BB Geeks » BlackBerry 9000 Series

Rumor: BlackBerry Javelin to hit T-Mobile

Joe — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:50:02 +0000

An interesting tidbit comes our way from BlackBerry News. It appears that the BlackBerry Javelin’s API was found to have T-Mobile WLAN error codes. This isn’t to say that it will be exclusive. But it appears that T-Mo customers will see the device. As Boy Genius Report said last month, it will have WiFi, so it would be a good fit with T-Mo.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Rumor: BlackBerry Javelin to hit T-Mobile

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Rumor: BlackBerry Javelin to hit T-Mobile

A look into BlackBerry OS 4.6

Joe — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:29:53 +0000

And we’re back with your BlackBerry 9000 highlights. Today, the guys at CrackBerry take a look at the new OS shipping with the 9000. While we’ve been looking to OS 4.5, as they noted back on Tuesday, this is OS 4.6. And yeah, as Kevin describes, it’s “pretty.” He goes over the layout, native applications — including the upgraded media app — messenger, Bluetooth, and the camera. So let’s go to the highlight reel.

As far as themes go, yeah, they are visually pleasing. That’s in some way due to the vastly improved resolution. It seems you can fit more icons on the main screen with the Precision themes, something I just lauded yesterday. The only little quirk: When you hit the menu button, the background disappears, and you have a black screen with icons. Maybe this will be changed for the final release.

When menus pop up, they are now transparent (for the most part), which is nice, I guess. I’m not sure it’s something everyone will love, but there’s no reason not to do it, I suppose.

One of the best new features of the OS is the ability to axe applications right from the menu, rather than going through the Advanced Options menu. You can also delete nonactive themes without heading into that screen. Then again, using the Advanced Options –> Applications menu isn’t all that bad, since, according to Kevin, it’s light years faster than what we’re used to now.

The only addition to BlackBerry Messenger is a spell check feature. While Kevin wasn’t sure whether this was there before and he just missed it, I can confirm that there is no spell checker on my 8830. It also offers up suggestions if you hit the menu key on the misspelled word. It’s a great feature not because I can’t spell, but because I type really fast and loathe proofreading my own work.

With Bluetooth, the best addition is the ability to route calls to your handset or your BT. I understand the need for this. Sometimes I leave my Bluetooth paired and don’t even know it (if my phone is in my pocket I can’t see the flashing LED). You can also listen for a device, rather than only being able to search for one.

Finally, we talk media. The media player is the best of BlackBerry to date, but if you’re using something like FlipSide, you might want to nab the newest version of that. The camera, at 2 MP, is nice, and the flash is supposedly ultra bright. You can take pictures and view videos in full screen, though shooting videos takes place on a smaller portion of the screen. Oh, and you can geotag your pictures, which can be helpful for some folks (others, like me, are totally indifferent to the feature).

I have to say, just writing up these highlight pieces is making me froth at the mouth for a 9000. Anyone want to buy me one? Seriously, I’ll just get their $20/month prepaid data plan. It’ll be cool. You can say you’ve sated an addict.

What? No takers?

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

A look into BlackBerry OS 4.6

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

A look into BlackBerry OS 4.6

More on the BlackBerry 9000 review

Joe — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:31:38 +0000

I feel like it’s SportsCenter here. Kevin is playing the game at CrackBerry, while we’re giving you the highlights. Today comes the second installment of the BlackBerry 9000 review, and it’s just as massive as the first.

A major concern with the 9000 has been battery life. This almost always seems to be an issue initially, and for the most part it works out in the end. The initial take of the 9000 has the battery running pretty normally, though Kevin has been running it on WiFi for the most part. If it can last a full day of normal to heavy use without needing a charge, it’ll be fine.

A bit of bad news: Onboard memory has not been expanded. That might have been wishful thinking, anyway. So it looks like you’ll need a microSD to store your bigger files.

Apparently, though, the 9000 can pull information from your memory card almost instantaneously. In fact, the whole unit is faster than its predecessors. Which, I suppose, is to be expected. Processors are getting faster and faster, and with all the other quick smartphones hitting the market, RIM clearly had to deliver speed with the 9000. And they did.

There’s a quarter inch gain in screen width, which might not seem like a lot, but it’s something. Kevin says that this combined with the impressive resolution makes the screen look a ton bigger than the older BlackBerry models. He puts it aptly: “if you handed the device to a longtime Treo user they would mistake it for a touchscreen and start tapping at the 9000’s shortcuts, which on the default Precision themes are nice and big.”

A final note for this installment. When I got my first BlackBerry, I couldn’t stand the LED. Absolutely hated it. Well, kind of. I loved the convenience of knowing when I had new messages, but i hated that the LED always caught my eye when my phone was on the desk. Apparently, this LED is even brighter. Looks like it’s being turned upside down while I work at home.

That’s it for today. You can check out the video below if you’re so inclined. We’ll catch up with you soon with the next installment of the BlackBerry 9000.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

It’s not the Niagra, it’s the Javelin

Joe — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:08:42 +0000

It appears that RIM is trying to cross up us Internet types who like to talk about their devices well before they’re announced. Yesterday, we learned about the Niagra, which was supposedly the BlackBerry 9000, just without 3G. But that turns out not to be the case. Instead, the Javelin is the 3G-less 9000 model. So what of the Niagra? Turns out, that’s going to be the EVDO version of the 9000, which is slated to hit Verizon in about a year. All this information is solid for now, unless it changes sometime in the future, which it most certainly will. Specs for both models after the jump.

These are both from the BGR post, linked above.

The Niagra:

* “Large screen family”
* QWERTY keyboard
* 480Ã—360 LCD
* EV-DO Rev. A
* aGPS
* 3.2 megapixel camera
* 4.7 OS platform
* BES 5.0 support (HTML email, etc)
* Qualcomm MSM7600 processor

And the Javelin:
* QWERTY keyboard
* 480Ã—360 LCD
* Quad-band GSM/EDGE
* GPS
* Wi-Fi
* 3.2 megapixel camera
* 4.6 OS platform
* BES 5.0 support as well
* ArgonV processor

I’d be quite happy if the release date was right. While I’m still in the early stages of a two-year contract (boooooooo), swallowing it after a year and change will be a bit easier with Verizon’s prorated early termination fees. I’d get, like, $90 off the $175 fee. As long as the subsidy for the new one is more than $85, I’m golden.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

It’s not the Niagra, it’s the Javelin

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

It’s not the Niagra, it’s the Javelin

Hands on review of the BlackBerry 9000

Joe — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:36:18 +0000

It seems like we’ve been talking about the BlackBerry 9000 forever. It’s starting to get to the point of iPhone hype, which I suppose isn’t a bad thing for RIM and all of us BlackBerry Geeks out there. Still, we’re left wanting. We’ve gotten no real hands on taste of the 9000 — well, we did have one, which claimed that it has a front-facing camera, which turned out to be bunk. Well, Kevin at CrackBerry got his grubby paws on one, courtesy of a quickly-pulled eBay auction. He plans to do a multi-part review, and the first one is just massive. So I’ll go over the highlights, including some pictures.

So it looks pretty much like the pictures that have been circulating for the past few months. It’s a sleeker-looking version of the 8800 series, which should keep everyone relatively happy. Kevin reported no qualms with holding the device. Here’s some better news for those of you worried about the keyboard: He says that, as a fan of the Curve and not of the 8800 series, he found it easy to use. So that should allay some fears.

He also reports sheer excellence from OS4.6. He’s saving this for part two of his review. I’m anxious to hear about it, since it might finally provide us with a real browser. My days of complaining might be coming to a close.

The display is reportedly stellar, so much so that: “For the 88xx, Curve and Pearl users reading this who shunned the notion of upgrading to the 9000 when it comes out, let me just say this display alone will make you want to reconsider.” Unfortunately, I’m stick with my 8830 for the foreseeable future.

Pretty exciting stuff. There will sure to be plenty more, so tune in for the highlights.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Hands on review of the BlackBerry 9000

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Hands on review of the BlackBerry 9000

If you can’t beat ‘em, hire their people

Joe — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:48:11 +0000

If you’re Research In Motion, and you’re trying to compete with what some people deem the coolest phone ever, what do you do? You can try as you might to outdo that device, but you’ll need some firepower. It seems RIM is aiming to do just that, as they’re looking for someone fluent in iPhone application development. According to the job listing, the ideal candidate would be “part of a newly-created team.”

A comment on the listing, made by someone at RIM, says: “If you’re a pro at developing software for MAC’s then this it the position for you. It’s a new development team at RIM, so you’re getting in a the very early stages when joining this team.”

Still the intention isn’t exactly clear. Are they looking for someone who can help them build a better iPhone? Or someone who can make the BlackBerry more Mac-friendly? Either way, it’s interesting to see RIM branch out like this.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

If you can’t beat ‘em, hire their people

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

If you can’t beat ‘em, hire their people

Time to throw aside the 9000 rumors

Joe — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:59:21 +0000

There are rumors, and there are leaked documents that clear up those rumors. The fellows at Boy Genius Report have gotten their hands on an internal spec sheet for the BlackBerry 9000. It’s full of goodies, including WiFi, which makes me weep with joy. It looks like the browser is getting a major overhaul, which is even better than the WiFi. And best of all, BGR says we’re looking at a July release. They further say that they have an idea of when it will be announced, but are keeping it to themselves. WES, anyone? You can check out shots of the spec sheet here. Happy viewing.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Time to throw aside the 9000 rumors

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Time to throw aside the 9000 rumors

Whole lotta confusion on the 3G BlackBerry

Joe — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:27:26 +0000

So on Friday we cited an article in Fortune, which said that a 3G BlackBerry with AT&T was pushed from June to August. This sounded like news to us, since we haven’t really been familiar with an 8900 (Meteor) model. In fact, as far as I knew, the next new model released would be the 9000 series. Turns out, the Fortune article wasn’t that newsworthy. Boy Genius Report said the same thing a month ago (which BBGeeks definitely touched on). I guess that since Fortune changed the model number, it seemed like legit news.

BGR also talks about the inherent power management issues with the new release. Since they’re using a 3G chip with a 624 MHz processor, it’s going to eat a lot of battery. Best to get this worked out before release, even if it means a two-month delay. After all, I think their customers would be happier with a good device later, than a new device now, which they’ll have to charge more than once a day.

I just hope that clears up the confusion the Fortune article has caused.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Whole lotta confusion on the 3G BlackBerry

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Whole lotta confusion on the 3G BlackBerry

The 9000 rumors keep pouring in

Joe — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:55:03 +0000

We must be getting close to the release of the 9000 series, since we’re seeing updates galore from the Boys Genius. Today, it’s screenshots which suggest that a number of carriers are planning for the 9000. But not only that, but some make mention of a 9100 model. Honestly, I have no idea what anything on these screenshots mean. In fact, since they’re in Notepad, it stands to reason that they could be less than genuine. Still, for those of you looking to quench your 9000-rumor hunger, this should tide you over until next week.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

The 9000 rumors keep pouring in

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

The 9000 rumors keep pouring in

Video conferencing on the BlackBerry 9000?

Joe — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:00:29 +0000

As with everything relating to the 9000 series, this is a rumor, and should be taken as such. The inimitable Boys Genius, via “Spanish blogger Luis Rodriguez” (is that Spanish-language blogger?) are hearing that the new model could face a front-facing camera for video conferencing. You can find the source here, via Google Translate. It appears he’s had a test model for a while, and drops us a few more supposed tidbits:

The microSD slot is reportedly external, and the battery is bigger. This would help support high-powered features like the aforementioned video conferencing, a 3G radio, and — may we wonder? — WiFi. Apparently, though, the battery won’t make this model thicker than the Curve. That’s a plus.

Still, we can’t be sure how accurate this report is. I’m not sure I’d use the feature much, but I’m sure plenty of others would love it.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Video conferencing on the BlackBerry 9000?

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.

Video conferencing on the BlackBerry 9000?