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BlackBerry 6 teased again in new official video
There have been rumors that the first volley of BlackBerry 6-powered devices could launch as early as last month -- but seeing how we're still empty-handed, we may as well enjoy more high production value video pimping the biggest new features, right? RIM has published another official YouTube spot on BlackBerry 6 today showing off goodies likes aggregated social network integration, universal search, and -- of course -- the all-new WebKit-based browser coming out of last year's purchase of Torch Mobile. Interestingly, this latest video continues RIM's trend of showing 6 running only on full touchscreen phones; we can't fathom that they'd abandon the form factor that made them famous, of course, but it's becoming more and more obvious by the day that we're going to see this launch on the rumored 9800 or something very similar to it. Follow the break for the full video.
WSJ: RIM testing Blackberry tablet for potential release by year's end
We're not sure why the Wall Street Journal just posted up a piece talking about BlackBerry OS 6.0 and the Bold 9800 QWERTY slider as though we haven't been running leaked pictures and videos of them for months now, but whatever -- the story also apparently confirms RIM's Foleo-like tablet plans and says the device could be out by the end of the year. Sounds like RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis decided the tablet market is a little clearer than he's been letting on. As we've heard in the past, the tablet will tether to your phone for connectivity instead of sporting its own 3G connection, which is interesting, given that RIM is notoriously proud of how little bandwidth its phones use, and we're guessing a full-screen tablet experience might use just a little more data than the average Pearl. Plus, it would be pretty wild if RIM ended up validating a Palm product idea so seemingly doomed that the company killed it dead just four months after it was announced in 2007 -- we're not saying the times haven't changed dramatically, but we'd note the Celio RedFly has thus far failed to blow up the universe. We'll see -- the WSJ also says the tablet is in the "early stages of development," so anything can change.
BlackBerry Bold 9800 caught sliding through OS 6 on video
When it rains Bold 9800 news, it pours. Just yesterday we were given a glimpse of its virtual keyboard and AT&T branding, and now BlackBerry's upcoming slider can be seen more fleshed out thanks to the power of moving pictures. No narration for this video -- that's either good or bad, depending on your own personal preference -- and the horizontal menu swipe looks like it's missing some animation, but otherwise the phone's looking pretty snappy for a pre-release. Unless we're mistaken, that's clearly a capacitive screen, and even better, it's got pinch-and-zoom multitouch. Not in the video? Some Dylan-esque troubadour holding up a cue card that gives price and release date. Bummer. Video after the break.
NPD: Android ousts iPhone OS for second place in US smartphone market
"We're number two" might not be the chant everyone's after, but we have a feeling that Google is more than satisfied with that in this case... for now. According to market research firm NPD, Google's Android operating system edged up into second place in the US smartphone market during the first quarter of the year, leaving it still well behind RIM's BlackBerry OS, but marking the first time that it has moved ahead of Apple's iPhone OS. Specifically, NPD found that RIM maintained a strong 36 percent market share for the quarter, with Android coming in at 28 percent, and iPhone OS in third at 21 percent. The growth for Android was attributed largely to strong carrier support -- like Verizon's buy-one-get-one free offer which, incidentally, also helped Verizon maintain a 30 percent smartphone market share, which is just slightly behind AT&T at 32 percent, and ahead of T-Mobile and Sprint at 17 and 15 percent, respectively. Disclaimer: NPD's Ross Rubin is a contributor to Engadget.
Switched On: Revamps in Motion
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Before the iPhone's release, there were four major smartphone operating systems -- Symbian, Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry OS. And after the iPhone's release, their user interfaces all seemed dated in some way. Palm OS and Windows Mobile have essentially been replaced by new operating systems dubbed WebOS and Windows Phone 7. Symbian stakeholders, though, has decided that there is no need to throw out the past completely, and are instead looking toward a series of evolutionary upgrades to make the now open source operating system more competitive. This week at RIM's WES conference, the company is announcing a similar evolutionary path for the BlackBerry OS. Like Symbian, the BlackBerry OS has a reputation for being fast and efficient but has not kept up with many of the aesthetic and input amenities offered by more modern competitors. The challenge will be to preserve what users love about the platform while disrupting it in many ways. For example, while the new BlackBerry OS will be better optimized for touchscreens, reports are that it will not require one.
RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video
While RIM's WES 2010 keynote is still ongoing, the company's YouTube channel has kindly released the first teaser video for the incoming BlackBerry 6 operating system. There's a lot of movement on screen -- so much, in fact, that it's almost like RIM really doesn't want you to see the OS at all. We did catch sight of a Cover Flow-aping music organizer, an onscreen keyboard engaging in some threaded messaging, Facebook and Twitter clients, and even the briefest of glimpses at that famed WebKit-based browser. Interaction in the video is done via touch, but you'll naturally be able to utilize the new interface on more conventional, touch-less devices as well. Skip past the break for the moving pictures.
BlackBerry 9670 flip spotted running OS 6.0, causes eyes to bleed, children to cry
According to BGR, we're apparently looking at the first shots of a phone numbered 9670 in RIM's BlackBerry parlance, a true QWERTY flip running BlackBerry OS 6.0 on a 480 x 360 display with WiFi, a 5 megapixel camera, optical pad (as is the case with every new BlackBerry these days), microSD expansion, and a huge external display that's eerily reminiscent of Moto's RAZR 2. The device is said to be running CDMA, which almost certainly means it's being shopped around to Sprint and Verizon exclusively among major carriers -- the only other big potential takers would be Bell and Telus, and they're in the midst of migrating to HSPA -- so we'll just sit back, relax, and see if this thing materializes at WES next week. Granted, we've got to see it in person and gaze at a few non-blurrycam shots before passing final judgment, but we're admittedly a little worried about the merciless beating the ugly stick may have delivered up in Waterloo this time around.
BlackBerry OS 6.0 screenshots and details leak out
The leaks, they keep coming. Boy Genius has some new images and details on BlackBerry OS 6.0 today, and while we've got our fair share of questions, there's no denying that what we're seeing looks like a substantial and much-needed improvement to the platform. First off, it appears that RIM's acquisition of Torch Mobile has paid off with a totally new WebKit-based browser, complete with tab switching, redesigned favorites, and pinch-to-zoom. About time, we'd say. Pinch-to-zoom and multitouch are also said to be present system-wide, along with kinetic scrolling, and long-pressing on the screen brings up a new modal context menu. That's definitely intriguing. The media player, photo viewer, and messaging apps have all also been re-done, and we're told the new inbox offers Facebook, Twitter, and RSS integration. The best part? BGR says this is all due out in June / July, "100%." Now, here's the interesting parts. First, it's obvious that this system is made for and being demoed on a touchscreen device, yet BGR says it was being shown off by an "AT&T connect." That suggests Ol' Blue is about to get a touchscreen BlackBerry of its own to counter Verizon's Storm sometime soon -- perhaps that leaked slider? We can't say for sure. What we can say for sure is that this is the third set of 6.0 leaks we've seen that have content about San Francisco and the earthquake in Haiti displayed on the screen -- and while RIM has said the previous two leaks were just mockups, it's more than a little odd that SF / Haiti has become a theme here. What does it all mean? We may never know, but whatever -- just hit us with that new browser and we'll stop asking questions.
BlackBerry Tour goes to OS 5.0 on Verizon, right on time
Actually, saying that this update happened "right on time" might be a bit of a stretch considering the wide variety of BlackBerrys across multiple carriers that have already been boosted to OS 5.0, but this does match up with previous rumors that we'd be seeing an upgrade for Verizon's Tour today, especially considering the announcement that users would have access to push-to-talk services this week. Indeed, Tour owners across the land are now being pushed BlackBerry OS 5.0.0.591 with improvements to Bluetooth, messaging, calling, and camera features, so even if you're not into PTT, it seems like a decent download, especially considering that it's painlessly available over the air. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Stats: iPhone OS is still king of the mobile web space, but Android is nipping at its heels
AdMob serves north of 10 billion ads per month to more than 15,000 mobile websites and applications. Thus, although its data is about ad rather than page impressions, it can be taken as a pretty robust indicator of how web usage habits are developing and changing over time. Android is the big standout of its most recent figures, with Google loyalists now constituting a cool 42 percent of AdMob's smartphone audience in the US. With the EVO 4G and Galaxy S rapidly approaching, we wouldn't be surprised by the little green droid stealing away the US share crown, at least until Apple counters with its next slice of magical machinery. Looking at the global stage, Android has also recently skipped ahead of Symbian, with a 24 percent share versus 18 percent for the smartphone leader. Together with BlackBerry OS, Symbian is still the predominant operating system in terms of smartphone sales, but it's interesting to see both falling behind in the field of web or application usage, which is what this metric seeks to measure. Figures from Net Applications (to be found at the TheAppleBlog link) and ArsTechnica's own mobile user numbers corroborate these findings.
BlackBerry OS 6.0 leaked?
Are these grabs from RIM's refreshed BlackBerry OS 6.0 or just fanart from some sleepy design school student meant to trick the tech press? We don't know, but BBLeaks claims that they come "highly regarded as real from one of our best connects." But before getting too worked up, it's worth noting the bizarre similarities between these grabs (San Francisco, the weather widget colors, Haiti tweet, and font) and the slide pulled from that "Super Apps" developer webinar back in February -- images that RIM called nothing more than mockups of nothing important at the time. Still with a consumer-focused, BlackBerry slider rumored to be making its first appearance next month at RIM's own WES show, well, who knows. Really, does anybody know? Webinar image after the break for your clinical comparison.
BlackBerry push framework now available to all developers
It's been a year or so since RIM announced that push APIs had become available to its Alliance Program members, and now it looks like the rest of us are finally able to get in on the action (at least those of us who are BlackBerry devs). Starting today, access comes in two packages: either BlackBerry Push Essentials (the free version) or BlackBerry Push Plus with a number of tiers that reflect different options and price points. So, what are you waiting for? If it's good enough to implement in Weather Bug Elite it's good enough for your application, right? Hit the source link to get started.
RIM dev webinar hints at BlackBerry OS of the future?
See that Storm-esque device there? You may have noticed that the home screen looks positively nothing like the experience you're used to -- and that's because it's not. Shown off as part of a slide deck in RIM's "Super Apps" webinar for developers last week, the company's official explanation is that this is a pure, off-the-cuff mockup, not indicative of anything they're working on for future devices or releases of BlackBerry OS. To be fair, when you take the shot in context with the bullet points and the fact that this presentation was geared squarely at devs, we can imagine that they really were just using it to get folks' creative juices flowing -- but it makes you wonder, doesn't it? There's enough active and location-aware content here to make even a heavily-widgeted Android home screen drool, so seriously, why not do this in 6.0, RIM?
BlackBerry OS seemingly ported to Nokia 5700 for some strange reason
First, a disclaimer: we don't really know what's going on here. That said, there's a video accompanying the images posted on the forum Maxpda that have us believing some really, really smart dude with considerably too much time on his hands has managed to shove the BlackBerry Pearl 8220's build of OS 4.6 onto a Nokia XpressMusic 5700. Why you'd want to do that is anyone's guess -- we're assuming "because it was there" is a possible answer -- but as far as we can tell, the result is at least semi-functional. So if you've always dreamed of a BlackBerry / Nokia Frankenstein, hey, at least you know who to ring now. Follow the break for some quick video "proof."
AT&T's BlackBerry Bold 9700 starts shipping out to top bananas
Got an AT&T Premier account at your disposal? Does your nine to five require you to wear a suit on every day that ends in "y?" If you're nodding your head and simultaneously thinking about just how tight that top button is around your neck, there's a decent chance that you can get AT&T's version of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 right now. 'Course, those on T-Mobile have already been enjoying the spoils for a few hours now, but judging by the unboxing shots in the read link, that window of US exclusivity looks to be all but shut. So, anyone jabbing the boss for an upgrade?
BlackBerry Curve 8520, LG Shine II coming to AT&T
That successor to AT&T's wildly popular LG Shine that we spied back in August has finally popped official today, becoming the Shine II (surprise, surprise). It's a very evolutionary set -- if you squint, you can't see much difference from the original -- but this might be a situation where it's in AT&T's best interest not to mess with success just as long as they don't end up pulling a RAZR over the next several years. It's got a 2 megapixel cam, a mirror-finish 2.2-inch LCD, GPS, 3.6Mbps HSDPA, and microSD expansion to 16GB; look for it on November 22 for $119.99 after rebate on contract. Perhaps more notably, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 has migrated from T-Mobile over to AT&T today with the same EDGE data and optical pad as its cousin; it'll be hitting in the "coming weeks" for $99.99 after rebate. Of course, the Bold 9700 hits on the 22nd for a hundie more, so there'll be some soul searching among AT&T-based BlackBerry lovers over the next few days, we suspect.
T-Mobile's BlackBerry Bold 9700 now available for $200 on contract
Right on cue, T-Mobile's newest BlackBerry is now on sale for those who covet. Starting at $199.99 on an Even More plan (which entails a 2-year contract, just so you know), the Bold 9700 can be ordered up from the carrier's website or be snagged in-store if you prefer to roll that way. It's also available for $449.99 on an Even More Plus Plan if you're no fan of attached strings, but something tells us you may want to have a peek at our review before laying down that much cheddar in a moment of weakness.
T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 16 for $199.99
Anyone looking for the hottest T-Mobile-powered BlackBerry experience that money can buy need only wait a few dozen hours now, because the carrier has just revealed that it'll be launching the latest rendition of the Bold -- the 9700 -- on Monday, November 16 for $200 on contract. Your hard-earned cash reels in T-Mobile's very first 3G BlackBerry underpinned by a 3.2 megapixel camera and 480 x 360 display, beating AT&T's launch by a solid six days. Enjoy, folks.
BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions
For a company with the most starched, buttoned-up roots of any major wireless manufacturer, RIM's venture out of its enterprise comfort zone to the consumer space went amazingly smoothly thanks to the introduction of the original Pearl, a phone that's still sold in a variety of colors, configurations, and carriers to this day. At some point, though, it became clear that the industry was moving toward touch -- a space RIM had never dabbled in -- and the trend gave birth to the Storm, a product that had obviously been rushed to market with countless software bugs and a dodgy SurePress concept that caused more problems than it solved. With prototypes floating around in the wild mere months after its predecessor's release, RIM's message was loud and clear earlier this year: "we need to fix the Storm, and we need to do it quickly." Ultimately, it's ended up taking the company just about a year to get the Storm2 to market, a product that attempts to tweak Waterloo's touchscreen strategy just enough to undo a few mistakes and send it down the right path. Mission accomplished? Read on.
RIM unveils tighter Adobe partnership, new app payment platform, OpenGL ES support, more
There aren't any new devices in the mix, but RIM has unleashed a torrent of BlackBerry OS-related news today at its BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco that's sure to make devs happy in the short term -- and you know how that goes: when devs are happy, it doesn't take long before end users reap the benefits. Here are the highlights: BlackBerry devices running OS 5.0 and higher will be able to benefit from OpenGL ES support, the 3D platform used by many of the world's high-power smartphones for delivering killer games. There's a beta of the SDK already, so let's get cracking, everyone -- we need some first-person shooters that totally negate BlackBerry's ultra-productive image. A new plugin for the Eclipse development environment should make building BlackBerry app GUIs easier than ever, which should hopefully lead to prettier apps; it'll be available in mid-2010. BlackBerry Theme Studio is now available, simplifying theme creation with support for changing the home screen layout, fonts, icons, colors, cursors, and more; it supports BlackBerry OS 4.2.2 and higher, which means that virtually every BlackBerry in a pocket (or holster) today should be able to take advantage. The timing's perfect on this one, because RIM has also announced that themes can now be submitted to App World. BlackBerry Payment Service has been announced for mid-2010 availability, bringing in-app payments, subscription support, and a variety of billing options, which all sounds far more robust than the PayPal-only setup they've got going today. The Push Service made available to Alliance Program members earlier this year will be made available to all comers in "early 2010," making it easy to push bite-sized chunks of "time-sensitive alerts" to phones quickly and easily. BlackBerry Advertising Service has been announced for 1H 2010 availability, bringing a unified ad platform for developers with a variety of existing ad networks on board. If this means more free apps in App World, we're all for it. Expanding on the Flash partnership previously announced, RIM has teamed up with Adobe yet again to unveil tight integration with Creative Suite 5 with direct file exports for BlackBerry-optimized formats and the creation BlackBerry-specific web layouts. End users will also be able to pull files directly off their BlackBerrys into consumer offerings like Photoshop Elements. This particular news seems pretty fluffy since Adobe products are already capable of opening and saving media formats that the phones can use -- but as with many of the other announcements here, we're on board as long as it means better-looking apps. Sure, we wouldn't have complained if some crazy Storm2 with a QWERTY slide had unexpectedly shown up, but all things considered, BlackBerry software shops have to be salivating at the bounty here.
