Blackberry Phones

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the GSM version of the CDMA network BlackBerry Bold 9930 on Verizon and Sprint. Beyond the cell radio inside and carrier branding, the phones are identical.

T-Mobile’s version of RIM’s latest QWERTY flagship phone has 4G HSPA+, and you can really feel the difference vs. 3G on the Verizon and Sprint versions. Web pages download faster as do email attachments and applications, though App World remains mysteriously slower at download compared to its iOS and Android counterparts. Reception is excellent as is call quality: RIM knows how to make a phone that works well for voice calls. Read more

Another year, another BlackBerry Torch on AT&T. Though the new model looks quite similar to the outgoing Torch 9800, it sports a lot of improvements under the hood. Instead of a dated 624MHz XScale CPU, we have a 1.2GHz CPU, and we’ve got a new OS, BlackBerry 7, that cuts the bloat and improves on web browsing. The display still measures 3.2″, but the resolution is higher at VGA 640 x 480 for a very sharp 253dpi pixel density. That means sharper looking photos and videos, but also plenty of zooming to make text readable in the web browser.

The Torch 9810 has a 5 megapixel camera that can shoot 720p video, and quality is improved over the original Torch. The phone has WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a GPS and 8 gigs of internal storage plus a microSD card slot. It’s triband HSPA+ 4G for significantly faster data speeds, and that’s a good thing since the web browser now works well with desktop full HTML sites and streams video nicely. Read more

I confess, when RIM first unveiled the BlackBerry Bold 9900 I wanted one. It was pure unadulterated lust for the best keyboard in the business, and the smartphone looked every bit as high quality and stylish as the iPhone 4 (but RIM-style). And there was nostalgia: like many of you, I was a BlackBerry user and still have fond memories of the original Bold 9000 on AT&T. The phone was better than anything else on the market for messaging, it was fast and it had a lovely industrial design. But the world has moved on since the Bold 9000 circa 2008. Large touch screens dominate, app stores from Apple and Google have made it easy and fun to get hundreds of thousands of apps, and many smartphone platforms handle email (including push email) and messaging well. How does RIM’s latest Bold hold up?

For this review we’re using the Bold 9930 on Verizon Wireless, though the phone is also available on Sprint. The “30″ at the end of the number indicates the cell radio technology, so Sprint and Verizon have the 9930, while AT&T, T-Mobile, Rogers and other GSM carriers have the BlackBerry Bold 9900. Other than carrier customizations and the cellular radio, the Bold 9900 and 9930 are the same phone. In fact, the Verizon 9930 also supports GSM 3G HSDPA (overseas 900/2100MHz bands only) for world roaming. It has a SIM card slot and comes with the usual Vodafone SIM card. For use in the US on Verizon’s network, the phone has 1xRTT and 3G EV-DO Rev. A. Read more

If the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 is the best BlackBerry yet, the BlackBerry Torch 9850 is the most beautiful. Complex curves, judicious use of metal and soft textures– it looks like the apex of European design. In fact, it looks something like a high end Nokia, only with more metal than Nokia uses. The Torch 9850, not to be confused with the BlackBerry Torch 9810 QWERTY slider on AT&T, is a full touch screen phone. It has no hardware keyboard, though a hardware keyboard is generally a ‘Berry’s most beloved feature. The Torch carries on where the BlackBerry Storm 2 left off. We completely understand the name change since the Storm and Storm 2 weren’t RIM’s finest.

The Torch 9850 is pocketable and elegant where the Storm was bulky and boring looking. The Torch looks like a phone you want to own and hold, and thanks to improvements in the on-screen keyboard (sound the death knell for SurePress) and BlackBerry OS 7, it’s a phone worth owning. Will it convert iPhone and Android users? Probably not. OS 7 isn’t much of a radical change from that old and stuffy (though still serviceable) OS 6. But for you BlackBerry addicts who covet a large, high resolution display over a hardware keyboard, this is a fine ‘Berry. Read more

When looking at these two handsets it is clear to see that each have undergone development in such as way as to create very separate identities, after all Blackberry and Nokia are two very different companies. On closer inspection, however, do these phones seem very similar? Lets remember these are not cheap mobile phones and therefore you need to be sure that the phone you choose is the right phone for you.
Measurements of the chassis reveal that the N8 at 113.5×59.1×12.9mm is not much smaller than the Torch at 11x62x14.6mm and, with a weight difference of 26g, is not that much lighter.
Both handsets are capable of holding a 32GB memory and the capabilities to play various media formats, surf the web and interact with social networking software but apparently this is where the similarities end.
The Blackberry designers have integrated TFT screen technology into the Torch, which provides satisfactory quality on a 360x480px screen but holds little light to the AMOLED technology employed by the designers at Nokia.
The use of this technology is the first aspect of the N8 handset that proves that Nokia are serious about producing a handset that could honestly compete in the smart-phone market. Blackberry seems to have become too comfortable with the popularity of their design methods and not adopted the same attitude as Nokia in their attempts to grasp the attention of smart-phone consumers.
The communications market, and more particularly the smartphone market, is a battleground for innovative concepts and pioneering technology; could there be any room for tried and tested methods? Blackberry users are certainly loyal and the Torch provides enough new tech and gadgets to satisfy them but the purpose of the handset was to move into new arenas of the smartphone market, something that Blackberry may not achieve.
A comparison of these two phones creates a defined separation between the two. Nokia seem to be attempting to operate in the same arena as the Samsung Galaxy or the iPhone, whereas Blackberry could risk lingering in that small corner of business communication technology.

I love writing the theme roundup every week, getting to see the hot new themes as they come out, and building a working relationship with theme developers, both established and new. I really had a great week last week for tips, with my BBM, twitter, and email all filling up with some awesome new themes. Hit the jump and check out some of the best stuff to hit my BB this week.

Bold

Belicious by Ahaz Designs

A lesser known theme from the development powerhouse Ahaz, this uber-cute girly theme has it all for fans of pink. The hearts you see in the screenshot above are actually animated,”falling” down the screen for a great effect. Better yet, the animation can be turned off via a button by the battery meter, for those concerned about lag or battery drain. Six icons are set on the bottom of the homescreen, all user-defined, and bounce when focused. Fully skinned for the ladies, and including a great set of custom icons, you can check it out today in the CB store for $2.99.

Winbox by bbthemelab

I found this theme in the forums last week, where Matt was running an open beta of the theme to test and get feedback. He fired me a BBM to let me know that the theme is now live in the store, released in all it’s premium glory. Those whgo participated in the beta testing will still want to check it out, as he has added a lot of features not seen in the free download. This theme has been fully skinned to give a complete Windows 7 feel to your device, and the homescreen is packed full of function. The “window” you see in the screenshot above contains 10 user-defined icons in a sliding dock, and can be hidden or shown, as you prefer. The “arrow” button in the bottom banner launches a today screen selection, and a weather slot in the top left allows your weather at a glance. Definitely worth the cost, you can find it in the CB store for only $1.99.

Storm

Seven Up! by CorpSoft

I got an email on the tip line the other day from a dev I’ve never dealt with, giving me a heads up on some of his themes.Apparently he was unaware that I even had a tip line until the other day, but I’m glad he has that figured out now. For Storm users that love plenty of icons on their homescreen, but don’t want to sacrifice their wallpaper view for it, this theme include two hidden docks, completely user-defined. Eleven different applications can be accessed via the docks, and the small banner in the bottom right is perfectly sized to display a large clock without taking up too much of the homescreen. Full of hidden hotspots, and including a fully integrated hidden today, hit the link below to pick this theme up in the CB store for $1.99.

Curve

OraBlue by Firewind

Another gem from the forums, this is a great free theme, without a lot of frills. The focus in this theme is visual, rather than adding a lot of fancy function, and it’s done quite well.As the name of the theme suggests, the main colors are orange and blue, and have been used tastefully throughout the theme to accent the elements nicely.Mainly a modified stock theme, the developer has included a set of custom icons, and I love the way they have changed the icon focus on the homescreen. Available as a free OTA download, you can get it from the forums thread below.

Pearl

Evolution OS 6 by jmerhi

I absolutely love the look of this homescreen, and the custom detail that has gone into it blows me away. I have seen tons of OS 6 “clones” in the past couple of months, but this one doesn’t try to emulate what we’ve seen, but instead takes the OS 6 icons from bbthemelab and creates a whole new concept. Those bars you see at the top? they scroll up to show various standard app shortcuts, each one fully customized. Mini icons sit in a bottom dock, and even the unread icons are customized to fit with the theme. Available in the CB store for $7.00, it may be a little steep for some, but make sure you check out the video of the theme running before deciding against it.

Contest: I have 25 copies of Evolution OS 6 to give away! Just leave a comment on this post to enter. Contest ends this Sunday at Midnight PST. Please only leave one comment, multiple entries wont count.

That’s it for the theme roundup this week, keep those tips and suggestions coming to the roundup email at themeroundup@crackberry.com.

Just a little something for those of you who still may be on the fence in your decision to attend the 2010 BlackBerry Developers Conference. The full session catalog has now been posted online for viewing. Taking a brief look through the sessions, I noticed quite a few new items listed. I think it’s pretty safe to say that part of Research In Motions ongoing marketing strategy was to start releasing little tidbits of information as a lead up to the BlackBerry Developers Conference. Have a look at a few of the sessions:

* The BlackBerry Smartphone Advantage: Do What Others Can’t
* WebKit Apps & BlackBerry OS 6
* Power up Your (Super) App with the Google App Engine
* Take Advantage of the New Universal Search API
* New Mapping Tools in BlackBerry 6
* Building Next Generation Context Aware Applications using BlackBerry APIs

It looks as though the BlackBerry Developers Conference this year will be the event that will showcase some of the stuff folks were hoping to of have seen at WES. WebKit, BlackBerry 6, new devices. All these things are certainly on the agenda which makes me excited when I sit back and wonder what might happen there that we do not yet, know of. Maybe we’ll see a preview of the BlackBerry Tablet? Pipe dreams maybe but, if it happens you heard it here first.

The push for BlackBerry 6 is still on a roll. Although, a few days behind what Salomondrin posted; Research In Motion has now posted their own walk through of the BlackBerry 6 Multimedia capabilities. While no videos were included in the walk through, it certainly outlines some of the finer aspects of things to come from BlackBerry 6.

A new improved camera UI, better picture handling and organization, improved YouTube integration which allows for streaming, sharing and uploading of videos. And one of my personal favorites, built in Podcast app so that you may enjoy the CrackBerry podcast on the go. Finally, better ways to handle and organize your music and videos. As I’ve mentioned before, media capabilities always felt like a back burner issue on BlackBerry and it’s nice to see that Research In Motion has brought it forward with BlackBerry 6. More shots and info after the break.

Inside BlackBerry has many more pics posted up, with further explanations of what you’re seeing. Be sure to check it out if you’re looking to learn more. Personally, the new picture taking options are a welcome feature to see.

As the Twitter space continues to grow, so do the apps that allow you to access it. The latest big name contender looking for space on your BlackBerry is soon too be Hootsuite. They havesent out a newsletter today that was meant for the announcement of their compatibility for the iPhone 4  but at the bottom of that newsletter I happened to notice the BlackBerry mention.

Finally, fans of RIM’s Blackberry phones can almost…. finally begin Hoot-ing since HootBerry is just about ready for beta release. To get on-board for early access, simply sign up at: http://ow.ly/2aRUx and you’ll be among the first to try the new tool.

Hootsuite has been making it’s rounds across platforms these days and in order to keep up with the many others out there, a BlackBerry app is certainly needed. How it looks and runs remains to be seen but clearly we’ll know soon enough. If ya wanna try out a new Twitter client for BlackBerry, hit the link and sign up.

You might expect a product with as much enterprise street cred as BlackBerry to offer the best lineup of options for dealing with a lost or stolen phone, but not quite — devices in a controlled BES environment can be wiped from afar, but for non-enterprise consumers, the options are a little more limited. That’s where RIM’s new BlackBerry Protect software comes into play, combining a host of services into one product; on top of being able to remotely message, lock, and wipe a misplaced phone, you can locate it on a map and take regularly-scheduled wireless backups that make replacing the handset (if it comes to that) as painless as possible. It’s going into an invite-only beta period later this week, after which it’ll move to a wider-scale public beta “later this year” at no charge. Considering that MobileMe’s  similarly-styled features do less than this for $100 annually, the word “free” has an especially sweet ring to it, doesn’t it?