BlackBerry Pearl

Google's Android is proving to be the first true competitor to Apple's iPhone in terms of bandwidth consumption and rich application use. If providers such as MetroPCS or Leap Wireless start offering Android-powered smartphones, it could be a big problem for some big players.

When BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) missed earnings on September 24, investors punished the Canadian smartphone giant by quickly selling shares off a whopping 17 percent. While RIM management tried to paint a bright picture for future quarters, Wall Street surmised that sales...