Research In Motion today placed a 'preliminary' tag beside its Q2s, warning that the results could restated, subject to an audit of option grants, also announced today.

The BlackBerry PDA maker is working through the numbers, but thinks it may have to restate earnings by $25m-$45m to account for backdated stock option grants for the period since 1997, when it IPOed.

It does not think that any restatement will materially affect Q2, fiscal 2007, or any other quarter this year. But the 'preliminary' tag attached today to the Canadian company's results effectively means that its Q2 earnings are delayed.

Caveat aside, RIM has run up a good quarter ended 2 September, posting $145.1m net income on revenue of $658.5m, 34 per cent up on same time last year (Q2 FY2006: $490.1m).

The revenue split was 72 per cent for handhelds, 19 per cent for service, six per cent for software, and three per cent for other revenue. More than 700,000 BlackBerry subscribers were added in the quarter, taking the total to 6.2 million.

RIM ended the quarter with $1.2bn in cash and liquid investments, down $100m on Q2 last year. It spent the money on an acquisition, share buy backs and capital expenditure.

It forecasts 800,000 new subscribers in Q3, fiscal 2007, revenues of $780m-$820m and earnings of 90-97 cents per share for the quarter.

Earnings release here. ®