While RIM’s WES 2010 keynote is still ongoing, the company’s YouTube channel has kindly released the first teaser video for the incoming BlackBerry 6 operating system. There’s a lot of movement on screen — so much, in fact, that it’s almost like RIM really doesn’t want you to see the OS at all. We did catch sight of a Cover Flow-aping music organizer, an onscreen keyboard engaging in some threaded messaging, Facebook and Twitter clients, and even the briefest of glimpses at that famed WebKit-based browser. Interaction in the video is done via touch, but you’ll naturally be able to utilize the new interface on more conventional, touch-less devices as well. Skip past the break for the moving pictures.

Continue reading RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video

RIM shows off BlackBerry 6 on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM’s co-CEO Mike Lazaridis just announced in an analyst call today that the company’s next platform — coined BlackBerry 6 — will be available “in the next calendar quarter,” which we take to mean the third quarter of 2010. We weren’t able to see a video preview of the platform that was shown to analysts attending the event, but the demo apparently showed a touchscreen interface; a follow-up question from the audience confirmed that it’ll be available for both touch and non-touch devices, though. Interestingly, Lazaridis said that the company’s all-new WebKit-based browser is part and parcel with 6, pointing out that the rendering engine will have implications throughout the platform and the apps that run on it, not just on the browser alone; in other words, we wouldn’t expect a release of a WebKit browser from these guys for OS 5.0-based devices. Speaking of OS 5.0, the intention is that every device in RIM’s portfolio will eventually run 6, but not everything in the market today will necessarily be upgradeable — Lazaridis says that they’ll “do [their] best,” but he’s not making any guarantees. More on this as we get it.

BlackBerry 6 coming in third quarter of this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM has a longstanding track record of refining its hardware with near-surgical precision — from one generation of BlackBerry to the next, you almost always see a very careful, deliberate evolution, from the Storm2’s revamped SurePress tech to the Bold 9700’s optical pad and countless examples in between. “Evolution” is exactly how we’d describe the CDMA- and GSM-equipped Bold 9650, the Tour’s spiritual successor that ditches the old name to join forces with the remainder of the Bold line. Dimensionally, the Bold 9650 is a dead ringer for the Tour — it’s still 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.56 inches — but it packs on two-tenths of an ounce worth of weight in exchange for oft-requested WiFi support and an extra 256MB of internal storage (it’s now up to 512MB total). The other big difference, of course, is the replacement of the dodgy trackball with an optical pad, continuing a trend that has now permeated throughout virtually all of RIM’s lineup. Look for the Bold 9650 to hit American carriers — presumably both Verizon and Sprint — in May. Follow the break for a second shot and RIM’s full press release!

Continue reading BlackBerry Bold 9650 announced, targets Tour owners’ big complaints

BlackBerry Bold 9650 announced, targets Tour owners’ big complaints originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As smartphones go, the original BlackBerry Pearl 8100 series’ longevity is nothing short of astounding — with some minor tweaks, the phone has lasted essentially unchanged for well over three years. Needless to say, it’s time for the granddaddy of consumer-grade BlackBerrys to start collecting pension, so it’s an awfully good thing that RIM has chosen its WES conference this week to announce the all-new Pearl 3G. Rumored as the Pearl 9100, the phone becomes RIM’s very first with 802.11n WiFi support (in addition to 802.11b and g, naturally) and features a 3.2 megapixel camera, 256MB of internal storage with microSD expansion up to 32GB, GPS, triband HSDPA with quadband GSM / EDGE, and a 360 x 400 display. RIM is making the Pearl 3G available in “several lustrous colors” and two different keypad configurations — numeric 14-key and the more traditional SurePress 20-key — though there’s no indication that the rumored QWERTY version will make it to retail (at least, not yet) or that the company intends for users to be able to swap modules themselves. Expect the phone to launch with “various carriers” in May — and considering that they’ve got both AWS and 850 / 1900MHz 3G versions in the mix, we’d expect to see it launch on AT&T and T-Mobile alike. Follow the break for RIM’s full press release.

Update: RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis just showed off a white version of the Pearl 3G during his WES talk. We haven’t seen one floating around, but it looks pretty hot — and considering the number of colors the original Pearl came in during its lifetime, we’d expect it to be just the start. Pic after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry Pearl 3G revealed: two keypad styles and 802.11n WiFi

BlackBerry Pearl 3G revealed: two keypad styles and 802.11n WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oops, looks like The Street leaked RIM’s big unveil for later this morning at its WES show: the BlackBerry Bold 9650 (pictured left looking very Tour like) and BlackBerry Pearl 3G. The Bold 9650 boasts 802.11b/g WiFi, a 3.2 megapixel cam, GPS, and support for US EV-DO Rev A networks or UMTS/HSPDA when abroad — look for it to launch next month on Sprint. The Pearl 3G is headed to Bell, Telus, and Rogers in Canada with a 3.2 megapixel camera, 802.11n WiFi, GPS, and triband HSDPA data with quadband GSM / EDGE. Both feature RIM’s new optical trackpad. Hold tight while we wait for more detail from RIM.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G outed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s sort of stunning how many stellar smartphone options Verizon Wireless customers suddenly have, but lest we forget that RIM’s hotly-anticipated Storm2 was rockin’ the suburbs late last year. For those who sprung, we’re curious to know if you’re happy with your decision. Do you think RIM adequately addressed the gripes from round one? Is the display responsive enough? Was the addition of WiFi what sealed the deal? Are you annoyed that you didn’t hold out for the new Palm lineup? Feel free to get really real in comments below — we get the impression that Waterloo needs all the feedback it can get when it comes to QWERTY-less mobiles.

How would you change RIM’s BlackBerry Storm2? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a hell of a year for Motorola, but one thing’s stayed the same: the company still thinks RIM is ripping off some of its patents. At least that’s the sense we’re getting from a new complaint Moto’s just filed with the International Trade Commission alleging the BlackBerry crew is infringing five patents on “early-stage innovations” that range across WiFi, app management, UI, and power management. As per usual with ITC complaints, Motorola’s asking for a ban on RIM imports — we’d imagine a cross-complaint from RIM barring Motorola imports is coming soon. Also spotted: lawyers gleefully dancing in the streets dressed only in loinclothes made from money.

Motorola asks ITC to ban BlackBerry imports originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t know, but it seems like RIM has enlisted a couple more CDMA engineers because the gap between new devices launching on GSM and then making their way to CDMA has been getting noticeably smaller over time. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 was launched on T-Mobile only a few short months ago, and it’s already made its way to both Verizon and Sprint. It’s not the same powerhouse as its older sibling the Tour, but this device packs a heck of a lot of punch into a very pocketable package. Read past the break for our extended impressions.

Continue reading BlackBerry Curve 8530 impressions

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Curve 8530 impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gonna be a long day for BlackBerry users: RIM’s confirmed to multiple outlets that its BIS servers are acting up and that email services are being delayed — and we’re actually hearing that they’re just down, period. BlackBerry Messenger still works, though, so you can still BBM your BFF or whatever the kids do nowadays. No word on service restoration, but we’ll update you when we find out.

P.S.- That’s two months in a row with significant BIS problems — what’s up with that, RIM?

Update: … and we’re back!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

BlackBerry email down / delayed in North America (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For a company with the most starched, buttoned-up roots of any major wireless manufacturer, RIM’s venture out of its enterprise comfort zone to the consumer space went amazingly smoothly thanks to the introduction of the original Pearl, a phone that’s still sold in a variety of colors, configurations, and carriers to this day. At some point, though, it became clear that the industry was moving toward touch — a space RIM had never dabbled in — and the trend gave birth to the Storm, a product that had obviously been rushed to market with countless software bugs and a dodgy SurePress concept that caused more problems than it solved. With prototypes floating around in the wild mere months after its predecessor’s release, RIM’s message was loud and clear earlier this year: “we need to fix the Storm, and we need to do it quickly.” Ultimately, it’s ended up taking the company just about a year to get the Storm2 to market, a product that attempts to tweak Waterloo’s touchscreen strategy just enough to undo a few mistakes and send it down the right path. Mission accomplished? Read on.

Continue reading BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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