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Engadget Rewind 2008: BlackBerry Storm
Smartphone makers were still reeling from the arrival of Apple's touchscreen-only iPhone when 2008 rolled around. Research in Motion (RIM), a mobile manufacturer best known for its BlackBerry line and QWERTY keyboard prowess, was at the top of its game and primed to jump into this emerging form factor. That year, it launched the BlackBerry Storm smartphone -- a direct rival to Apple's handset. As RIM's premier effort in touchscreen smartphones, it offered an interesting spin on the interface with what it called SurePress. This was a touchscreen you could depress or click; an innovation RIM hoped would bridge the gap between the company's current physical keyboard-accustomed clientele and the next generation of smartphone buyers. The Storm was RIM's attempt to solve the "problems associated with typing on traditional touchscreens" and leverage its longtime experience with clickable keys. While the phone had a sleek and solid build, a vibrant 3.25-inch display and was backed by Verizon's network, that SurePress technology ended up doing more harm than good.
BlackBerry Pearl 3G turns up on Cincinnati Bell
Wondering what ever happened to the BlackBerry Pearl 3G that made its debut way back in April and then all but disappeared? Well, we've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you can now actually buy one in the US. The bad news is that it's seemingly only available on Cincinnati Bell at the moment. If that happens to be your carrier of choice, however, you can get your order in right now for $99.99 on a two-year contract, or simply snag the slim, SureType device outright for $349.99. Still no word on when other carriers will be getting the phone but, if the FCC is any indication, it should be headed elsewhere sooner or later. [Thanks, Adam]
BlackBerry Pearl 9100 surfaces yet again, this time with specs
Rumors of a low-end BlackBerry Pearl 9100 have been swirling (or at least slightly agitating) as far back as November of last year, but it looks like we're now finally starting to get a clearer picture of some of the phone's actual specs. As we'd heard previously, this one comes equipped with a SureType keypad (no QWERTY version to be seen yet), and a trackpad instead of a trackball. According to Tech Digest, it will also boast 3G connectivity, along with a 3-megapixel camera, and a design that's said to be a "fair sight sleeker" than current BlackBerry Pearls. Still no indication of pricing or availability, unfortunately, but it seems like this one is getting about due for a release.
BlackBerry Pearl 9100 revealed, has lost its gemstone but not its luster
The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 was, and still is, a lovely little phone, QWERTYfied, pocketable, and rocking that little milky trackball that gave it its name. There's finally a true successor coming down the pipeline (the flippy 8230 not really counting) though it ditches the iconic pearl for a now-standard (and hopefully more reliable) touchpad. There's a similarly swoopy SureType keyboard and the overall dimensions look very much the same, meaning this should fill the tiny BlackBerry void once again -- whenever it ships. Update: But of course the original 8100 also had SureType, not QWERTY. [Thanks, Alex T]
SureType coming to BlackBerry OS 5.0
As far as we can tell, BlackBerry OS 5.0 is shaping up to be extraordinarily incremental -- some users will barely notice the difference -- but one welcome change is the addition of SureType support on full QWERTY devices. Dropdown boxes spotted in build 5.0.0.110 for the Bold seem to make typing even easier than it already is, which is actually a pretty scary reality considering how quick some folks on the 9000's keyboard. Of course, this means you'll have to spend more time wheeling the trackball than you might like, but it's a tradeoff we'll take.
Samsung announces 20-key SGH-t349 for T-Mobile
We saw this one coming -- and sure enough, Samsung's t349 is real, continuing the manufacturer's somewhat bizarre tradition of dropping 20-key configurations on T-Mobile. This one's yet again targeting the crowd looking for low-end, easy messaging with a 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth support, microSD expansion, and a funky silver / green color combo that the suits aren't going to dig as much as the kiddies. It doesn't do 3G, but the best part of the phone might be the easy-on-the-wallet price -- just $14.99 on contract.
Samsung prepping a 3G bounty for T-Mobile this year
It's not clear how people manage to score so many good pictures of phones that aren't scheduled for announcement -- much less release -- for months, but who are we to complain? Some crafty dude over on TmoNews' forums is showing off much of Samsung's 2009 lineup for T-Mobile, and the first fantastic bit of news here is that everything we're seeing is apparently 3G; that's a good sign that T-Mobile's confident enough about its AWS buildout to start transitioning its lineup to 3G en masse, and plump 3G lineups always makes us happy. Anyhow, we've got the Gravity 2 here your choice of red or orange, the 20-key t349 candybar, and that's not all we've got for you QWERTY and half-QWERTY fans -- there's an unnamed clamshell here (pictured) that'll be available in two colors. Finally, there's a supposedly low-cost full touchscreen device looking a little bit like a cross between a Cookie and an Instinct s30 that's running TouchWiz and features a 3 megapixel camera. No Android stuff here, though the lucky poster says that he believes the device will be the i7500 and won't be available until November -- a bummer if true. [Thanks, Glenn]
Samsung t349 to continue 20-key tradition on T-Mobile?
Strangely, Samsung has somehow developed a bit of a niche reputation for rolling out SureType-esque 20-key devices on T-Mobile USA, going back to the t719 flip -- and more recently, the t729 slider. It's an odd claim to fame, but it's a relationship they're apparently looking to continue with the upcoming introduction of the t349 candybar if a freshly-leaked doc is to be believed. This would mark the third form factor in as many handsets for the 20-key Sammy meme on T-Mob, but don't expect any amazing specs to commemorate the occasion -- it looks like we can expect a 1.3 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, and an utter lack of 3G data, so yeah, "entry level" is an appropriate phrase here. Anyhow, Boy Genius Report has May 20 pegged for launch, so if you're looking for something between a numeric keypad and full QWERTY on your cheap texting phone -- aren't we all? -- circle that date on the calendar.
HTC Juno headed to T-Mobile?
Not a lot of dirt on this one just yet, but BoyGeniusReport has it that the HTC "Juno" should be headed to T-Mobile, and soon. Of note, the Juno moniker is apparently just a codename that could change upon official launch, but this sexy handset will purportedly include Windows Mobile 6, a "consumer friendly interface (TouchFlo?)," and a whole lot of wow-factor in the display. Regrettably, that's practically all of the details available at the moment, but considering that it should hit T-Mobile exclusively late next month, official word shouldn't be too far behind.
BlackBerry Pearl 2 in the wild
If you're trying to figure out what's different here from the original... well, first of all, you're probably not a Pearl owner, and second, most of the fun stuff is under the hood. Pinstack has scored a plethora of high quality shots detailing the GSM / WiFi variant of the Pearl 2, OS 4.3 and all. As we'd heard before, the presence of WiFi excludes the presence of GPS here and it'll be up to carriers to decide which model to carry -- an especially tough decision considering that there's no 3G radio. Most of the Pearl 2's rumored improvements are in full display in this gallery, too: the 3.5mm headphone jack, external microSD slot, moderately improved keypad, and a fresh coat of paint. Hit the Pinstack link for the remainder of the visual stimulation.
Samsung prepping t429 slider for T-Mobile
It seems Samsung thinks that one slider ain't enough for T-Mobile USA's lineup. The aptly-named t429 (pictured left) will slot in just below the long-since-released t629, offering up a measly VGA cam and Bluetooth in a dark, reasonably attractive package with an expected launch date of August 20 (no @Home here, sorry). Boy Genius Report has the full details, plus a closer look at the flashy t729 -- a phone that curiously extends Samsung's licensing relationship with RIM for BlackBerry Connect and SureType -- with availability allegedly starting August 1. We'll wait for 3G, personally, but you gotta like Samsung's initiative here.
Pearl alternative? Samsung T719 now on T-Mobile
We can't vouch for the quality of its keys, but Samsung's floated its own piece of SureType pie in the SGH-T719 clamshell, a form factor you'll not soon find in RIM's stable (at least, as far as we know), and it's now available on T-Mobile. As we reported earlier, the BlackBerry Connect-enabled phone comes equipped with a 1.3-megapixel cam, Bluetooth, and EDGE -- all features we expect in a garden-variety Samsung launching on T-Mobile, leaving the ridiculously easy push email (and matching oddball keypad layout) as its claim to fame. The $200 T-Mobile's asking for the T719 seems a touch steep to us, but then again, where else ya gonna get a BlackBerry flip phone?[Thanks, Rob M.]
Samsung SGH-T719 with SureType coming soon to T-Mobile
It turns out the 8100 / Pearl won't be the only device with SureType dropping on T-Mobile in the next few weeks. Samsung's curious clamshell, the SGH-T719 with BlackBerry integration and that love-it-or-hate-it SureType keypad, is now listed as "Coming Soon" on T-Mob's site. The 1.3-megapixel cam is nothing to write home about, but it's got Bluetooth and support for quad-band GSM plus EDGE -- not a bad option for road warriors that are, for whatever reason, morally opposed to smartphones but still like their email fresh and fast.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
BlackBerry 7130 invading Europe
RIM's latest piece of SureType goodness, the 7130, is starting to drop on European carriers. We've found it on Vodafone's UK site, and we have word (and pictures to back it up) via pinstack.com that we should be seeing it on O2 any minute now. US users drooling at the device's shapely form factor, EDGE, and Bluetooth 2.0 need not wait long -- Cingular and T-Mobile should be getting one flavor of the 7130 or another before too long. See a screen cap of the 7130 on Vodafone UK's e-shop after the break.[Thanks, Gina Lisa and Iain M.]
Hands-on with Samsung's T719
We got a chance to take a good, long look at Samsung's new T719, their SureType-equipped slim flipphone with BlackBerry connect. The 1.3 megapixel camera and slim design are all well and good, but the keyboard is obviously notable for a non-smartphone Samsung device. The BlackBerry integration was so seamless it was actually invisible (emails just showed up in the unified email / SMS / MMS messaging app); the rest of the interface was the usual Samsung UI we've come to know and tolerate like. The handset itself? It was surprisingly light, solid, and the keyboard was bright and tactile. Plus, how can we fault a phone that had "Engadget" in the dictionary (or at least was able to predictively guess our weirdo name)?
