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Blackberry fans line up here: pre-orders for the new Classic are open
Platform loyal BBM addicts have a new device to consider -- other than the Passport -- now that Blackberry is taking pre-orders for its upcoming phone. The Classic (aka Q20) brings the design, keyboard and trackpad users are used to, plus a large square touch screen, the latest version of BlackBerry OS and support for Android apps. Currently only a GSM version is available (no Verizon, Sprint or US Cellular support here) in the US for $450 and shipments are expected to start in mid-December. Oddly, BlackBerry hasn't revealed more details or specs about the phone, but those should be revealed closer to its release. Our best look at the phone came from this leak, feel free to take a look back before deciding to whether to place an order.
BlackBerry's upcoming 'Classic' smartphone looks like this
BlackBerry had no part in the torrent of mobile news that erupted at last week's IFA tradeshow, but new leaked images remind us the company's got a fresh batch of smartphones in its pipeline, too. Originating from the Weibo account of a reseller who occasionally gets hold of prototype devices, the pictures reportedly show the upcoming BlackBerry Classic (aka Q20), due to launch sometime in November. Announced at Mobile World Congress earlier this year but kept away from the cameras, the Classic appears to be significantly bigger and squarer than its predecessor, and brings back the physical navigation keys and trackpad of handsets past.
BlackBerry's leaked roadmap shows when its revamped phone line arrives
BlackBerry has been more than willing to tell you about most of the smartphones coming down its pipeline, but it hasn't been very clear about when they'll show up. There aren't many mysteries left now, though: N4BB has posted a roadmap (below) revealing most of what's happening in the remainder of 2014, as well as how the devices are positioned. Both the wacky, squarish Passport ("Windermere") and the luxurious Porsche Design P'9983 ("Khan") are tentatively slated to arrive near the end of the third quarter, or around September. They'll represent the "innovation" and "prestige" models, respectively. There's no mention of the Classic or a leaked Z3 with LTE, although the timetable has the Classic launching with a BlackBerry 10.3 update (10.3.1) due in the fourth quarter. You'll have to be patient if you prefer that old-school BlackBerry feel, in other words.
BlackBerry announces the Classic with physical keyboard and trackpad, coming later this year
As part of BlackBerry's festivities at Mobile World Congress, CEO John Chen announced a pair of new devices. In addition to the Z3 (Jakarta), Chen also stated that a new QWERTY device called the Classic (aka Q20) is in the works, and will be coming out sometime later this year alongside an update to BES12. We don't know much about the device at this point, but Chen tells us that it'll feature the "tool belt," which means you can expect to see the traditional BlackBerry trackpad and function keys frequently seen on the company's older smartphones. We also know that the handset will come with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, a little bigger than the one we found on the Q10, but the Classic will retain the Q10's top-tier fretted keyboard. The company hasn't gone into specifics, but has also mentioned that we'll see the device come with a "large battery," for even longer life than the current generation of devices. The Classic/Q20 will launch in the second half of the year, just as soon as the team can, you know, decide upon a name.
Samsung's WiFi-enabled cameras hands-on
While scouring Samsung's booth at CES's Digital Experience for that glorious 55-inch OLED set this evening, we came across a table full of new WiFi-enabled cameras and a camcorder. The logic behind the WiFi feature is that it enables direct access to Microsoft's Sky Drive, E-Mail, PC Auto Backup, remote viewfinding and of course Facebook, Youtube, and Picasa right from your phone. The top of the line $379 WB850F -- the F designation indicates it has WiFi -- has a 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 21x optical zoom, 3-inch AMOLED display, shoots 1080p HD, and even has GPS with POI. The 16 megapixel $199 DV300F was also on hand with a 5x optical zoom, a 3-inch display and shoots 720p video. Samsung's 14 megapixel $229 WB15F also sports a 3-inch AMOLED screen, and shoots in full HD with up to 18x optical zoom. The tied-for-least-expensive $199 ST200F still puts in a showing with a 16 megapixel shooter, 10x optical zoom while still capturing HD video at 720p. Samsung launched one HD camcorder, the $299 Q20 which packs 20x optical zoom, time lapse, and HD recording at 1080i @ 60fps. All of the cameras have a similar heft and are built with similar materials which should help narrow people's purchase decisions to looking at what features they want and what's affordable. On to the gallery! Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Samsung announces new camcorder range: QF20, F80 and ruggedized W300
Not satisfied with unveiling a whole bunch of point-and-click shooters, Samsung's also unveiled a a refreshed set of camcorders for 2012. First up, the QF20 and Q20 totes the same switch grip features of its predecessor and are capable of 1080i HD video, while packing 20x optical zoom, a touchscreen display plus a medley of requisite artistic effects. The rough and tumble W300 and W350 are for the sporting videographer; dust-proof, shock-proof to two meters and water-proof to up to five meters. It records 1080 HD video, with an optional floating bumper accessory incoming for those Jaws homages. There's also a five megapixel sensor and f/2.2 lens for your rugged stills. Finally, there's the F80, which ups the optical zoom to 52x, 720p recording at 30fps. For those willing to upscale, there's also a 1080i option through HDMI, which can also display any five megapixel stills snapped from great distances. No dates for when we'll see these in stores -- or price tags -- but expect to see them this side of 2012.