U2 target BlackBerry users while O2 boosts iPhone

This week has seen the launch of two new downloadable applications that might interest those in the market for a BlackBerry Bold 8900 or an Apple iPhone 3G S, although each is very different.

For shoppers in the market for the former, the temptation to take a step further into the latest release from one of the world’s biggest rock bands may prove tempting, as the device’s manufacturer announced U2 Mobile Album.

The software provides fans of the Irish stadium band with access to audio, video and other features relating to their most recent record No Line on the Horizon – which has so far spawned singles like Get on Your Boots and I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.

Research In Motion revealed that the application has been created in collaboration with all four members of the group – Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen – and that it adds "a rich visual experience" to the album itself.

U2 Manager Paul McGuinness said: "As music fans, the band has always enjoyed all the detail of an album gatefold or CD booklet. They want to make visual material available with their albums and this app is the ideal way to do it."

Elsewhere, Apple iPhone 3G users were told this week that the network offering exclusive access to the touchscreen device in the UK has put out a new way for them to keep track of both contract and pay-as-you-go accounts.

The My O2 for iPhone application is free to download and allows easy access to tariff details such as remaining inclusive minutes, extras, texts and balances as well as information on Bolt Ons and billing.