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Virgin Mobile Canada getting Samsung Galaxy 5, Bold 9780, and more this quarter?
If only Virgin Mobile were this cool in the States, right? The company shares little more than a name with its American doppelganger, but the fact remains that Sprint's subsidiary could probably learn a thing or two from its buddy to the north (Samsung Intercept notably excepted). MobileSyrup says that the Android-powered Galaxy 5 (not to be confused with the much higher-end "S" line) with a 2.8-inch display will be hitting on November 12 for free on contract, while the still-unannounced Bold 9780 -- specifically identified as a "refresh" here, presumably to the 9700 -- is in the cards for CAD $149 ($147). There are also low-end LG Sway and Flick feature phones that you'll be able to hook up for free... but now that the Galaxy 5 promises to bring the era of free Android into the fold, it'll be interesting to see if manufacturers can keep these dumbphone offerings compelling enough to stick around.
BlackBerry 6 shows up on Bold 9700, Pearl 3G -- and we check it out
To the untrained eye, you might think you're looking at a garden variety Bold 9700 here -- but you'd be wrong. So wrong! It's actually running BlackBerry 6, something that no device other than the touchscreen-equipped Torch has managed to do in public (in an official capacity, anyway) so far. We're not convinced that the multiple home screen navigation bar concept translates very well here -- you've got to scroll up then left or right to move between bars, which seems like too much trouble when you can just get to your entire list of apps with approximately the same amount of effort. The WebKit browser is unquestionably a huge improvement over what BlackBerry OS 5.0 users are used to, but we still witnessed it bog down significantly when checking out ye olde standby engadget.com, to the point where other UI actions in the OS were impacted. We guess it's going to take another generation of hardware or two with quicker cores (and more RAM) to fix up that stuff... hopefully. In addition to the 9700, we also checked out the re-upped Pearl 3G, which is exactly what you'd expect in practice: the same user experience, just narrower. A rep told us that the updates are expected to launch within a few weeks, though it'll depend on your carrier. Follow the break for some quick videos! %Gallery-103541%
Unannounced BlackBerry Bold 9780 covered in detail -- twice over
The floodgates are really starting to open wide on this Bold 9780, a phone that by all accounts seems like an ultra-mild Bold 9700 refresh with BlackBerry 6 preinstalled. Both TechnoBuffalo and Mainguyen, a Vietnamese retailer, have full previews posted where we can see the darker bezel in full detail along with confirmation that it'll be packing a 5 megapixel camera and 512MB of RAM, double the 9700's. TechnoBuffalo is reporting that the new WebKit-based browser is still mad slow on this thing -- but let's face it, painful browsing is something BlackBerry customers are already well-accustomed to, so it shouldn't come as a surprise. Check out the source links for plenty of imagery and video (or, you know, just pull your 9700 out of your pocket and imagine BlackBerry 6 on it).
BlackBerry Bold 9780 in the wild one more time, still looks exactly like a 9700
Look, we know that every new BlackBerry model is going to bear a striking resemblance to the model it replaces -- that's just how RIM does things -- but isn't this getting a little out of hand? The BlackBerry 6-equipped Bold 9780 has been leaked a few times at this point, but we're seeing it now for the first time totally unshackled from Mr. Blurrycam's surly bonds... and yeah, if you had any doubts as to whether it was a dead ringer for the 9700 it'll likely be replacing, you can put those doubts to rest. Of course, when you've got a keyboard as good as the Bold series does, sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone, we suppose -- just makes that lucrative early upgrade market a little tougher to tap. [Thanks, Dion]
BlackBerry Bold 9780 spotted in the wild yet again, this time in white
It's still not official, but the BlackBerry Bold 9780 hasn't exactly been making itself shy over the past couple of months, having turned up in the wild, on video, and now in the wild yet again in a white version. As before, the device appears to be mostly identical to the Bold 9700 it's presumably replacing, with the biggest changes being a new 5-megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM instead of 256MB and, of course, BlackBerry 6 for an OS. Still no firm indication of a release date, but Phone Arena is speculating that it will launch in October, possibly on T-Mobile and AT&T. Hit up the source link below for a few more pics.
BlackBerry Bold R020 and 9670 Oxford flip outed?
It's felt almost as if the BlackBerry smartphone rumor mill has been a little too quiet -- dare we say burnt out -- since the Torch hit the scene (BlackPad notwithstanding, of course). That's all changed with a pair of interesting leaks care of Boy Genius Report. Behold a successor to the Bold 9700, the R020. The tri-band UMTS / quad-band EDGE device is gonna disappoint some with the same 624MHz clockspeed and 2.44-inch 480 x 360 screen, but it does have twice the RAM (512MB), a 5 megapixel camera with AF and flash, and of course runs on BlackBerry 6. If the purported leaked slides are correct, a device of such magnitude should be launching in the October timeframe. Looking to the CDMA side of things -- which means likely both Verizon and Sprint -- we've got a 9670 "Oxford" (at least by codename) flip phone with a full QWERTY keyboard, 5 megapixel camera, 360 x 400 internal display (240 x 320 for the external), usual amenities like WiFi and GPS, and the hip new BB6. No touchscreen on either phones, as far as we can tell, but perhaps that's a blessing for those that fret smudged screens.
Engadget's back to school guide: Mobile phones
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we have mobile phones in our sights -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Back in our day, the only "mobile phone" at school was the one that broke off the dorm wall after our roommates got a little too rowdy, but nowadays, a capable, high-power handset is quickly becoming a must-have for students of all ages. Regardless of your budget, your parent's budget, or your little one's budget, we've got options that should help with studying, gaming, music, and maybe even the occasional call home.
US Cellular adding BlackBerry Bold 9650 tomorrow for $160
For a carrier that only offers the lowly Pearl Flip 8230 and Curve 8530 right now, you could definitely argue that regional US Cellular is in desperate need of a BlackBerry freshening -- and it's getting exactly that this week with the launch of the Bold 9650. Though it won't have BlackBerry 6 at launch, USCC's press release is quick to note that the phone is "BlackBerry 6 ready" and will be available as an upgrade "in the coming months." Like other 9650s in the field, this version offers a GSM / HSPA radio on board for global roaming capability, a 3.2 megapixel shooter, optical pad, and -- of course -- all the portrait QWERTY action you can handle. Look for it in stores tomorrow for $159.95 after a $70 rebate on a new two-year deal.
Bold 9650 spied running BlackBerry 6
RIM has already gone on record saying that the CDMA-equipped Bold 9650 has been mercifully tapped for a BlackBerry 6 upgrade "subject to carrier certifications in the months ahead," but where's the proof, RIM? How do we know you're not just spouting a bald-faced lie? Okay, okay, we don't doubt BlackBerry 6 is coming for the 9650 owners out there, but it's still nice to see a few shots of a Verizon-branded model with the new code in the wild. Word on the street is that it's running really slow right now, so it might be a while until they iron out enough kinks to get it to retail -- but who knows, maybe we can count on a leaked firmware or three in the meantime.
RIM sells 100 millionth BlackBerry, hints at two more devices in the near future
Say what you will about BlackBerrys -- although with the Bold 9800 slider and OS 6, things might be looking up -- Research in Motion is still doing strong in the pocketbooks. The company just released its first fiscal quarter 2011 results with revenue growth of 24 percent year-over-year, and here's the rounded-number kicker: its 11.2 million shipments of smartphones this quarter has raised total shipments to over 100 million BlackBerrys. Quite a feat, but enough chit chat about the past -- what does the future hold? In a conference call pertaining to the fiscal results, RIM alluded to two new devices shipping soon, with one for the summer and one closer to fall. We'd bet a pretty penny one of them is the aforementioned slider, but as for the second? Guess we'll just wait and see.
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 9650 hits Verizon tomorrow for $150 after contract
...and it's official! The BlackBerry Bold 9650 will be available for online ordering from Verizon beginning June 3rd (that's tomorrow) and in Verizon stores starting on June 10th. This is the provider's first global handset with GlobalAccess Connect tethering, and in keeping with the "global" theme transnational road warriors can look forward to worldwide VZ Navigator (including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and of course ol' Blighty). Expect to pay $150 after $100 rebate and a two-year contract. PR after the break.
White BlackBerry Bold 9700 now shipping at T-Mobile for $100
As promised, T-Mobile has now taken the white version of its BlackBerry Bold 9700 to retail. Along with the already-available black version, the 9700 goes out the door for $99.99 on contract after rebate, merely half of what the carrier was asking for the phone when it launched late last year -- and a price that makes the much lower-end Curve 8520 a less compelling buy, if we do say so ourselves. Interestingly, these guys are still selling the G1, and it goes for exactly the same price; which would you rather have?
Verizon's BlackBerry Bold 9650 seems like it's coming soon (this week?)
We know, Tour owners -- you're so ready for a little WiFi in your life that you could quite literally scream. Go ahead, let it out! There, doesn't that feel better? No? Well, maybe this will: new shots out of The BlackBerry Zone suggest that Verizon sales reps are being actively trained on the Bold 9650, adding to a trail of evidence over the past month from a variety of sites that the phone is coming shortly. It certainly should, considering the relative importance of BlackBerrys in Verizon's lineup and the fact that Sprint now has it at retail, and it's still possible that documentation on CrackBerry last month pointing to a May 27 release -- that's this Thursday, for the record -- is accurate. We'll know soon enough, but in the meantime, treat those old trackballs with care, alright? [Thanks, Steve]
More BlackBerry Bold 9800 pics surface: AT&T and virtual keyboard in, SurePress out?
You might've been intrigued by the previous show of the BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider, but this new series of images blows those all out of water. The Berry Fix has a plethora of pics for your perusal, chief among them a showing of the virtual keyboard to complement the physical QWERTY. We gotta say, every announce of good design sense lost on the 9670 must have been spent on this guy; we're really intrigued by this one. If that wasn't enough, we've got two more details that'll tickle your fancy: an AT&T splash screen for one, and claims from the article's author (via Twitter) that RIM's not using SurePress here. That'd actually be quite a relief, but until we get our hands on the sucker, let's just curb our enthusiasm, mkay?
Nothing black about these berries: T-Mobile outs fuchsia Curve 8520, white Bold 9700
We kind of already had a hunch on this one, but it's totally official now: the "fuchsia" version of RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8520 is now totally real and available on T-Mobile for $49.99 on a two-year deal (interestingly, you can get either the black or the white versions for free, so you'd better really want the red). Alongside that, the Bold 9700 is getting repainted in white -- a trick we've seen before with the original Bold 9000 -- on May 26 for $129.99 on contract. Oh, and that Bold will come loaded with BlackBerry OS 5.0.586, an update that's now available to existing customers as well. High fives all around -- at least until 6 drops, right?
NTT DoCoMo, KDDI launch their endless Summer 2010 collections
Surprise: Japanese carriers are announcing literally dozens of phones at once. Okay, look, that's not a surprise at all, but bear with us, because there are a few shining jewels in here amongst the seemingly endless array of WVGA displays and one-seg tuners from NTT DoCoMo and KDDI au, both of whom have announced their Summer 2010 collections of handsets this week. Of note, two of the models from DoCoMo -- the Fujitsu F-06B and Sharp SH-07B are capable of shooting 1080p video, while KDDI's SH008 from Sharp, S003 from Sony Ericsson, and CA005 from Casio all feature sensors of 12 megapixels or larger. Several of the devices can also be used as WiFi hotspots, and Hitachi's trick Beskey for KDDI has interchangeable keypads that change the shape of the keys, not the layout -- a bit superficial, perhaps, but we're all about choice. DoCoMo is also launching a handful of smartphones: the Lynx SH-10B from Sharp (not to be confused with the old Atari handheld of the same name) that features Android atop a 5-inch touchscreen, Toshiba's 4.1-inch T-01B Dynapocket with WinMo, and RIM's plain old BlackBerry Bold 9700. Don't get us wrong, it's still quite a haul, but we can't help but feel that the gap between Japan's wireless scene and the rest of the world is closing fast.
Sprint BlackBerry Bold 9650 goes on sale a little early
It looks like Sprint couldn't wait to share its version of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 with the world -- it went on sale online today, a week before its scheduled May 23rd launch. You're looking at $199 on a two-year deal, but unless you're dying for a new 'berry we can't say we're finding this Tour-with-an-optical-pad even remotely as exciting as the EVO 4G, which is due on June 4. But it's still quite handsome, right? That's... something. [Thanks, Geo]
BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider coming next month as an AT&T exclusive?
We've still got thousands of unanswered questions (well, maybe not thousands, but definitely dozens) about RIM's upcoming BlackBerry 6 platform -- and it's starting to look like we might be answering those questions at retail by way of this Bold 9800 slider that's been making the rounds lately. BGR claims that the handset is lining up for a mid- to late-June release on AT&T, with the carrier having placed a substantial million-plus unit order to lock it up as an exclusive for some undetermined length of time (much as Verizon has managed to do both with the Storm and the Storm2). We hate to point out the obvious, but from a PR perspective, June's not the best month to be announcing and / or releasing anything that isn't an iPhone -- and when you look at the 9800's form factor and the baby steps that BlackBerry 6 seems to make toward boosting consumer appeal, we don't think you can make an argument that this is a sufficiently different market segment the same way you could with, say, the 9700. In other words: we wouldn't be shocked to see this date slip a bit, assuming the rumor pans out.
RIM's BlackBerry Bold slider with OS 6 does a little dance, gets down tonight (video)
Pictures are great, but video's better. What holds true for salacious celebrity tattle is equally true for gadget gossip. So hold tight and prepare to leer, we've got the first quick and dirty video of RIM's new Bold slider running BlackBerry 6 after the break. Somebody alert TMZ.
