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BlackBerry Storm 2 dropping SurePress screen?
When we brought you those exclusive Storm 2 pics and details just a short while ago, we touched upon the "new approach to text entry," but unfortunately didn't have any details. However, lightning has struck again, and our source has gotten back to let us know that the Storm 2 does indeed have a stationary screen "just like the iPhone's," which lines up with what Boy Genius Report is hearing. That's right, it looks like RIM is axing its SurePress technology in favor of a more conventional touchscreen, though our tipster says the model he has may allow for some type of haptic feedback to be enabled. This should be great news for all you folks having dust-under-screen issues on your first-gen Storms, but obviously, we'll have to wait and see until this thing gets, you know, legit.[Thanks, BBninja1389]
Exclusive BlackBerry Storm 2 shots!
What's this we have here? A trusted source just hit us with a slew of beauty shots of the Storm 2 that leaked a little bit ago. Not much else to say at this point until we can get one in our hands -- the photos really speak for themselves. But seriously, what are you still doing here? Get over to the gallery and see all the tasty (and frankly, familiar) shots! [Thanks, BBninja1389]
BlackBerry Storm 2 gets pictured early
We knew it was coming, and just like its relatives the Onyx and the Gemini, yet another unreleased model has managed to escape the confines of RIM's Waterloo headquarters. This time, however, it's the Storm 2, which we've heard has been internally codenamed "Oden." We've also caught wind that this model pictured is of the GSM flavor, and yes, it's indeed packing WiFi in addition to GPS according to one of our sources. As far as that rumored "new approach to text entry," it sounds like the keyboard has been tweaked but isn't a radical departure from the first generation. From the photos, it seems that RIM has advanced in the war on buttons and axed the bottom four in favor of some touch-sensitive controls. The real improvements, however, appear to be under the hood, as the whole device reportedly runs much faster and smoother than the current model. We can't confirm these specs, but with the Tour coming this summer, and the Storm 2 hopefully making an appearance before the holiday shopping season, looks like you Verizon BlackBerry fans might not have to be that jealous of your GSM brethren after all.
Firmware roulette: Storm build 4.7.0.141 allegedly fails Verizon's testing
Why other CDMA carriers can seamlessly roll out newer builds of the Storm's firmware without fanfare or drama when Verizon can't is beyond us, but for whatever reason, Big Red's been totally unable to put its finger on a build that it has liked lately. First we heard they'd been eyeing 4.7.0.113, then we heard they were learning toward 141 -- and now, who the hell knows, because the latest rumors claim that 141 has failed validation. Ominously, it seems that no game plan has yet been put in place to succeed 141 in the official roadmap, so it's unclear whether they'll be looking at continuing down the 4.7 path or moving straight to 5.0. One way or another, it goes without saying that Verizon's version of the 9530 needs new software -- so if you haven't yet, you might want to consider nabbing one of the countless leaked builds rather than waiting for your carrier to get its butt in gear.
Vodafone's BlackBerry Storm gets 4.7.0.141 update
The ratio of firmware leaks to official, carrier-endorsed releases for the 9500 and 9530 Storms is something ridiculous like 7-to-1, so when we do see an official update, it's kind of a big deal. On that note, we present to you 4.7.0.141 -- Vodafone UK's weapon of choice for upgrading its fleet of Storms deployed in the field. Don't bother trying to shoehorn this into your units, Verizon customers; it's a different model, and you'll hopefully be getting yours soon enough. [Via CrackBerry]
RIM CEO confirms a new Storm is brewing
It's not like we're surprised to hear this, but RIM CEO Jim Balsillie just told Reuters that the company is hard at work on a successor to the BlackBerry Storm. According to Jim, the consumer market is "large and untapped," and the current Storm is a "huge success in terms of sales and adoption." Sure, sure -- it's hard to scoff at a million units sold, after all -- but with rumors of an entirely new approach to text entry flying around, we'd say there's a good chance the Storm 2 doesn't so much build on the Storm formula as start over entirely. Thoughts?[Via PhoneScoop]
BlackBerry Curve 83XX overtakes iPhone 3G in US smartphone rankings
The handset might've been surpassed in functionality and looks by its Curve 8900 successor, but nothing's got an edge on the BlackBerry Curve 83XX series in smartphone sales. According to NPD, the handset overtook the erstwhile champ iPhone 3G in the category for the first quarter of 2009, while BlackBerry's own Storm and Pearl handsets took the third and fourth slots, with the T-Mobile G1 rounding out the ranks in fifth place. Overall the smartphone market has grown from 17 percent of handset sales in Q1 2008 to 23 percent in Q1 2009. Compared to the previous quarter, RIM's gained a whopping 15 percent share of the US market -- owning nearly half of the entire scene -- while Apple and Palm both dropped 10 percent as they prep for their heroic mid-year launches.
BlackBerry Storm 9530 build 4.7.0.141 leaked, possibly on the way to Verizon release
Want a head start on the very firmware Verizon might be launching next month? If you're a Storm 9530 owner, of course you do -- and like clockwork, it's now been leaked for everyone to enjoy. The version you'll be looking for here is 4.7.0.141, which by our rough calculations is some 28 builds ahead of the 4.7.0.113 we'd previously heard would hit the carrier-branded devices in an official capacity. Hopefully the latest version rocks all the same features, enhancements, and fixes that 113 did, and a whole lot more; let us know how it goes for you if you pull the trigger ahead of Verizon's blessing, yeah?
Telus gets 4.7.0.122 for BlackBerry Storm, too
Bell gets the gold star on its forehead for being the first CDMA carrier out of the gate with a newish build for the BlackBerry 9530, but Telus isn't far behind, releasing 4.7.0.122 -- the very same build Bell released, in fact. This leaves only Verizon with one of the worst cases of firmware lethargy we've seen in recent memory -- at a time when one of its hero devices needs as much love as it can get, no less -- so we're definitely taking some comfort in the information we're getting that build 141 is on track for May. Cross you fingers, folks.[Via CrackBerry]
Verizon's BlackBerry Storms finally getting firmware update soon?
We reported not long ago that Verizon had been planning to release 4.7.0.113 as its next official firmware update for the Storm, and now, PC World is reporting that it'll finally be dropping sometime int he next two weeks. Considering that other 9530 carriers have already rolled out post-113 builds to their customers, we can't help but wonder a couple things: first, whether 113 will still be the chosen release, and second, why RIM can't get all of these carriers on the same page. It seems a bit silly for Bell to have signed off on a recent build while Verizon's still hemming and hawing; realistically, Bell, Telus, and Verizon probably could've collaborated with RIM's assistance to get a more unified roll-out underway. In the meantime, Verizon's looking silly, slow, and out of touch.
Bell rolls out 4.7.0.122 for BlackBerry Storm 9530
Verizon users are still waiting patiently for something blessed official by the powers that be, but meanwhile, Storm-ites on Bell up north are finally in the game. Build 122 of the Storm 9530's firmware hit Bell's servers in the past few days, presumably offering all the goodies 113 has to offer and more (it's 9 higher, after all, and we all know that higher numbers are always good). The Storm could end up being a feel-good story of how a device can go from "pretty bad" to "pretty good" with firmware updates alone, so keep 'em coming, RIM. You too, carriers. [Thanks, Sean]
RIM (employee): Storm 2 with "new approach to text entry" for end 2009, early 2010
Reputable Dutch site Tweakers has Alain Segond von Banchet, RIM channel sales manager according to LinkedIn, stating that the BlackBerry Storm followup is scheduled to launch at the end of the year or at the beginning of next. In addition, he has the phone coming to KPN, not Vodafone who had the first generation Storm locked-up under an exclusive deal. Interestingly enough, Mr. Segond von Banchet says that the Storm 2 (not the final name) will "offer among other things a new manner to input text" -- among other things meaning WiFi, presumably, as we heard before. Keep in mind that channel sales managers do not typically represent a company to the press. Nevertheless, what he's saying does jibe with previous rumors and we have no doubt that RIM is working hard to avoid the universal disdain that greeted the Storm's mushy, push-button touchscreen input.Update: Tweakers responded telling us that Mr. Segond von Banchet was speaking on the record for RIM because there was no one from marketing at the TeleVisie 2009 Expo yesterday.
WiFi-equipped BlackBerry Storm 2 coming to Verizon in September?
Looks like you might be able to cross at least one bullet point off of your Storm 2 wishlist. According to unnamed source who SlashGear swears is the bee's knees, the successor to BlackBerry's touchscreen smartphone will add WiFi support for faster home / coffee shop web browsing. The informant hinted there's other surprises on the horizon but wouldn't give specifics, so for now you'll just have to keep dreaming about that SurePress touchscreen that doesn't slow down your texting. As for when we should expect the sequel, the report pointed to a release sometime in September on Verizon's network.
Verizon counting on build 113 for its next Storm firmware release, changelog leaked
We've been able to confirm that Verizon currently plans to release version 4.7.0.113 as its next official Storm firmware build -- about time, considering that the last (and only) official upgrade came some four months ago while a countless flurry of interim builds have whizzed by on the interwebs. It gets better, though: we've also scored an official list of fixes and enhancements in 113, which we've broken down after the break. A word of warning: it's a massive, massive list. Read on!
NHL-themed BlackBerry Storms should fix all the bugs
What's the only thing better than a carrier-endorsed firmware that fixes a plethora of the Storm's reported issues? An NHL-themed decal, of course! It looks like Bell is prepping to launch the 9530 in a special NHL package that'll include a skin for the hockey team of your choice (admittedly, we're kinda digging the striped front) and a storage card preloaded with NHL content and goodies. Altogether, you'll be paying $249.95 CAD on a three-year contract for the package, which represents a $50 premium over the plain-vanilla Storm; hopefully there's a mail-in rebate involved there somewhere, eh?
BlackBerry OS 4.7.0.114 breaks cover for Storm 9530
It's that magical time again -- that time where we get out our Storms, cross our fingers, and take that leap of faith hoping that RIM knows better than our carriers do (and let's be honest, that's not a terribly big leap of faith). Yet another firmware for the 9530 has leaked out of Waterloo without any endorsement -- thus far, anyway -- by any carriers offering the device, but this one's a little special in that it apparently implements that new copy / paste method we'd been hearing about. As always, upgraders are advised to use caution, but seriously, how many firmware builds can we go through before Verizon goes ahead and certifies one for the masses?
New copy / paste paradigm in the works for Storm?
Storm firmwares have been leaking out of Waterloo at a positively breakneck pace for a couple months now -- and naturally, new builds of the operating system are liable to bring along new functionality every once in a while. Here's a particularly interesting one: it seems like RIM might have some sort of new clipboard action in store for an upcoming release, adding a visible box around text that you want to select -- just drag the handles on each side to make your selection. Considering that fingers tend to be a little fatter than your average line of text, it seems like a solid plan, but so far, there's no word on when we might see this in a leaked build -- let alone a build officially released by a carrier.[Via BlackBerryNews]
Unify4Life AV Shadow app to soon turn BlackBerry Storm into remote
Apple's iPhone probably has too many remote apps for its own good, but Unify4Life is looking to provide RIM's BlackBerry Storm with just one -- the best one, in fact. The company's admittedly impressive AV Shadow software, which we happened to experience ourselves at CES, is reportedly coming soon to RIM's first ever touchscreen 'Berry. How soon? Try "later this week." If you're interested to know precisely what you're waiting for, give that play button above a push.
Haier shows off mysterious "NetBooks," Android phones
Haier's offerings are always an adventure, and this year at MWC they didn't disappoint. They were showing off an interesting assortment of MIDs, confusingly dubbed "NetBooks," including a mini-laptop of sorts (left) that falls somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, we're totally short on specs, release dates or other sorts of relevant informations, so what you see is pretty much what you get. On a similar note, Haier had two Android-based devices at the show, dubbed the G1 and the G2, along with a BlackBerry 8900 look-alike we didn't see, and another phone that even the PR person wasn't sure what it was. These two "Googlephones" (their word) were sadly out of battery when we went for a demo, but one of them bore more than a passing resemblance to the BlackBerry Storm, though it happens to be lighter, smaller and runs a new OS... maybe RIM can call up Haier for some pointers.%Gallery-45365%
RIM's BlackBerry Storm -- how would you change it?
Mobile users of the world, you have been summoned. This week's How Would You Change just wouldn't be complete without the input of our very own handset aficionados, so head on over and drop your two pennies on RIM's BlackBerry Storm. You know you've got some choice words you'd like to share, right?
