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BlackBerry Torch 9850 review
Monza. It's a beautiful part of Italy, a majestic park split by one of the most historic racetracks in the world, and it was also the codename for this rather more homely looking phone. This is a handset that would go on to be known by many names (Storm 3, Touch...) before receiving its final moniker: Torch 9850. Why all the pseudonyms, and why choose to confusingly overlap this with the somewhat similar but rather different Torch 9810 that's also officially launching today? Maybe RIM didn't know what to make of this keyboard-free phone. Maybe the company wanted to distance itself from the Storm. Or, maybe what we have here is a smartphone that's trying to find an identity by sadly ditching the feature that, for many, makes a BlackBerry a BlackBerry: the physical keyboard. How does this smoothie compare to the others, and is it worth sacrificing all the QWERTY wonder found within the 9810? Read on to find out. %Gallery-130638%
Sprint welcomes BlackBerry Bold 9930 and Torch 9850 on 8/21, Bell now flaunts its 9900 and 9810
BlackBerry fans who prefer conducting business at the speed of "Now" will be getting their new fixations -- the Bold 9930 and Torch 9850 -- on August 21st. This is according to a pair of internal documents leaked from Sprint, which suggest RIM's new touch-enabled QWERTY handset will carry a $250 price tag, while its counterpart, the full touchscreen (and similarly specced) 9850, will sell for a more palatable $150. We understand the keyboard addiction is hard to break, but that's quite a monetary motivation to choose full touch. In related news up north, Bell has beaten its August 16th target date for the Bold 9900 and Torch 9810, as both devices are now available to its Canadian customers for $170 and $150, respectively. Granted, these prices represent Bell's standard three year commitment, but at least they remain reasonable -- unlike the option from a certain Magenta-themed network. Also, we've got some good news for Rogers customers, as the carrier has lowered the price of its Bold 9900 to a more suitable $200, compared to the original $250. Hey Sprint, care to follow suit? [Thanks, Luis]
RIM's BlackBerry Torch 9850 goes official for Sprint and US Cellular (update: Bold 9930 for Sprint, too!)
What's a BlackBerry launch without a bit of love for RIM's CDMA partners? Infinite sadness, that's what. While the outfit (understandably) couldn't showcase the BlackBerry Torch 9850 at its London launch event this morning, the CDMA sibling to the Torch 9860 is making its official debut in the US of A. Destined for US Cellular and Sprint here in the States, the 9850 (shown right) will ship with a 3.7-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchpanel, BlackBerry 7 OS, a "waterfall" screen design that tickles the edges ever-so-slightly, and not one inkling of a physical keyboard. As with the 9860 -- which is destined for AT&T, Rogers, Telus and Bell -- you'll get a five megapixel "zero-shutter lag" camera, 720p movie mode, inbuilt GPS and a 1.2GHz processor. There's no mention yet of a price or release for the SIM-less duo, but you can bet that we'll keep you posted as we hear more. Update: Sprint's just pushed out a full presser of its own (embedded after the break), which also confirms that the Bold 9930 -- shown above on the left -- will also be making its way onto The Now Network. We're told to expect "fall" availability for both BB 7 OS phones, but specific pricing isn't expected until that already-ambiguous time frame draws nearer. As for the 9930, it's boasting an all-too-familiar design, with a 10.5mm-thick chassis, 2.8-inch capacitive touchpanel, the "widest QWERTY keyboard available on a BlackBerry smartphone" and a trackpad to boot. Moreover, NFC support is thrown in, as is a magnetometer for AR apps. Update 2: A trusted source just informed us that the Torch 9850 will soon go for $199 on contract (and after rebate) at US Cellular, or $549 with no strings attached.
BlackBerry Bold 9790 Bellagio offers unsanctioned tutorial (video)
Well BlackBerry fans, yet another variation of the Bold is now making the rounds on the internet: it's the 9790, otherwise known as the Bellagio. Although the device was first leaked in late May -- where we learned it would feature BlackBerry 7 OS, 8GB of internal memory, a touchscreen, and NFC -- RIM's latest QWERTY companion has remained below the radar ever since. Now, it's reappeared in some official tutorials, which reveal a familiar user interface. Also, two other videos offer views of the handset's exterior profile and a quick peek beneath the battery cover. Why are Lazaridis and Balsillie prepping this for sale when the Bold 9900 has yet to reach consumers? All we need is one, and the similar hardware and specs aren't building a compelling argument. Sure, RIM said it would be releasing seven upcoming smartphones in the coming months, but haven't its leaders learned that less is more? Follow the source for an extended peek at the redundancy.
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 Bold 9900 preview! (video)
RIM's BlackBerry 9900 is the device that the BlackBerry diehards have been hoping, wishing, and waiting for since the original Bold launched way back in 2008. However, this time around the company has added in a capacitive touchscreen, swapped the trackball of yesteryear for an optical trackpad, and slimmed the whole thing down into a 10.5mm thick package. We were lucky enough to get a prototype device from our friends over at Negri Electronics, and have manhandled the thing till we were blue in the face. Head on past the break for an exclusive preview of the device RIM is praying will stalwart its competitors until the first round of QNX-equipped devices lands in 2012. %Gallery-127041%
Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care?
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. The introduction of Google Wallet felt a little too good to be true, didn't it? It's magical, like the tech equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. In reality, the tech behind mobile payments has been around since 2003 on a much smaller scale using near-field communications, more commonly known as NFC. The idea behind Wallet (amongst other services, like ISIS) is contactless pay -- using your phone as a credit card -- and is just one of the many ways NFC can be useful in our everyday lives. In fact, we're only scraping the surface of what's theoretically possible. Google is definitely not the first company to dabble in NFC, but it appears to be poised and ready to push the tech's adoption forward at a rapid pace with the advent of Wallet and Offers. Until now the coals have been hot; but if a fire's going to start, someone monolithic has to throw a few newspapers in as kindling -- and Google volunteered. But what good is NFC if it's just an acronym that causes our eyes to glaze over? Is El Goog the only instigator? After the break we'll focus on what NFC is capable of, and why we want it on our phones as soon as yesterday.
BlackBerry Torch 2 preview! (video)
We've already seen the BlackBerry Torch 2 in photos courtesy of Mr. Blurrycam, but a little birdie from Negri Electronics was kind enough to send over a pre-release device for us to get under our own glass for a little photo shoot. Though it has a virtually identical form factor to the original, the Torch 2 bumps the specs in almost every department from the camera to the RAM. Oh, and it's running the next-gen BB OS 7 -- which is really OS 6.1, and still lacks any QNX DNA. Read on past the break for a full preview of this yet-to-be-announced slider, and some glorious HD video if the beautious shots aren't enough to whet your BBM-hungry appetites. %Gallery-125262%
Leaked BlackBerry Bold Touch simulation offers tire-kickers a bumpy joyride
If you ache to get your hands on the BlackBerry Bold Touch and lack any semblance of patience, RIM's recently leaked simulator offers an opportunity to vicariously manhandle its upcoming creation -- all from the comfort of your Windows computer. Although the software isn't without quirks (as evidenced above), the 177MB download includes system v6.1.0.55 -- more commonly known as BlackBerry 7 OS. The functionality is rather robust, and we happily took the web browser for a quick drive around the block. It provided a pleasant rendering of our sister-site Autoblog, but the simulator started sputtering once we approached our own domain. Perhaps you'll have better luck. So, if you're suitably equipped and a wee bit curious, you can start kicking these tires by following the source. [Thanks, Zaoist]
BlackBerry 'Apollo' gets manhandled on camera (video)
It's not exactly the most exciting device in RIM's pipeline, but the Curve "Apollo" is shaping a solid workhorse of a BlackBerry. The still-unannounced smartphone popped up on Tinh te, with the Vietnamese tech showing off some solid hands-on time with the device, putting it through its paces on video, and ending up genuinely impressed with the aesthetics and speed of the hardware. According to the site the new Curve is 11mm thick (a couple millimeters thinner than the 8900 it's juxtaposed with), packs a 800Mhz Marvell Tavor CPU MG-1 processor, and has a touch-insensitive 480 x 360 screen. Swipe that thumb touchpad after the break for a video tour of the phone, then dig the source link for more close up images. [Thanks, Anonymous]
BlackBerry Curve 'Apollo' gets featured in tutorial clips, BB 7 OS struts its stuff (video)
If you've been yearning to meet the upcoming BlackBerry Curve 'Apollo' on a more personal level, we think its leaked training videos will serve a fine ocular opportunity. While they're certainly no replacement for hands-on experience, these clips were discovered within a leaked copy of BlackBerry 7 OS and provide a concise overview of user interaction with the device. It's no touchscreen experience, that's for sure. Judging from the hovering orb that represents both your finger and wait times, we're not expecting this creation to be overly speedy, although these tutorials (hopefully) don't represent actual usage. On the plus side, there's some nice music accompanying the tour, which makes waiting for menus to appear feel downright enjoyable. Jump the break for an unsanctioned peek.
RIM announces BlackBerry 7 OS with better browser and BlackBerry Balance, but no legacy support
The BB OS 6.1 update that grew too big for its name has just been made official by RIM as BlackBerry 7. Its ambassador into the wide world of smartphones will be the newly minted BlackBerry Bold Touch, which is expected to arrive "this summer." What can you look forward to? The user experience is promised to be both easier and faster, voice-activated searches are available for content both on your phone and the web, and the browser has been "significantly enhanced" with new features like a JIT (just-in-time) JavaScript compiler and HTML5 Video support. BlackBerry Balance is also part of the new OS, allowing you to compartmentalize your personal and professional lives into neat and separate piles of content. Full PR can be found after the break. Update: RIM has just noted that there will be "no legacy support" with BB 7, meaning that older devices, even those running version 6 of the OS, won't be getting any (official) updates to the latest stuff. This has been justified by how tightly integrated the software build is with the underlying graphics hardware in the touch-capable Bold handsets. Basically, the old phones won't be able to run the new OS. Oh, and in case you were wondering, there's no trace of QNX in BB 7.
RIM to launch 6.1 update as BlackBerry 7 OS at BlackBerry World next week? (update: yes)
CrackBerry has just dropped word via "numerous sources" that RIM will be revealing the next iteration of its mobile OS at the fast approaching BlackBerry World conference -- and no, it's still not QNX. Despite consistent rumblings that upcoming devices like the Bold Touch, and Monaco would be launching with OS 6.1, it seems that RIM has decided to re-brand the update completely as BlackBerry 7, perhaps to increase the value proposition and differentiate new devices being announced along with it. However, the site also speculates that current phones running BB6 may not get any BB7 action right off the bat -- which could make sense, given that new features like NFC are only present in upcoming devices. All this is naturally unconfirmed, but if this is indeed yet another version of the BlackBerry OS, well, that certainly won't help the platform get any more developer love. Update: It's offficial. CrackBerry is reporting that RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie has informed investors of the new nomenclature on its earnings call, adding that "It's such a big update from 6." We can't wait to see for ourselves.
