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 was set to launch in August. Here we are now, a few days into August and lo and behold, Cricket has now set up their BlackBerry offerings page where you can place your preorder for a BlackBerry Curve 8530.

The device itself will cost you anywhere between $260 -$300 depending on where you live and also requires a $60/month plan. But, you get the satisfaction of knowing you have no contract nor any ETF fee and well, that $60/month plan gets you pretty much unlimited everything. Talk, text, data, long distance etc. All included in the plan price. If you happen to have good Cricket coverage, it may be something you'll be looking to consider.

• Click Here to Preorder Your BlackBerry Curve 8530 From Cricket>>

Hot on the heels of the Rogers launch announcement, TELUS has announced the availablity of the BlackBerry Pearl 3G in Pink and also stated that users will soon also be able to grab the device in Black. Even though the announcement was put out, users may still have some issues with actually getting the device in their hands. Online sales are available and only some stores have stock at the moment. You can hit up the TELUS website for more information or give a shout to your local dealer and see of they have any available. Price? $29.99 on a 3 year contract, $249.99 on a 2 year and $299.99 on a 1 year. If you want no contract expect to pay $349.99. No matter which pricepoint you choose, TELUS will donate $25 towards Breast cancer research. Thanks to everyone who sent this in, happy hunting if you're looking to pick one up

• More Information Available Via The TELUS Website>>

Granted, KooDoo is just a branch off of its parent company TELUS but it does month to month services rather than requiring a contract. According to MobileSyrup and HoFo and well, the BlackBerry website that is already in place, it seems BlackBerry services will be arriving shortly for KooDoo customers.

While their commercials are insanely annoying, KooDoo offers up a "TAB" system which allows customers to build credit towards new devices and accessories. So while they may essentially be a prepaid service, the cost of devices can still be somewhat subsidized. A lot of talk has been going on about the future of KooDoo given that their parent company is running CDMA as well as HSPA. With respect to that, an 8530 launch makes sense but so does say, a BlackBerry Pearl 9100 when it sees release.

Source: MobileSyrup
Via: HoFo

As we already know, Skype Mobile has been rolled out to Verizon Wireless users at this point. The application is being pushed out to devices this morning to make for easy downloading. But now that it is here, we kind of have to wonder what exactly this means for Skype on BlackBerry as a whole. Its been quite a while since Skype made the initial announcement of their intentions to arrive on the BlackBerry platform and in a way, they kind of have really made good on that news. However, I'm quite certain an exclusive deal with Verizon wasn't exactly how BlackBerry users envisioned when Skype released their very limited beta.

So what exactly happened? Was the beta testing phase abruptly stopped and seemingly shut down due to a deal made with Verizon? Could this be part of the reason no one at Skype wanted to answer direct questions about when exactly Skype was coming to BlackBerry? Sure seems that way as I see it. In any case we certainly don't have and likely never will have any answers as to what the future holds for Skype on BlackBerry. But we can still hope that Skype will do right in the long run and make the app available to all BlackBerry users. In the meantime, any Verizon users now using Skype? Let us know in the comments what you think of the service on your device.

• Verizon Users Can Click Here For More Information About The Skype Mobile App>>

We got the above sneak peek of Root Mobile from CES this year and launch was promised to be soon. Here we are, just a few short weeks later and Root Mobile has now gone live and is certainly ready to track the coverage offered by your carrier.

“No one carrier is best everywhere, but everyone can find the carrier and phone that are best for them,” said Root Wireless CEO Paul Griff.  “It’s encouraging that thousands of smartphone enthusiasts have pre-registered to help map wireless network performance and we expect that, as the effort is more widely understood, the data provided by crowdsourcing consumers’ phones will provoke fundamental changes in the way that people evaluate and purchase their wireless service.”

Intially, Root Mobile was US only but that has since changed. US and Canadian carriers are now both supported. So, if you've ever questioned your carriers' true coverage areas, Root Mobile can help you put your coverage in comparison to others around you. The application can be downloaded, run in the background and then you can view the data as you see fit. All devices with GPS are supported with the exception of Storms running OS 4.7, so give it a shot and help out.

• Download The Mobile Application From The Root Mobile Website>>