Posts Tagged ‘blackberry os’
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, BlackBerry OS
The last video we posted of the Storm 2 doing its SurePress thing has been unceremoniously pulled from YouTube, but this new video really makes up for it. It turns out the screen uses piezo electronics to detect pressure at any point on the screen, instead of the all-or-nothing click button on the Storm 1, and our video host was kind enough to explain this in painstaking detail in the video embedded after the break. The screen actually stiffens when it’s off or locked, and has a sort of spongy give to it when alive. He also confirmed in no uncertain terms the GSM and CDMA versions of the device will be packing WiFi. According to his Twitter account, we should be expecting a video about the OS soon as well.
[Thanks, Kristjan]
Continue reading Video: Storm 2’s new touchscreen tech explained with mindblowing clarity, WiFi confirmed
Video: Storm 2’s new touchscreen tech explained with mindblowing clarity, WiFi confirmed originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: berry-storm, BlackBerry, blackberry os, blackberry storm 2, engadget-mobile, messaging, storm2, surepress, touchscreen, video
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Saturday, August 15th, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless, BlackBerry OS
Still not convinced that the BlackBerry
Storm 2 is alive and kicking in places outside of RIM’s “secure” labs up in Waterloo? How’s a seven minute long video showing off this perennially-leaked device for all you skeptics? The blur-free video shows off the updated
SurePress screen that only clicks when the unit’s actually in use, as well as some size comparisons with the
Onyx and Tour. The mystery man behind the camera says that even though his OS is super old — at least by pre-release firmware standards — it’s much faster than the previous-gen Storm. Also interesting is the fact that WiFi doesn’t appear to be present in the “Manage Connections” screen, although we can almost say with 100% certainty that there will be WiFi at launch. The full video’s posted after the break, conspiracy theorists: go wild.
[Thanks, bighap]
Continue reading Video: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets yet another prerelease review
Video: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets yet another prerelease review originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: blackberry os, browser, engadget, Storm, surepress, Verizon Wireless, verizonwireless, video
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Friday, August 7th, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Vodafone, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, BlackBerry OS
There’s little doubt that the Storm 2 is real, but where’s it going, exactly? Not long after its debut in some 1960s-era Verizon mainframe that occupies two and a half acres of rural real estate in an underground bunker in North Dakota (we totally fabricated that, by the way), the phone has shown up in a Vodafone Germany computer of similar vintage and unfathomable size. RIM’s latest attempt at the touchscreen craze is undoubtedly being pursued with some vigor by the world’s top-tier carriers, and it makes sense that all of the original model’s launch partners — Vodafone Germany included — would have first dibs. No word on a launch date, but we take it as a good sign that everyone’s feverishly entering this stuff into inventory databases now.
[Thanks, anonymous BlackBerry lover from Germany]
BlackBerry Storm 2 spotted in Vodafone Germany’s systems originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: Apple, berry-storm, blackberry os, engadget, engadget-mobile, handsets, messaging, RIM, Storm, virgin-mobile
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, BlackBerry OS
That new BlackBerry Curve 8520 for T-Mobile is in the house, sucking down EDGE data like it’s going out of style (oh, right, it is). For a device that can be scored for $50 at Walmart as of tomorrow ($130 at T-Mobile stores), this is a surprisingly solid handset. The keyboard is classic BlackBerry goodness, and the overall heft gives us at least a little bit of assurance that the phone can hold up to wear and tear better than its predecessors. Most of the changes are for the better, like a trio of media keys up top and the rubberized sides, but we’re not completely sold on the touchpad. It works great when it works, but if it’s too clean or our thumb is at the exact wrong moisture level, we found that we kind of “stuck” to the pad instead of gliding across it. A bit of texturing could go a long way. We also found the QVGA screen to be pretty dim, which is particularly unfortunate in light of RIM’s higher-end, high-res wonders, but it’s certainly passable. We’re planning on spending some more time with the handset, testing that EDGE network to the limit, giving UMA time to handle some of legendary conversational stylings, and seeing how many Engadget Podcast episodes we can narcissistically cram onto the bundled 1GB microSD card.
In speaking with RIM, it’s quite clear that the decision to go EDGE was primarily based on price, along with the fact that T-Mobile’s 3G rollout is still lacking — it’s still a head scratcher to us, though. The spokesperson also seemed pretty confident that the new touchpad interface is the way of the future, and we get the feeling the BlackBerry’s legendary trackball isn’t long for this world. Check out a quick video hands-on after the break, or you could opt for some fine unboxing shots below.
Continue reading T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 unboxed and handled (with video!)
T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 unboxed and handled (with video!) originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: berry-curve, BlackBerry, blackberry curve 8520, blackberry os, blackberrycurve8520, curve, curve 8520, engadget video, engadget-mobile, games, messaging, podcasts, RIM
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Monday, August 3rd, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, BlackBerry OS
We all know there ain’t no party like a Super Walmart party, ’cause the Super Walmart party don’t stop. Aiding its cause in being the go-to place for night owls and bargain hunting insomniacs is the fact that it’s apparently selling T-Mobile’s newest BlackBerry ahead of the August 5th street date. Don’t believe us? Jump on past the break for an unboxing video, and afterwards, feel free to call your nearest five Wally Worlds until you find one ready and willing to take your $48.88 (on contract).
[Thanks, Alex]
Continue reading Video: T-Mobile BlackBerry 8520 sold and unboxed early
Video: T-Mobile BlackBerry 8520 sold and unboxed early originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: accessories, black, blackberry curve, blackberry os, culture, gemini, handsets, network, podcasts, RIM, virgin-mobile, walmart
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Monday, July 27th, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, BlackBerry OS
Sadly enough, this is pretty much par for the course with RIM. We talk about a BlackBerry for months on end, and after everyone grows acquainted with its features via less-than-official sources, the company finally confesses. At any rate, the long-awaited BlackBerry Curve 8520 (which may or may not go by Gemini on T-Mobile) has finally found a dedicated landing page on its maker’s website, and while the list of specifications aren’t a surprise, there is one thing that caught our eye. Alongside the 2 megapixel camera, video recording mode, WiFi radio, 1,150mAh battery (which is good for 4.5 hours of talk time or 17 days in standby), a fairly robust multimedia player and a 320 x 240 resolution display, RIM also promises “out of the box Mac compatibility.” Specifically, we’re told that users will be able to “sync contacts, calendars and notes” by using BlackBerry Desktop Software on Apple computers. Of course, when clicking for more information, we’re simply ported over to a page informing us that the Mac-specific version of the aforesaid platform won’t arrive until September. So, is the 8520 special, or is that August 5th ship date around 30 days off?
Update: RIM just confirmed the T-Mobile USA release date: it’s August 5th for $129.99 on a two-year agreement. Guess we’ll see just how legitimate that Mac claim is here soon, huh?
[Thanks, Marcus]
Continue reading RIM officially intros BlackBerry Curve 8520, promises “out of the box” Mac compatibility
RIM officially intros BlackBerry Curve 8520, promises “out of the box” Mac compatibility originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: berry-curve, black, BlackBerry, blackberry curve 8520, blackberry os, blackberrycurve, curve, engadget-mobile, fcc fridays, games, podcasts, RIM
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Saturday, July 18th, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA, BlackBerry OS
We’ve already given you our thoughts on RIM’s BlackBerry Tour, but our warm hearts just wouldn’t let us take the crowbar to it. Thankfully, the tool-wielding fiends over at GSM Phone Unlocking are a bit more calloused, as they’ve decided to dissect and reassemble the aforementioned smartphone in a nail-biting 5 minute, 38 second YouTube clip. Head on past the break if you’re interested in seeing the innards of Verizon’s newest ‘Berry, but unless you’re ready to rock, we’d recommend nailing the mute button first.
[Thanks, Omnifox]
Continue reading Video: RIM’s BlackBerry Tour respectfully torn to bits, reassembled
Video: RIM’s BlackBerry Tour respectfully torn to bits, reassembled originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: 9630, accessories, berry-tour, blackberry os, blackberry-tour, blackberrytour, disassembly, dissection, engadget-mobile, games, messaging, mobile, network, RIM
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Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, Software, Pantech, RIM, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, ATT, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, CDMA, BlackBerry OS
Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Wednesday, July 15th, 2009:
- Pantech’s SKY division has announced the IM-S480S “Tilt” flip for the South Korean market to be offered through carrier SK Telecom. It’s a fairly ordinary phone — 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion — but it apparently gets its name from its curved halves (how that evokes a name like “Tilt,” we’re not exactly sure) and features a trick LED bar above the keypad that can be used to indicate download progress and the like.
- Samsung has rolled out a so-called Elegant Edition of its S7350 slider in Hong Kong. It’s pink and comes with a quilted pink leather pouch, so… you know, you’d better really be into pink. It also features customized “smart seasonal wallpaper” that’ll change based on seasons and calendar events. [Via Unwired View]
- It looks like BlackBerry OS 5.0 will get tabbed browsing, a feature that’s become virtually standard across smartphone platforms (and has even started to invade the upper dumbphone echelon recently).
- The just-announced Sony Ericsson C905a for AT&T has already started to filter into some retail locations ahead of its July 19 release, so don’t give up if you’ve got an unquenchable, urgent yearning for this thing.
Oh, by the way: July 15, 2009 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: AT&T, blackberry os, blackberry os 5.0, mobile, Pantech, Sony Ericsson, sonyericsson, south korea, tilt
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Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
Filed under: Handsets, Software, RIM, Misc, BlackBerry OS
There’s not much in the way of official statements on this one just yet, but
itp.net is reporting that a recently pushed out update for all BlackBerry users on the UAE-based carrier
Etisalat is not a “performance enhancement patch” as advertised, but rather some spyware that could potentially give Etisalat the ability to keep an eye on its customers’ messages. The first suspicions about the update apparently arose when users noticed dramatically reduced battery life and slower than usual performance from their phones, which led to a bit of detective work from programmer Nigel Gourlay, who pegged the software down as coming from electronic surveillance company SS8. While it’s not switched on by default, the software can reportedly let Etisalat flip the switch on phones one by one and monitor their emails and text messages — or it could if it hadn’t completely bogged down the network. Apparently, the software wasn’t designed for such a large scale deployment, which resulted in the slowdown and battery drain as some 100,000 BlackBerrys constantly tried and failed to sign in to the one registration server for the software.
[Via The Register]
BlackBerry update in UAE reportedly surveillance software in disguise originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: blackberry os, blackberry update, culture, engadget-mobile, features, games, network, Nokia, podcasts, surveillance, uae
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Monday, July 13th, 2009
Filed under: Software, RIM, BlackBerry OS
Still no word on when we might get our hands on a public release, but for now, MobileBurn reports that the invite-only users of Skyfire’s browser for BlackBerry have been upgraded from alpha to beta builds. Web browsing has historically been a gravely weak spot in RIM’s arsenal, so Skyfire’s development for the platform is being met with considerable interest — especially in light of how well-received its builds on Windows Mobile (pictured) and Symbian have been. Anyhow, the beta bump puts us one step closer to corporate browsing nirvana, but there’s still no word on exactly when the unleashing might happen.
Update: We’ve just been tossed an update from a Skyfire spokesperson who has told us that this is actually just another alpha build we’re talking about — not a true beta. Unfortunately, we’re thinking that means we’re even further out from broad availability.
Skyfire for BlackBerry reaches private beta, BlackBerry browsing a little closer to not sucking (updated: nope, still alpha) originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: black, BlackBerry, blackberry os, browser, podcasts, skyfire, television, web, webbrowser
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