RIM rumored to be hiring HTC Sense creator for UI boost
updated 08:20 am EDT, Tue June 14, 2011
RIM turns to UI to stop loss of market share
A rumor is circulating that RIM will partner with user interface design firm YOU i, the company that created the Sense UI with HTC. Sources for GigaOM say that RIM was interested in buying the design company, but has settled for a "significant partnership." YOU i also works closely with Teknision, the Canadian company that developed the UI for RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook.
RIM has been criticized for the staleness of the Blackberry lineup. The company would appear to be taking that criticism to heart. In addition to the supposed deal with YOU i, last year RIM acquired The Astonishing Tribe, creator of the UI for the first Android phone.
RIM was once a dominant force in the smartphone market, but last year saw its market share continue to slide from 19.7 percent to 12.9 percent worldwide, according to Gartner Research. [via GigaOM]
