RIM has been busy outing updated BlackBerrys and the Pearl wasn’t forgotten. An updated version is apparently on its way and these early pics clearly show that the phone is shapping up nicely. Everything is there from the slender candy-bar form factor to the SureType keyboard. Everything but the pearly trackball though. That’s been replaced with a trackpad.
CrackBerry didn’t say when the phone will be released or state any technical specs. Apparently the site had these pics under an embargo and were allowed to release them today. That could very well mean that the phone is nearing announcement. It’s getting kind of late for a 2009 release so perhaps we’ll see it in the first quarter of 2010.
Hughes Telematics has created an app, mbrace, that will give lucky owners of certain Mercedes-Benz models the ability to control numerous functions of their car. Say your Benz is lost in a parking lot full of BMWs and Jags, the app can help you find your way.
You can even unlock the car right from your phone, although you should probably wait until you’re within eyesight to do so. The app can also contract roadside assistance or emergency services if you run out of gas or get into an accident. But there’s a catch; it’s not included in the price of the car.
The Nokia X3, not to be confused with the Android-powered SE X3, just made it through the bowels of the FCC, which is somewhat of a surprise. The phone launched back in September and we didn’t really expect to see it stateside like many of Nokia’s fun and unique handsets. But here it is, in all of its GSM glory.
The phone isn’t 3G so it’s up in the air whether it’s AT&T or T-Mobile bound. But as long as the European specs remained, the S40 slider should come with a 3.2MP camera, FM radio, stereo speakers, microSD expansion ports, and dedicated music keys. The X3 costs €115 ($169) unlocked in Euroland, so hopefully we’ll get a similar price.
Don’t expect to scam Verizon on BOGO deals anymore, folks. The carrier is raising early termination fees on Novermber 15 to $350 for “advance devices” only. Clearly VZW is targeting users who were abusing the buy one get one free BlackBerry deals and those that figured out that it was cheaper cancel their current contract and pay the $175 ETF than to pay full retail for the hot new handsets like the Droid.
Alright, Verizon, you’re doing it wrong. Stop pushing apps onto my BlackBerry Storm. Within the last few months, YouTube, a Verizon-linked verizon of Slacker Radio, VZW Tones, and a V Cast Video app have been pushed to my phone. I thought that’s what App World is for; you know, apps. But now a terrible mobile version of Bing was pushed onto my Storm. Seriously, stop it.
Verizon released the BlackBerry OS 5.0 update alongside the Storm2 launch date this morning. I just had to try it out as I had ranked the BlackBerry Storm as the worst phone ever made. I’ve only had the update loaded for about an hour so far, but everything seems slightly better including the reception, responsiveness, and the iPhone-like effects. I still don’t like the phone but at least it seems usable now.
Thank the cell phone gods. Verizon finally announced that the heavily leaked and previewed BlackBerry Storm2 will be available on October 28th for $179 after a $100 mail-in rebate. Let’s move on.
Retail stores are finally getting in their Storm 2 dummy phones but those won’t do you any good if you actually wanna use the phone’s software. VZW has you covered though with a just-posted BlackBerry Storm 2 emulator that lets you click your way through the OS.
And here we have another Motorola phone powered by Android. This little bugger was spotted over in China and claims to be the world’s first Android GSM/CDMA phone whenever it launches. The Zeppelin is said to pack the standard Motorola Android kit with a 5MP camera, 802.11 b/g, GPS, Bluetooth, a 3.1-inch 320×480 touchscreen, plus an FM radio and HDMI output. It’s just too bad that we can’t see the front side.
For whatever reason, the leaker didn’t turn the phone over and snap a picture of the front. All we can see at this time is the backside, which doesn’t reveal anything notable. Oh well. Chances are we’ll see more shots of the Zeppelin sometime down the road.
It should be known by now that there probably won’t be much happening with the Motorola Droid until October 28 at the earliest, but according to these screenshots of Best Buy’s system, the retailer might have the phone available early on October 24. Now, the 24 is this coming Saturday, which is a usual inventory restocking day so just because the stores have them somewhere doesn’t mean they will be available for purchase.
Google Maps is the best BlackBerry mapping solution I’ve found and it just got a whole lot cooler. The Layers function will overlay different information sets on the the current map few. For instance, you can overlay a location-aware Wikipedia screen. Or Latitude. Or even make your own favorite locations and travel itinerary in a function called My Maps. You really should watch the demo video to see it in action. It’s killer. Update your BlackBerry at m.google.com/maps.
We just got word that Verizon Stores are now receiving their BlackBerry Storm 2 dummy units and training is finally available for retail associates. All that should mean that the Storm 2’s launch date is quickly approaching. November has been the target date for a while now, but with stores already prepping for the launch, availability will probably be early in the month.
That reliable tip came in about the same time that CrackBerry posted an image of a Storm 2 dummy phone sitting on a Best Buy shelf. What other proof do you need? The BlackBerry Storm 2 will be here soon whether you want it or not.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has finally been announced. Details have been leaking in about the “Onyx” for months and most of the seem to be true in hindsight. The BlackBerry Bold 9000 successor rocks a Tour-like keyboard but ditches the trackball in favor of a little trackpad like in the Curve 8520. The camera has been upped to 3.2MP and the screen is now a 480 x 320 display. Just like the Storm 2, the 9700 runs BlackBerry OS 5.0 and all the goodies are included like threaded messaging, updated BB Messenger, and BlackBerry Maps.
Best of all RIM is launching the phone to nearly every GSM carrier in North America and Europe in November although International carrier-specific pricing is hard to come by right now. That will probably change in a day or two though.
Besides the CEO touting the BlackBerry Storm 2 around for some impromptu demos, Verizon hasn’t exactly acknowledged the phone’s existence. There have been rumors that it’s because the Storm 2 still doesn’t live up to Verizon’s standards or it could simply be that Verizon doesn’t want to take the attention off of the Motorola Droid. Whatever the case maybe, the BlackBerry Storm 2 will probably be made official sometime real soon.
The Storm 2 is sort-of on VerizonWireless.com right now in fact. The phone doesn’t have a product page yet, but someone found the phone’s 3D demo page. So have it. Click over to VZW.com and give the phone a spin. You really don’t need to see a product page anyway, it’s not like you plan on buying the second incarnation of the worst phone ever made when the totally sick Motorola Droid will be available around the same time. At least I hope not.
The BlackBerry 9520 Storm 2 has probably the best pre-release coverage of any cell phone in history. We’ve seen previews and videos and pictures and more videos of the upcoming cell phone for months. RIM and Verizon haven’t released a thing about the phone yet though so some key details hadn’t been revealed. That is, of course, until Walt Mossberg posted his Storm 2 review last night alongside the Motorola CLIQ review and Vodafone went live with its Storm 2 launch details this morning that happened to include all the phone’s specs for good measure. God bless the Internet. Read More
The BlackBerry Storm 2 is no secret. We’ve known that a second generation touchscreen BlackBerry has been in the works for months. Actually it was probably RIM that “leaked” all the info in an effort to save face from the flop that is the original Storm. A NYT article quotes Verizon’s CEO saying that he’s been carrying the phone for weeks and been giving impromptu demos at Verizon Wireless retail outlets. Spoiler: employees like it.
Hey, hey. This hack will probably make more than a few G1 owners giddy. Apparently someone got their hands on a leaked copy of a Motorola Cliq ROM, which just so happens to have all the stuff for Motorola’s custom Android build, MotoBlur, and has converted it for the G1. Don’t ask us where these files are or the install instructions for your G1. We don’t know. But what we do know is that this port probably doesn’t make the Motorola suits all that happy, but this is the joy of an open platform like Android. Get use to it.
RIM has finally updated BlackBerry Messenger program. Thank goodness, the previous version felt old a few years ago. The 2.4MB update brings a wealth of new features like the ability to create an avatar, adding friends by scanning a bar code, group messaging, and the ability to share multimedia with multiple contacts at once. Plus, it looks a hell of a lot better. This program of course is meant just for communicating with other BlackBerrys using each phone’s unique PIN.
You have two install options: either navigate to www.blackberry.com/messenger via your phone’s browser to initiate the OTA download or find the program in App World. Be warned though, the program requires a reboot to finish the installation.
Click through for the full list of updates and new features. Read More
We’ve seen a few different Android devices that seem to be VZW-bound over the last few weeks, but Verizon hasn’t said anything about the handsets or platform until now. The company has a webcast scheduled for later today but released a preemptive press release that outlines the basics.
Verizon and Google have formed a strategic partnership that will “leverage the Verizon Wireless network and the best of the Android open platform to deliver leading-edge mobile applications, services and devices.” Apparently the new dream team has plans that involve co-developing several Android-based devices that will come pre-loaded with innovative applications from not only Verizon, but also 3rd-party developers. Read More
Another day, another Android handset. The One comes to us from Spanish start-up called GeeksPhone. No word on available, planned market, or price, but so far the specs are looking good for the quadband GSM and 2100MHz UMTS HSPA phone. Read More
TiVo finally got with the program and released its first BlackBerry app this morning. The good news is that it seems to work as advertised, but let’s just say that it’s a pretty basic app and is just made for scheduling recordings. You can’t remotely control your TiVo or stream any content from it, but this app is a good start. It’s easy to use and gets the job done. Read More
So ya think that the Pre is still overpriced at $100 from Amazon, eh? Well, if you’re willing to buy the Pre at Walmart and deal with mail-in rebates, you can snag one for only $79.99. Read More
Amazon has been known to offer cell phones at cut rate prices. Just the other day, all AT&T phones expect for ones that start with the letter “i” werea penny on Amazon. But today, you can save $50 off the retail price and snag a Palm Pre for only one bill. Read More
The story goes like this: A TownHall Investment Research director was quoted by Barron’s as saying that Sprint is seeing almost a 50% return rate on the BlackBerry Tour primarily because of trackball issues. We ran a simple poll where 36% of participants said they have returned a BlackBerry Tour because of trackball problems and another 16% have returned the phone for other reasons – that’s a 52% return ratio btw. But a tipster just sent us a little note stating that both Verizon and Sprint are calling bullshit (our words, not theirs) on the claim.
It’s not surprising that the companies that profit off of these handsets would publicly refute damaging statistics. But the fact remains that if you search the forums at CrackBerry, HowardForums, or others, a lot of users are having tackball problems. RIM has used the trackball with what I guess could be called moderate success over the last few generations, but perhaps this is why the new models will have trackpads instead.
The Cliq might be the first Motorola device with Android, but with a 350-person team, it better be good. At least it looks solid on the surface with a custom Android GUI called MOTOBLUR, slide-down keyboard, 5MP camera, 24 FPS video cam, WiFi, 3.5mm headset jack and a screen that better be able to handle a massive amount of info.
The phone’s interface is built around what Motorola is calling “MOTOBLUR.” Think of this as a social media aggregator kind of like Palm’s Synergy. It syncs Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Picasa and others onto a customizable homescreen that displays info users want from any of the services. Plus, this allows users to interact with their contacts through any of the networks seamlessly. Blur has other tricks too like remote wipe and phone tracking via the Internet along with all the other standard Android goodies like HTML web browser, Gmail, Google Maps, and all the rest.
T-Mobile should have the device sometime in the forth quarter and it will be available in white and titanium. We just don’t know the price yet.
