bb
Latest
BlackBerry Bold 9790 hands-on (video)
Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry provides a long-awaited design jolt, compensates for a lo RIM unveils BlackBerry Bold 9790, Curve 9380, hitting the market within weeks BBM Music now rocking BlackBerry App World (video) Since its launch earlier today, the Bold 9790 has been a device of curious beginnings. For a start, RIM selected Indonesia for the smartphone's launch event and first availability -- it won't be reaching stores here until early 2012, which is an interesting move by the manufacturer to reflect its globalized market. Then, of course, there was the strangely familiar nature of the BB OS 7 handset itself. At first glance, it looked like a lower-end Curve 9360 that had been confusingly dressed up to look more like its flagship brother, the Bold 9900/9930. However, now that we've had some hands-on time with it, it's clear that this first impression is unfair. The 9790 is a solid installment in the Baby Bold tradition, which takes some of the 9900's best attributes, like the touchscreen and 'fret style' angled keys, and whittles them down into a more pocket-friendly 2.44-inch form factor, which -- RIM hints -- "may be slightly cheaper" to the end user. It's also true that this shrinkage comes with some sacrifices, such as a slightly slower 1GHz processor, a lower 360 x 480 resolution and a plastic construction. You'll find a hands-on video and more initial impressions right after the break. %Gallery-139435%
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 31, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of October 31, 2011: If you have a Verizon tablet and a strong aversion for Google Maps, try UpNext HD Maps. Released by the carrier this week, it's interactive and offers 3D, and uses quick tabs to help you find restaurants, nightlife, businesses and so on. [Droid-Life] Motorola Droid RAZR release rumor: how does November 11th, 2011 at 11:11AM sound? [AndroidCentral] Apparently it's Verizon week, because here's another one from Big Red. This rumor's about the LG Spectrum, which is being regarded as the Revolution 2. It's apparently showing up in some Verizon database, according to screenshots; the images don't really give away a whole lot, other than the fact it appears to have LTE -- not really a shocker for the sequel to the Revolution. [Droid-Life] The BlackBerry 9790 Bellagio got a bit of hands-on time, and has a bunch of images to prove it. [N4BB] Let's face it -- not everyone is enamored by the look of the Motorola RAZR. Y'know, the new one. This week, a version of the device with a different design, dubbed the MT917, was spotted en route to China. It has a lot of similar specs inside, but it has rounded corners and includes a TD-SCDMA radio. [Unwired View] The Google Reader and Google Docs apps on Android have been given refreshes, both of which having been inspired by Ice Cream Sandwich. Head to the Market and check them out. [Droid-Life]
BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 sighted again, this time en route to Telus
You've probably seen the BlackBerry Curve Touch 9380 before. Research in Motion hasn't officially announced it yet, but it made an appearance on the company's official dev site as well as plenty of spy shots and videos. This time, we know that at least one carrier's paying attention to it. MobileSyrup obtained an image of the new all-touch BlackBerry being splayed all over a Telus holiday gift guide, which doesn't give us any details besides having a tiny 3.2-inch display, so we'll need to hold on for just a bit longer to hear what else it's got under the hood. [Thanks, Dale]
Opera Mini 6.5 and Mobile 11.5 embark on data awareness mission, now available for download
Nearly three weeks after Opera Mini 6.5 graced the Android Market, it's now ready for iOS, BlackBerry, J2ME and S60 (the latter's in the form of Opera Mobile 11.5). The download, which is no different than what we saw on Google's mobile OS, brings with it an option to keep track of the amount of data you've used. This type of feature seems to be catching on all over the mobile world as more and more companies continue to switch to capped internet plans. If you're looking for this option, it appears as a dedicated page within the browser's help menu. Now is the time, Opera fans, to go forth and save data.
Samsung Illusion, Casio G'zOne Ravine 2 and BlackBerry Curve 9370 to hit Verizon this month?
Don't rub your eyes. That above pic is no mirage. It's a leaked rebate form heralding the Big Red arrival of an actual Illusion -- a 3G Samsung-made one, that is. The form, sent to us by an eagle-eyed tipster, confirms that mysterious Gingerbread phone's imminent November launch, while also outing two other equally un-hyped devices: the BlackBerry Curve 9370 and Casio G'zOne Ravine 2. No official release date could be gleaned from the info at hand, but with a redemption period ranging from the 1st of this month to the 28th, we're fairly certain this triumvirate of mid-range phones will be making a retail debut soon. So, if you need to replace your last battle-weary, ruggedized smartphone or have a hankering for portrait QWERTYs, this fair fall month's mobile refreshes could be just the ticket.
Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry provides a long-awaited design jolt, compensates for a lot
Remember that downright futuristic BlackBerry we spied back in September? Say hello, all over again. RIM and Porsche (of all companies) have just taken the official wraps off of the Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry, a frighteningly beautiful new slab that offers up a forged stainless steel frame, hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and "crystal clear touch display." It'll ship with an exclusive Porsche Design UI and a bespoke Wikitude World Browser augmented reality app experience, not to mention the "premium, exclusive PINs that help easily identify another P'9981 smartphone user." Fancy. As for specs, it's boasting a 1.2GHz processor, HD video recording capabilities, 8GB of onboard memory, Liquid Graphics technology, a microSD expansion slot, an inbuilt NFC module and BlackBerry OS 7. We're told that it'll be available from Porsche Design stores later this year, but mum's the word on the (presumably stratospheric) price. Head past the jump for T-break's hands-on vid. Update: MobileSyrup reports that the device shown here will sell for "around $2,000," and they'll be (unsurprisingly) limited in quantity. %Gallery-137690%
BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 developer beta previewed, Android apps look right at home (video)
Are you in DevCon withdrawal? Need a little BBX preview to ferry you safely into the weekend's arms? Well, you're in luck, as German site Macberry.de took the time to film a walkthrough of the recently released BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 developer beta. The homescreen of this new build now offers users folder options similar to that on iOS, neatly collecting your gaggles of data into appropriate bundles -- like documents and games. But you probably care less about that, and more about seeing BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps in action. We're happy to report those Google-specific applications are shown here running quite smoothly, filling the 7-inch tab's screen without any hint of lag. You can download the dev build now for your own first-hand account, or simply click on past the break to gawk at the silent tour.
RIM announces PlayBook 2.0 Developer Beta and Runtime, marries Android to BlackBerry
Research in Motion announced the developer beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 today at its annual DevCon event. The new beta will be released today, and has a few goodies that we've been waiting a long time for: namely, BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the BlackBerry Plug-In for Android Development Tools, which will give developers the opportunity to bring their Android apps to the PlayBook. Also coming along for the ride is support for Adobe AIR 3, Flash Player 11 and WebGL, a new tech that enables hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to show in the browser without needing additional software. Needless to say, this changes the ballgame a bit for Waterloo. Sounds great, but is it enough to keep the company's head above water? Remains to be seen, but check out the press release after the break to get the full scoop, and head over to the Runtime site to get started.
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 5, 2011
This week, as always, was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 5, 2011: It appears that Sprint employees are being informed that vacation requests anytime between September 30th and October 15th won't be approved, due to "the possibility of a major phone launch in October." Vacation blackouts are typically used during certain times of the holiday season, so the timing on this particular memo is a bit striking -- as usual, we invite you to come to your own conclusions here. [via SprintFeed] Two BlackBerry devices breathed life on T-Mobile this week in the form of leaks. First, the Curve 9360 began showing up on marketing material focusing specifically on its prepaid campaign, which says the device will be offered for $230 without having to sign a new contract. It didn't mention the on-contract price, but if all goes according to rumors, it'll likely be out this time next week (September 14th, to be specific). [via TmoNews] Speaking of the Curve 9360, the phone will probably be hopping across the pond to a Carphone Warehouse near you (if you live in the United Kingdom, that is). It's ready for pre-order now on the retailer's site with a prepaid option for $200. Not bad for a brand-new BlackBerry at full retail cost. [via TechnoBuffalo] The second BlackBerry we saw leaked for T-Mobile this week was the Torch 9860, which may have been discovered in T-Mo's inventory system, according to a leaked screenshot. This doesn't help us know the date or pricing of the new Torch, but it does signify that it's likely just around the corner. [via TmoNews] It's possible that the Droid Prime and Nexus Prime have passed through Bluetooth and WiFi certification. Since names were not provided in the documentation, we're left to speculate using the devices' model numbers -- rumored to be the SCH-I515 and GT-I9250. We're naturally skeptical, but we'll keep a close eye on the FCC in hopes that we'll see these mystery devices pop up soon with at least a few revealing details. [via Droid-Life] We've been expecting the recently announced Samsung Galaxy W to arrive this month in the UK, but all of our sights have been set on Three as the only known carrier... until now. O2 placed a teaser page on its website this week, listing the Galaxy W as "coming soon: September." [via MobileBurn and AndroidCentral]
Blackberry Curve 9360 hands-on
So, the trickle of BlackBerry juice is now a flood. Just weeks after RIM launched its high-end Torch 9810, 9850 and Bold 9900 handsets, it's revealed the refreshed mid-range Curve 9360 (aka the 9350 or 9370, depending on the carrier and region). When compared to the Bold 9900, which can be seen as a richer cousin with a similar form factor, the new Curve clearly comes with key hardware sacrifices in order to meet a lower (but still to-be-confirmed) price point, including an 800MHz processor (instead of 1.2GHz), no touchscreen and a 480 x 360 HVGA+ display rather than the Bold's full VGA panel. Compared to previous Curves, however, the 9360 is a significant upgrade. It sports the new BB 7, a 5MP camera and a physical design that RIM hopes will entice the "youth demographic" as well as the millions of international users who have helped to turn the Curve into RIM's globally bestselling range. The question is, is this device enough of an upgrade, considering it's been a year since the last refresh in the Curve series? Read on for our initial hands-on impressions... %Gallery-131410%
BlackBerry Colt to launch before end of 2011?
The BlackBerry Colt -- RIM's presciently named round three handset entry, or last grasp at smartphone dominance? You'll have to wait until the end of the year to decide, as this latest bout of insider hearsay points to a sooner-than-expected launch. Citing several trusted industry sources, Dutch website Tweakers.net reports that the Canadian electronics company is rushing its first QNX-based smartphone out to the mobile market ahead of its previously rumored 2012 Q1 launch. The phone, purported to lack BES, is said to pack a 4.3-inch display and a single-core (yes, you haven't misread that) 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor. We can understand if you're already underwhelmed. Releasing a single core device into an impending quad-core wireless world is one sure way for the company to castrate its young mobile buck. Still, with gossip being what it is, we'd advise you to take this news with a heavy lick of salt. You never know, those co-chairs up in Waterloo could still surprise us yet.
Verizon Wireless year-end roadmap leaks, Android and LTE spotted on the horizon?
Nope. There's no mention of a Nexus Prime in this glimpse of VZW future, but don't let that stop you from drooling over the purported goods. The leaked shot over on IGN lays out a back-to-school road filled with Android phones a plenty, and one lone RIM entry. September 8th is gearing up to be a busy Thursday for Big Red, with launches slated for the Droid Bionic, Motorola Xoom 4G, BlackBerry Curve 9370 (the LTE cousin of 'Apollo'?) and Samsung Stratosphere -- the operator's rumored Galaxy S II variant. The end of the month gets a 2.3 combo of Gingerbread phones as the Samsung Illusion (codenamed Viper), and HTC Bliss touch down on the 29th. Refreshes for a couple of the carrier's early LTE phones debut in October, when the Thunderbolt gets pushed aside by the virile HTC Vigor and LG gets a redo with the Revolution 2. Samsung's Galaxy Tab P8 (most likely the Galaxy Tab 8.9) gets an unconfirmed November mention, while BlackBerry's PlayBook languishes in a release date grey zone. Ready for that end-of-year upgrade? From the looks of things, there'll be no dearth of options.
Gmail for Mobile gets a facelift, now ready for its Retina Display close-up
Gmail for mobile was looking a little tired around the eyes, so Google went ahead and gave the ol' web app a cosmetic lift. The update, announced on the Gmail blog, packs a hat trick's worth of tweaks aimed squarely at iOS and QNX (read: BB PlayBook) users. Email messages can now be manually refreshed with a top-down pull and release -- a feature similar to Twitter's own drag-down approach. The team also added a bit of finesse to inbox navigation with new sliding transitions, and even beefed up the graphical interface, taking full advantage of that Retina Display. Curious to see these tune-ups in action? Then head to the source for your own hands-on.
RIM's BlackBerry Curve 9360 outed -- is this Apollo?
Did RIM forget this budget entry update, or was it pushed aside for this morning's announcements of its higher-end BlackBerry brothers? No matter the case, OneMobileRing got a hands-on with the Curve 9360, and it looks like this portrait QWERTY could be following in its brethren's OS 7 footsteps. Shots of the device reveal a Tour-like chrome trim, optical trackpad and the requisite micro-USB port for your charging / connectivity needs. A pic of the device's open battery door also shows off a SIM card slot, leading us to believe that this may very well be the ever-elusive Apollo. Could we see this mid-end, GSM workhorse in T-Mobile's near future? Our in-house Ms. Cleo predicts a yes.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 25, 2011
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of July 18, 2011: Remember the Samsung i927 with AT&T logos we saw spy shots of a few days back? These photos came with others' speculation -- and our skepticism -- that this would be the Galaxy S II Rethought Possible. Our hesitation to call this one a surety was spot-on, however, as we've now been told this phone model is not the mystical Samsung Attain after all. Could the i777, just seen wandering through the FCC testing facilities, be it instead? [via BGR] Google's updated its Maps for Android app to include My Places, photo uploading, and a few other goodies. [via Google] Foursquare posted an update to its BlackBerry application; within it, the app now offers support for BBM integration. [via PhoneArena] T-Mobile's rumored Value plans took effect this week, offering a lower price point for anyone who either owns a T-Mobile device already or brings an unlocked GSM handset to start the plan. [via T-Mobile] Sprint unveiled new "Business Freedom Plans" -- business pooled voice and data options that don't come attached with any commitments. [via Sprint]
BlackBerry PlayBook update brings zip extraction, more storage options for attachments (updated)
RIM sure is working fast to bring its 500,000-strong BlackBerry Playbooks up to functional par. The tablet's been on the market for three short months and is already set to receive its fourth software update. This go 'round, RIM added the ability to save attachments to a removable SD card or your phone's internal storage, extract zip files from email (although you'll have to use Bridge and port from your BlackBerry smartphone), a pinch-to-zoom feature for video viewing and -- winner of the duh award -- portrait viewing for photos. Also, the software now supports 15 additional languages -- great news if you speak Galician. If you're planning on picking up this QNX tab, you'll receive the v1.0.7 update as part of the setup process. Current owners can wait for an update notification, or just pull it manually. So, what are you waiting for? Get downloading. Update: And it's gone. Seems some folks who downloaded the update were having connectivity issues using BlackBerry Bridge. RIM posted on Twitter saying users should expect a fix later this week.
RIM aims to launch seven smartphones with BlackBerry OS 7 in 'the coming months'
It may look like it's losing the ongoing smartphone war, but Research in Motion is at least preparing for the next battle with reinforcements. Co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis announced at this week's annual shareholder meeting that seven new OS 7-powered BlackBerry smartphones are set to be launched in the near future. As the company struggles to meet its financial goals due to delays, it's confident that releasing a large number of smartphones will make up for a miserable Q1 and get RIM back on track by the end of the year. This seems to be a bitter contrast to earlier rumors suggesting the company scrapped other projects to make room for its QNX "superphone." No word was given by either executive as to which phones we can expect, nor the precise dates when these devices will become available. We also haven't heard if the Bold Touch series is included as part of that count since its launch looks to have been pushed back. Lazaridis mentioned the delays are a result of his company trying to meet (read: not exceed) consumer expectations, and that RIM will "come out ahead" in the smartphone race. Now that's extraordinary confidence; unless the execs had a heart-to-heart with the anonymous letter-writer, however, it's a hard pill to swallow. [Image courtesy of CrackBerry]
BlackBerry Touch receives conservative makeover before its corporate interview
You've already witnessed a prototype of the BlackBerry Touch and its sleek lines, but get ready for a new peek as RIM has put on its "serious business" face in anticipation of Monaco's release. As you can see, the designers from Waterloo are separating and raising those four iconic buttons. Regardless of RIM's intentions, if this leaked unit makes it to retail shelves, the change would represent a subtle but distinct shift in BlackBerry design. We're guessing the corporate-type won't even notice -- unless those new protrusions happen to catch on their oh-so-fashionable holsters, anyway.
BlackBerry Touch / Monaco gets manhandled, said to get official in May
Our interest in the BlackBerry Touch (codename Monaco) was piqued when we first caught wind of the device, and we had a feeling it'd be making its way into the wild ever since one showed up in Verizon red around mid-Feburary. Now, BGR has managed to procure an unreleased prototype, and we've gotta say that we like what we're seeing. According to the pub, it should get official at BlackBerry World in May, and it'll run OS 6.1 underneath that 800 x 480-pixel screen. The new BB6 is said to use a BlackBerry ID in place of a PIN for certain key functions -- a necessary move for non-BB platforms rumored to be getting BBM (a historically PIN-based service). BGR also claims it won't be getting the Storm nomenclature, so we apologize in advance to the SurePress fanboys. Either way, we've got an inkling that we'll be hearing more as we get closer to May, but unfortunately our dreams of a super AMOLED-equipped Torch running stock Android with a BBM app will just remain figments of our imagination.
RIM's WebWorks SDK: make apps compatible with both PlayBook and BlackBerry 6
RIM's adding yet more incentive for developers to give its PlayBook tablet a chance. The company's just launched a beta of WebWorks SDK, a collection of tools that lets you package up your web applications, with access to the hardware capabilities, as apps compatible with both the PlayBook and BlackBerry 6 smartphone devices. RIM also released a handful of new SDKs and extended the free PlayBook offer to March 15th. If you're the sort who dreams in binary, hit up the relevant links below.
