7Digital to debut BlackBerry direct music downloads

Even if no one's ever bought a BlackBerry (or, for that matter, a BlockBerry) for its multimedia prowess, things are starting to get a little interesting for the rock'n'rollers over at RIM. According to the Telegraph (UK), the music download site 7Digital will be launching a service for U2's new favorite handset this September. Based around an application that will be available in BlackBerry's App World, customers will be able to download music (with "most" tracks being DRM-free) directly to their phone for 79 cents a pop. Are you excited? No? Well, RIM CEO Jim Balsillie sure is. According to the article, he believes that the market's experiencing nothing less than the "birth of digital music 2.0." What do you think?

[rez @ Jul 13th 2009 2:50PM]

Well done 7digital - look out iTunes!?

[Quantumphysics @ Jul 13th 2009 2:56PM]

I can't figure out why people buy Blackberry Storms in the first place. The Curve and the other Blackberry's make more sense but the Storm is such a loser.

If someone asked you why you bought an iPhone, you can probably show them at least 5 things iPhone does that other phones can't - or do poorly. I for instance love my Bloomberg Stock watcher which shows me all my positions and my daily gains/losses - as well as my mortgage calculator and AOL radio which provides free internet radio.

When I ask my friends or business partners (few that there are) to show me what the Storm does, they can't.

[KM @ Jul 13th 2009 3:08PM]

bigger screen more stocks

i like the screen size personally

[Chris @ Jul 13th 2009 3:17PM]

@Quantum -- I would be more than happy to show you what my Storm can do better than the iPhone can. Sure there are things the ihone can do better, but the Storm is far from a slouch/loser ;-)

[drjay868 @ Jul 13th 2009 3:30PM]

Quantum... you couldn't sound like any more of a fanboi if you tried.

The BB (including Storm) also has the Bloomberg Stock Exchange program... and almost any other program the iPhone has. Yes there are a few that BB doesn't have, but there's bound to be more programs for a phone that's been out for more than two years than there is for one that's been out for only eight months (or so).

Outside of specific 3rd party programs, try to list 5 things that the iPhone can do that the Storm can't (out of the box -- not jailbroken). I can list a few that the Storm can, that the iPhone can't.

iPhone
1. WiFi
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?

Storm
1. Camera Flash
2. Removeable/upgradeable memory
3. Multi-tasking (on ALL apps, not only native apps)
4. Removeable battery
5. MMS

[cake97 @ Jul 13th 2009 4:17PM]

@ drjay868

Up until the newest iphone i would have completely agreed (i guess i am a fanboi now), but the slowness of my curve and lack of decent internet finally got me to switch. While I still really miss my keyboard the only real thing I think was better was push personal email (gmail) which sucks to not have on a nice phone. I would restructure the list a bit though, as several of the blackberry only items really don't matter.. imo at least

iPhone
1. internet browser that works (even mobile opera has nothing on safari)
2. wifi
3. multiple alarms without paying through the nose for an app (personal gripe with my bb)
4. app library (massive difference in terms of selection and price: blackberry apps are way more expensive)
5. updates - even though the dreaded word phone has been out for two years it seems like they are on a much faster pace than rim for os updates (and hopefully will continue to be pushed by rim/google/others)

Storm
1. Push (or close enough to push) email on personal emails (waiting for 15 min fetch sucks)
2. Profiles (why the iphone can't do multiple profiles instead of either loud or vibrate astounds me)
3. Notifications (i desparately miss the blinking led light telling me I was important)
4. Multi-tasking (i don't think any bb currently does real full blown multi-tasking, but more so than any non-jailbroken iphone)
5. Removeable battery (an extended warranty from apple is more expensive but takes care of the problem: advantage blackberry)
6. Semi-standard cables (different than most other bb's but at least its not rim specific)

Camera Flash (nice but really how many quick shots with your phone are that flash dependant)

Removeable/upgradeable memory (at a min of 16gb on the new 3gs do you really know anyone with that high capacity sd card in a bb?) Otherwise I would agree but with having to take the battery out to change the card I really don't know anyone who swaps cards: advantage: apple)

MMS is only temporary and while I would have agreed... its a non-starter now (plus email/facebook/aim/etc all kinda take care of that now that I actually have a phone that can quickly associate photos videos without the complexity of adding them through a bb)

Final blow is at&t network. Definitely not as good in nova/dc. Oh well.

[Quantumphysics @ Jul 13th 2009 4:22PM]

drjay

Storm
1. Camera Flash

I have owned numerous cellphones with a flash for their camera AND NEVER HAVE I ONCE USED IT TO TAKE A PICTURE. Therefore, I consider the flash to be unnescessary. In fact, considering how dim these flashes are, I consider them useless.


2. Removeable/upgradeable memory

I don't like the storm's memory type. I perfer the iPhone's storage. 8GB on SSD is well more than enough for me. I don't use my phone for music or video.

3. Multi-tasking (on ALL apps, not only native apps)

the Pre has multitasking and it doesn't really wow me because you can only use one app at a time anyway since. iPhone apps are paused when you move from one to the next.

4. Removeable battery

It cost me $40 to have my iPhone's battery changed. And considering how sloppy the back of the Blackberry Storm looks, I perfer the one piece design of the iPhone.

5. MM

I don't send text messages. I use AOL IM.

And by the way, what you didn't mention is how Verizons' text messaging plan + data is. I pay less than $90 for my iPhone and Storm users pay more than $100 for the same features I have.

[simon @ Jul 13th 2009 5:13PM]

@ cake97
So are you comparing a _new_ iPhone 3GS to an _old_ Curve? If that's the case then I hope you can see the logic error that exists never mind that they are in different market categories.

[Jay @ Jul 13th 2009 5:29PM]

@cake: First, my argument is based on the things Quantum said that the iPhone can do, that the Storm can't... not what the iPhone can do better. I only said Quantum sounded like a fanboi because he made a general statement without any proof behind what he said... you actually had a well thought out retort. On that note:

Browser: BB has one...I actually prefer BB Browser to Opera Mini or Bolt... When compared to my gf's iPhone, its actually quicker for 70 - 80% of the websites we go to... until she turns on WiFi and blows me away.
Multiple Alarms: I set multiple alarms in the calendar so that's good enough for me, but I see what you mean.
WiFi: already went through this one... yeah... we need it.
App World: BB has one... but agreed. Not as many or priced as nicely.
Updates: I really have to disagree with/correct you there. RIM is on top of their game when making updates... its the carriers who release them. The Storm has had 9 official software updates (.76, .78, .100, .108, .113, .122, .141, .148, .151) and an additional 9 that were leaked but never made official by any carriers. I don't know for sure, but I don't recall hearing about 9 software updates from Apple.
Camera Flash: I actually use mine quite a bit... maybe I spend too much time in dark, crowded bars, or am up too late at night outside, but it really is a necesity for me. Besides that, its great when being used as a flashlight to find stuff in dark places.
Memory: Yes, actually. I have a 16Gig card that I used for movies/videos, and the 8Gig that came with it holds my music and pictures. And a third 8Gig for work files. I swap them out quite a bit (3-5 times a day). I know many others with the 16Gig, but do not swap between the two.
MMS: I know its temporary, but until the phone (ATT) can actually do it, I won't accept that it can be done... only a couple more months of hold that over the gf's head. ;)

@Quantum:
Multi-tasking: We're not talking about the Pre. We're talking about iPhone vs Storm. Also, that's only on the native apps. You can't multitask with 3rd party apps like sending/recieving GMail, listening to Pandora, browsing the internet with the BB Browser or 3rd party browser, editing Excel documents, and using GoogleMaps. That's the type of multi-tasking I'm talking about.
Price: I have unlimited internet/data, text, and my mins package for $99. I'll take and extra $10 a month for the better service VZW has to offer.

[NoobSlayer @ Jul 13th 2009 2:49PM]

FIRST!

[Chas Underwood III @ Jul 13th 2009 3:47PM]

Way to go Noob! You must be very busy. I love that Joe Strummer is the featured artist on this post. I also don't think that music 2.0 is particularly important but getting people using the BB like a media device is a key advantage that Apple has had!

[wack @ Jul 13th 2009 4:08PM]

VIRGIN!

[Nikesh @ Jul 13th 2009 9:47PM]

I'm thinking that unless the 2.0 stands for 2.0 years late to the party, this guy is high.

[iphonerulez @ Jul 14th 2009 7:05AM]

Birth of digital music 2.0? What's that supposed to mean. Aren't there lots of services you can download music from? It's nice and all that, but hardly any music revolution. Do BlackBerry users even care about the ability to download music? What do they do for downloading videos?

[Sam @ Jul 13th 2009 2:51PM]

Can I put them on my iPod?
LMAO

[rez @ Jul 13th 2009 2:54PM]

Yes you can ...

[Vinnie @ Jul 13th 2009 2:57PM]

I wonder what the bitrate will be

[Peter J @ Jul 13th 2009 3:02PM]

Shouldn't that be 79p, not cents?

[CraigJ @ Jul 13th 2009 7:40PM]

Yeah I was about to make the same point. I don't think there is a US 7digital.

[Ian @ Jul 13th 2009 3:12PM]

Fantastic! The main reason I got mine was for the built in wifi, good keyboard, and the music listening. Pandora has been fantastic on it, along with any mp3 or other media file I put on there. It also is nice to be able to listen to stuff or run pandora while checking email / etc.

[Cody @ Jul 13th 2009 3:29PM]

the whole "wifi, good keyboard, and music listening" thing... it's a joke, right? (don't mind me, I'm just jealous because I have a Q9c :( )

[Ian @ Jul 13th 2009 3:54PM]

Not a joke, but then again my bberry is a curve, not the touchscreen variety. It needs upgrading at some point soon.

[Gojulas @ Jul 13th 2009 10:17PM]

The Media player in 4.6/4.7 was done really well, I still think it needs a bit of polishing but I love the amount of video content it supports mildly. I think they need to add some more features to the media player (like ID3 tag editing), but my Storm has replaced my iPod Touch as my media player. BlackBerry Premium headset is a great buy for all of you BB media users and can be found on amazon for about 20-30 bucks.

@Ian

Go for the 8900, it's such a great phone in every category. UMA on T-Mobile is a beautiful thing, either that or the new 9630 from VZW/Sprint.

[Gojulas @ Jul 13th 2009 10:18PM]

*natively, not mildly... I don't even see how I did that...

[Matt @ Jul 13th 2009 3:10PM]

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, that's my favorite album of all time pretty much. Nice pull. Never expected to see that here.

[mrhammerstein @ Jul 13th 2009 3:11PM]

Nice Joe Strummer & the Mexcaleros. Can I request Johnny Appleseed?

I got my eye on you, Engadget.

[NeoJew @ Jul 13th 2009 3:28PM]

I'll just buy my music from Amazon and put it on my BB. It probably takes a lot less time than downloading it onto the BB directly.

[Stayflyer @ Jul 13th 2009 3:37PM]

My storm runs great and I can show something that you blackberry can't do its called multi tasking loser. Plus it runs on the best network in America so get familiar.

[Stayflyer @ Jul 13th 2009 3:39PM]

my storm runs great and i can show you something that your iphone can't do its called multi tasking loser. Plus it runs on the best network in America so get familiar.

[Mace Wisdom @ Jul 13th 2009 5:12PM]

7digital seems to be doing well. Especially if this other Partnership comes to fruition.

(Microsoft)
http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/?p=12363

[Roberta @ Jul 13th 2009 5:12PM]

As soon as FLAC is offered, I'll be interested. Until then, I wouldn't download MP3s if they were free.

Roberta

[ian mcgrady @ Jul 13th 2009 5:39PM]

Sprint recently provided an exciting update to my bbcurve3300 sprint - I now have a phone that claims to download songs to a media card it can't format, crashes 5x day with other than a few blackberry store programs, and the music player doesn't offer a choice for the homescreen while playing a tune.

If you really want to be bleeding edge check out myspace.com/zetavang - White Lights Go Bang on sale next week!

[Tanner @ Jul 13th 2009 6:03PM]

I have a couple of friends that bought BB Storms and they hate them. Anyone that asks them what they think of the phone they say "Don't get it". I am not trying to troll here that is just their experience. If you read the reviews of the storm most of them are not that favorable. I am sure they will improve but the black berry platform was never really intended to be a media centric device like an iPhone. They are definitely playing catch-up in that area. The iphone is in turn playing catch-up in the corporate/email world.

[boreddrummer @ Jul 15th 2009 11:48AM]

I own both BB storm and iPhone and can say without doubt (in my personal opinion however of course) that the iPhone has it beat hands down.

p.s: @drjay868 - Your list of things the BB can do that iPhone can't is very poor, flash is useless on a phone camera, i personally never use phone cameras anyway, they're a novelty, and for someone who spends time reading the latest technological news on a site such as this i'm surprised you think the iPhone still doesn't have MMS lol, it was including in the 3.0 update (the best thing about the iPhone, firmware updates - everything people whine about shall come along at some point or another, and most things people complain about have already become avaliable using a jailbroken phone, for example i've had mms and a camcorder along with a host of other things not included in the official firmware on my iphone since i bought it some 2 years ago). BB users are a little pathetic, they always label anyone who has something good to say about the iPhone, 'fanboys', i was never a fan of apple in fact, but they've created something that is simply just better, get over it.

One further point, the iPhone's variety of applications isn't due to the fact that it's been around for a year (not two), it's down to the fact that apple created the app store as we know it, great original ideas tend to become huge, which it did, and as a result there are mass amounts of applications avaliable. A further problem BB faces is that replicating an original idea never produces the same results, i don't doubt that there won't be plenty of applications avaliable to BB users, but it well never be the app store, apple is one step ahead of the game, that's just the way it is, and that's why everyone is an apple fanboy in your eyes.

[Jay @ Jul 18th 2009 4:01PM]

@boreddrummer
Read my posts again. I clearly said that I know the lack of MMS is temporary (the phone has it but the network can't/doesn't support it). And until the network can/does, I don't count it as being able to do it. Also, I clearly said that I was talking about an OUT OF BOX phone, NOT JAILBROKEN.

Just because you don't use the camera, doesn't mean other people don't. I do, as do MANY others. Same goes for the flash.

I don't call everyone with something good to say about the iPhone a fanboi, only those that make a blanket statement without reasoning, especially when said statement is wrong. Outside of 3rd party apps, jailbroken phones, and WiFi... what can an out of the box iPhone do that an out of the box BB can't?

I actually like the iPhone. I use my gf's all the time for apps that aren't available to BB... YET. I would have had one long ago if it were available on Verizon. When it became time to switch to a smart phone, BB was the best option for me. Now that I have one, I actually do prefer it over the iPhone, but I still like the iPhone.

And don't kid yourself... some iPhone users are just as pathetic as some BB users. Especially the ones who think that just because something is an original idea, it can't be improved upon or surpassed. And outside of the app store, exactly what part of the iPhone is an original idea? Touch screen? I don't think so. Smart phone? I don't think so. A phone made by Apple? OK, fine. Great.