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BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 8/3/2009

Joe — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:00:41 +0000

Feeling overloaded with BlackBerry news and rumors? We know the feeling. We hear new things almost every day, and it can be tough to keep up with it all. that’s why we’re bringing you BlackBerry News from the Wire every Thursday.

We’ll catch you up on everything ‘Berry that happened over the course of the week. Not only that, but we’ll rank ‘em by importance, so you can more easily skim the items and read the ones of most significance. If you only have time to read one article, for instance, you might want to head down to our 5-star section. It’s All the BlackBerry News Fit to Geek.

BlackBerry Curve again the top-selling smartphone
In the first quarter of 2009, the BlackBerry Curve was the best-selling smartphone in America. It was a testament to the Curve’s versatility. Enterprise and consumer users alike found plenty to enjoy with the relatively small Berry. The results are in for the second quarter, and again the Curve is on top, beating out the iPhone 3GS, which was released at the end of the quarter. In fact, four of the top six spots went to the BlackBerry — the Pearl at No. 3, the Bold at 5, and Storm at 6 — while the iPhone took slots 2 and 4 (for the regular 3G). That’s nothing but good news for RIM, which could see the Tour enter the ranks starting next quarter. Think it will rate higher than the Bold? Tough to outdo the Curve and Pearl, since those cover various models over all carriers.

New patent reveals RIM playing with touch screens
We haven’t seen a RIM patent in a while, but that changed this week. Unwired View tracked down a new application, this one for a touch screen. And not just any touch screen, but one with hybrid capacitive/resistive capabilities. The idea is to take the best of both types to create an even better touch screen, with the sleekness of an iPhone which has the ability to handle stylus inputs. It’s just a patent application, so we have little to go on. Still, it sounds like a mighty cool idea.

An early look at Desktop Manager for Mac
One of the most exciting bits of BlackBerry news this year is that RIM will release Desktop Manager for Mac. Us Mac users have been left behind with BlackBerry, forced to use inferior desktop managers like PocketMac. It’s not the worst program in the world, but it just can’t do all the same things Desktop Manager can. That should change in September, but for now there’s a quick preview of Desktop Manager for Mac. It has the basic DM properties, like backing up and restoring contacts and programs, adding and removing third part apps, and the ability to upgrade or downgrade an OS. Then there’s the ability to sync with iCal, iTunes, and Entourage, even across multiple machines. I can’t wait for the day in September when I visit the RIM site and click “download.”

Possible release dates for the Storm 2
We’re going to run into a lot of projected release dates over the next few months, mainly for the BlackBerry Onyx and the BlackBerry Storm 2. On the Storm 2 front, The BlackBerry Zone hears that it will hit the UK on Vodafone in October, while Verizon will have it for US customers around Black Friday. While there’s no known source behind the information, it makes sense. For all we know it could be an educated guess, because it goes along with what we’ve been hearing for a while, and it logically fits. I wonder if RIM and Verizon will have a similar marketing push this year.

What is the BlackBerry 9990?
It seems a bit early for RIM to be introducing a device with the model number 9990, but that’s what someone found in an image file. Kevin did some research, and found that the model number does exist, but doesn’t necessarily mean a new device. In fact, it kind of looks like 9990 refers to the Storm 2. But I thought that was the 9550. It also says device software 5.7, so it could be a farce. Easily. Or it could be the Magnum, I suppose.

Could a new device feature a front-facing camera?
One potential feature of the Bold which got many excited was a front-facing camera. These make for perfect video conferencing, an act many BlackBerry users participate in. It could be coming early next year, though the information is filtered through someone who doesn’t much care. Honestly, I don’t either, but I know other people do. Perhaps this would work better as Verizon deploys its LTE network throughout 2010? That’s an idea…

Look for the Curve 8530 on Sprint, Verizon in November
We already heard that Verizon would be carrying the BlackBerry Curve 8530, the Gemini for CDMA, on November 1. It looks like Sprint will follow suit. Both carriers are pushing the old Curves out the door it seems, ready to welcome this new one. Though with the Storm 2 dropping around the same time, Verizon might not get much time to hype the 8520.

RIM upgrades App World to 1.1. RIM has added some new search filters, including the ability to sort for free apps. Sounds like a good upgrade for App World.

A status message for your BlackBerry. If everyone integrated WhatsApp into their Address Books, life might be a bit easier. It’s a program which sets you a status message, so people know if you’re free to take a call.

Reviewing the MOTOROKR EQ5 wireless speakers. These seems like a good deal for those who listen to a lot of music on their BlackBerry.

Add or remove call logs from your messages list. Notice how missed calls pop up in your message list by default? You can change that.

Transferring voice notes to MP3 on your desktop. So you can archive and play back your voice notes.

Edit forward and reply emails. Sometimes you need to edit some stuff out of emails you forward and reply to. This app lets you do that.

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

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 8/3/2009

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

BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 8/3/2009

To flip or not to flip the BlackBerry Pearl

Joe — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:30:00 +0000

A while ago, we talked about why you want the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip. It was a neat concept of RIM to design a clamshell BlackBerry, and through it they were able to add a number of improvements over the original Pearl, including larger keys and a longer screen. Still, there are many advantages that go along with the original candybar flip. So which stands up better against the other? Don’t ask me, a regular schlub who writes on the Internet. Take it from Zara, who starter her blog, m0bilechic, earlier this year. She takes a look at both Pearl models, noting the differences between them. It’s absolutely worth a look if you’re going to get yourself a new BlackBerry in the near future.

She does make a compelling case for the 8220. This is all the more relevant because of Verizon’s impending release of the 8230, the same as the 8220…even the Wi-Fi.

hat tip CrackBerry

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

To flip or not to flip the BlackBerry Pearl

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

To flip or not to flip the BlackBerry Pearl

Why you want the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip

Joe — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:57:26 +0000

Way back in the day, right around the time we launched BBGeeks.com, we published an article called Why you want the Blackberry Pearl. It was a pretty basic article, touching on the reasons why the Pearl was/is in a class of its own. RIM just upped the ante yesterday, as they and T-Mobile announced the availability of the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip. So it only makes sense to talk about why you want the new Pearl.

It’s the most compact BlackBerry yet

No, it’s not by much, but the Pearl 8220 is the shortest BlackBerry yet. The previous versions of the Pearl measured 4.2 inches long by 1.97 inches wide by 0.55 inches (0.57 for the 8100) deep, and weighed about 3.1 ounces. That’s pretty small by BlackBerry standards. Compare it to my old 8830 (sayonara, buddy), which was 4.49 inches long, 2.6 inches wide, and 0.55 inches deep. Clearly, if you were going for the compact model, you’d be going for the Pearl.

The new Pearl flip knocks 0.22 inches off the length, measuring 3.98 inches top to bottom. It still has the same convenient 1.97 inch width, though is logically a bit deeper at 0.69 inches. You also get some extra weight, as the new Pearl is 3.6 ounces. You’ll get some extra bang for your buck with that weight, but we’ll discuss that later. For now, tough, we can just focus on the shorter length, somewhat offset by the depth, which makes this the shortest BlackBerry yet.

It has Wi-Fi

When you’re going with a non-3G phone, having WiFi can be an incredible positive. U.S. GSM carriers AT&T and T-Mobile make this even easier, as they have thousands of WiFi hotspots set up nationwide. Yes, you’ll have to deal with slow EDGE speeds outside of these hotspots, but they’re certainly a positive. The BlackBerry Pearl 8220 is just the second Pearl to come with WiFi. The other is the 8120, available through both AT&T and T-Mo.

The question, really, is whether there will be an 8210 which comes with GPS and not WiFi. We’ve heard such rumors, and it does make a degree of sense. Otherwise, why use 8220 as the model number, rather than 8200? I guess we’ll find out in due time.

Best Pearl display yet

Here’s the biggest upgrade from the older models of the Pearl: a high resolution display. The second generation Pearls (8110, 8120, 8130) had a max resolution of 240 x 260 with 16-bit color support. While that’s fine and good, it’s not quite high-res. The Pearl 8220? How about a 240 x 320 max resolution. That’s some serious pixelage. It’s one of the main advantages to designing this as a flip: There’s more room for the screen.

Not only that, but RIM put a decent display on the outside of the camera, maxing out at 128 x 160 pixels. No, you won’t be able to watch 300 on it, but you can still probably catch most of your friends’ picture messages.

The real story, though, is inside. Remember, the max resolution on the 8830 was 320 x 240, so we’re talking about the same, only inverted. This, in a phone that is shorter than even the original flip. The Pearl 8220 certainly packs a visual punch.

More memory capacity

There are two aspects when we’re talking about memory. The first is flash memory, and the Pearl 8220 has a leg up on that. While most older BlackBerry models have clocked in with 64MB of flash memory, the Pearl 8220 doubles that to 128MB. For you, that means more message capacity, more room for third party apps, and more time before your ‘Berry starts acting funny because you’re low on memory.

The other aspect is expandable memory. The newer lines of BlackBerry have had SD card memory slots, and the 8220 does as well. However, because of the OS, 4.6, it has support for up to 16GB memory cards, double that of the pre-4.5 models. So not only do you get more on-board memory, but you have the option to expand it to depths previously unknown by BlackBerry users.

All the things you love about BlackBerry

Don’t think that just because RIM included a few new features with the 8220 that they forgot about why people want a BlackBerry in the first place. It still has the infamous push email system which put RIM on the map. It still has Bluetooth, still has a speakerphone, and still has the organization features available on previous BlackBerry models.

Of course, coming with OS 4.6 is a major plus. You can upgrade your old Pearl to OS 4.5, sure, but this puppy was built to run the new OS. With economic hard times upon us, you might want to stick with your old Pearl. However, if you choose to upgrade to the 8220, we can’t blame you.

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

Why you want the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip

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

Why you want the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip

BlackBerry Pearl flip now available from T-Mobile USA

Joe — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:59:42 +0000

For the most part, we like to keep our news limited to BlackBerry News from the Wire, but for announcements like this we make exceptions. Today is October 13, 2008. We heard that the device would be out by October 15, so it’s right on schedule. That sounds kinda weird right now, doesn’t it, considering the Bold delays. The pricing is consistent with what we heard a week or so ago. You can check out the Pearl’s page on T-Mobile for further details. We won’t let it go at this, though. We’ve got a little something extra after the jump.

On Sunday, Al Sacco of CIO magazine let us know that there is a hidden safe mode on the 8220. This is like the Safe Mode we’re used to in Windows, in that it allows users to isolate problems, usually associated with third-party applications. It’s easy to access. Just pull your battery. The red LED will come on when the reboot starts. Once it turns off, hold down the Back (or Escape) key until the device tells you it will be running in Safe Mode. Another battery pull brings you back to normal.

Also, a happy Thanksgiving to those in Canada. I hope you enjoy your day with your family, and are not reading this until Tuesday (though I know you’ll be reading it today).

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

BlackBerry Pearl flip now available from T-Mobile USA

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

BlackBerry Pearl flip now available from T-Mobile USA

Video of the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip

Joe — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:11:12 +0000

Judging by Web coverage, it seems that RIM’s announcement of the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip phone has been one of the bigger items at CTIA in San Francisco. Then again, I might just be a little biased in that regard. While we at BBGeeks can’t be there this week to bring you the latest from RIM, our pals at Mobile Diner are. They’ve got some video of the Pearl over at Qik. Thanks much to Chris and Emily for the link. After the jump, we’ll toss up the video showing some features of the Pearl.

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

Video of the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip

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

Video of the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 flip

Eye candy emerges for the BlackBerry Pearl 8220

Joe — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:25:00 +0000

It was so much more fun when we could call it the Kickstart. Hell, even the rumored SeaWolf name would have been better, too. Yet we’re stuck with just another BlackBerry Pearl. Well, I shouldn’t say stuck — many people are going to like the new BlackBerry flip phone. According to Cell Phone Signal, we should be seeing this roll out on the T-Mobile network in early October. We’ve been hearing dates ranging from mid-September to mid-October, so this makes enough sense. After the jump, some screen shots of the device, including the T-Mobile myFaves home screen.

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

Eye candy emerges for the BlackBerry Pearl 8220

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

Eye candy emerges for the BlackBerry Pearl 8220

BlackBerry Kickstart Pearl 8220

Joe — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:49:26 +0000

Well, so much for the whole Kickstart thing. While many of us thought it was a quality name for RIM’s first flip phone offering, it appears the name is dead. Documentation suggests that they will go with the ol’ trusty name of Pearl, according to Cell Phone Signal. It will be the Pearl 8220. This actually makes sense in a way. Back in May, we looked at the differences between the Kickstart and the Pearl, and it didn’t amount to much.

The information gets better. According to Kevin, it will launch on Rogers in Canada. Further, Cell Phone Signal says that both T-Mobile and AT&T will get the device in the U.S., despite the carrier’s disfavor with RIM.

Like the latest version of the Pearl, the flip phone will feature an 8220 model, with WiFi for T-Mobile, and an 8210 model, with GPS for AT&T. Still no word on launch date, though. Given the avalanche of information from the past few days, though, you have to figure something is in the offing.

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

BlackBerry ~~Kickstart~~ Pearl 8220

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

BlackBerry ~~Kickstart~~ Pearl 8220

Rogers launches BlackBerry Pearl 8120

Joe — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:41:19 +0000

Yesterday, Rogers Wireless announced that they’d be offering the BlackBerry Pearl 8120. That’s the WiFi version, which is significant, since Rogers now offers free home WiFi calling. For a flat monthly rate, users can route calls over their broadband Internet connection, and not waste any airtime.

The press release notes $249.99 as the price with a three-year contract, but it looks like there’s a promotion on Rogers’ website, which has the phone at $149.99. It looks like you’ll need a certain plan to get it that low. Without a contract, it will run $499.99.

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

Rogers launches BlackBerry Pearl 8120

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

Rogers launches BlackBerry Pearl 8120

BlackBerry 8110 hits AT&T

Joe — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:22:21 +0000

So today marks AT&T’s release of the Blackberry Pearl 8110. “Wait a minute,” you might say. Didn’t AT&T just release a new Pearl last month? Indeed they did. So what’ with the new model? If you check out BlackBerry’s nifty compare function, you’ll see that the 8110 adds GPS, but subtracts WiFi. You’d think that they’d just put the two together, a la the 8820. Alas, we will have to wait for such a SureType device.

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

BlackBerry 8110 hits AT&T

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

BlackBerry 8110 hits AT&T

T-Mobile releases BlackBerry Pearl 8120

Joe — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:17:36 +0000

All right, so this isn’t exactly news — T-Mobile did announce it a couple of weeks ago. But because they blew the release date last time, I thought it worthy to note that the Pearl has been released. It’ll cost $149 with a two-year contract. Yes, it has WiFi (GPS, too), so it’s compatible with T-Mo’s popular Hotspot @Home service.

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

T-Mobile releases BlackBerry Pearl 8120

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

T-Mobile releases BlackBerry Pearl 8120