Research In Motion plans to offer a number of dual-core BlackBerry devices in the future, according to one of its chief executives.

“We are working on multi-core smartphones, and QNX is our multi-core platform for those devices. Those devices are both in smartphone and in tablet form,” commented RIM co-CEO, Mike Lazaridis, in an interview with PCMag.com.

Dual-core technology will initially be available exclusively on tablets, including the BlackBerry PlayBook, Lazaridis said. The multi-core technology will then be gradually extended to smartphones as technology improves and concerns about the size, weight, cost, and battery life of smaller dual-core devices can be addressed.

Wind Mobile has announced plans to offer the BlackBerry Bold 9780 at an outright cost of $450, about $50 cheaper than other Canadian carriers such as Telus Mobility and Bell.

The newest BlackBerry Bold devices boasts a 2.4-inch display, QWERTY keyboard, and new-and-improved 5-megapixel digital camera, as well as an upgraded BlackBerry 6.0 operating system.

Wind Mobile is currently offering a promotional rate of $25/month for unlimited province-wide wireless calling, or $40/month for unlimited Canada-wide calling with a mobile data component.

As of November 2010, Android powered 26% of U.S. smartphones, up from 19.6% in August 2010, according to MobiLens, the mobile division of tech research firm, comScore. Apple’s iOS, the platform of the popular iPhone device, held a 25% market share in November (up from 24.2% in August), while Research In Motion’s BlackBerry OS remained the market leader but slipped to 33.5% (down from 37.6%).

The overall number of U.S. smartphone users increased 10% during the August-to-November quarter, to a nationwide total of 61.5-million.

The TomTom VIA 1405 and 1435 devices feature a 4.3-inch display, while the VIA 1505 and 1534 boast 5-inches of screen. The 1435 and 1535 models come with a brush aluminum finish, while the 1405 and 1505 devices come in classic black. All models feature a super-slim design and integrated mount for easy placement on a dashboard or windshield.

“At TomTom, we are continuously working to make innovative navigation solutions accessible for our consumers,” commented TomTom’s senior vice president of market development, Tom Murray. “The VIA Series introduces many of our premium features, such as Intuitive Voice Recognition and Bluetooth® Hands-Free Calling, at mid-range prices.”

The VIA devices will be available in Canada and the United States by mid-2011, with suggested retail prices starting at $169.

“From our understanding, the poor battery life of early PlayBook units may be due to its incorporation of Adobe Flash,” Wu said in a note to clients. “As seen in recent tests for the new MacBook Air, use of Flash can cut battery life in half. It should be no surprise to anyone that our checks indicate Adobe is furiously working on reducing Flash’s consumption of resources to make it a viable mobile platform vs. HTML5 that both Apple and Google are moving toward.”

Wu expects the PlayBook trail the Apple iPad’s ten-hour battery life, and says that it will only measure up to the Samsung Galaxy Tab’s six-hour charge with “significant re-engineering.” He credits the iPad’s industry-leading battery life to the fact that Apple makes its own in-house software and battery chemistry.

“Apple’s unparalleled and fundamental ownership of core technology is what enables the company to deliver superior battery life, not to mention a superior user experience,” Wu explained.

Research In Motion has responded to analysts’ concerns saying that it is on track to “optimize the BlackBerry PlayBook’s battery life” and looks forward to “providing customers with a professional grade tablet that offers superior performance with comparable battery life.”