Blackberry Phones

Research In Motion is currently weighing every single option it can think of in an effort to reverse a negative trend that is approaching a boiling point for investors. Reports that RIM is currently in talks to license its software to other vendors are accurate according to our trusted sources, though we have been told that RIM is most likely leaning toward an outright sale of one or more divisions, or even the whole company. The front runner, we have been told by a trusted source with knowledge of the situation, is Samsung, which might be interested in RIM for a number of reasons.

One of the biggest assets RIM has is BlackBerry Messenger, and it would be a smart way for Samsung to differentiate itself inside the Android ecosystem. HTC has its Sense suite and it recently bought into Beats by Dr. Dre. Samsung could buy RIM, or a part of the company, and integrate not only BBM but also several other enterprise features into Android to make its devices an even bigger threat to competitors. This could also help Samsung better differentiate itself on the software and OS level, pulling more control into its hands and away from Google.

We have heard that Jim Balsillie is actively meeting with almost every company that might be interested in either a part or all of RIM, in addition to having talks about licensing. “Jim is going hard after Samsung,” said a source with knowledge of the negotiations. One of the reasons no deal has been struck, however, is that RIM’s co-CEOs are asking for way too much.

We have heard the company is looking for more than $10 billion for a full sale, likely somewhere in the $12 billion to $15 billion range, or between approximately $22.90 and $28.60 per share. RIM’s market capitalization currently sits at about $8.5 billion, though several analysts think that even $8.5 billion is more than an interested party would consider bidding at the moment.

Samsung declined to comment and a spokesperson for RIM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s certainly an interesting time at Research In Motion, and we’ll have much more on RIM in the coming days.

UPDATE: In a statement provided to Reuters Wednesday evening, a Samsung spokesman said the company is not interested in an outright purchase of Research In Motion. The spokesman did not address reports that Samsung is considering licensing RIM’s software, however, or purchasing a portion of RIM’s assets.

Source

The most popular and successful multi-device communication platform is without question WhatsApp. More of a text messaging replacement than straight BlackBerry Messenger competitor, WhatsApp has been the number one service people rely on to communicate across iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone devices. We were sent a preview copy of the new version of WhatsApp for BlackBerry smartphones, our exclusive first look is after the break.To start, the entire app’s user interface has been refreshed, and it really looks strong. It’s clean, it’s sophisticated, and it’s one of the better interfaces on a BlackBerry product that we’ve seen. The app contains the same basic 5 tabs that you’re used to — chats, favorites, contacts, status, and settings — but it’s done in a way that feels natural and light. There’s a really intuitive context button on the right of the top tab bar, and it changes based on what tab you’re on. If you’re in the chats tab, the button changes to allow you to start a new chat, if you’re on the favorites tab, it changes to refresh favorites button, a search option on the contacts tab, add a status on the status tab, and add a friend on the settings tab.

I have noticed a couple little issues using this pre-release version on my BlackBerry 9900, though. The touch area for the tab buttons at the top of the interface are a tad small and I have tapped a contact’s name and started a chat instead of changing to the tab I aimed to switch to. Additionally, the rows that list your favorites or contacts are very narrow, and while that works fine for navigation with the trackpad, not the best possible spacing for touch selection.

All in all, the app gets a very welcome refresh, and the best multi-platform communication service gets even better. It should be available tomorrow directly from WhatsApp’s beta site, and in BlackBerry App World soon after.

”Our current UI for BlackBerry is something only an engineer could love. With this update, we’ve had a designer who has no knowledge of BlackBerry UI difficulties mock up new screens for every part of the app.  It has then been our engineering challenge to make those mockups reality across the wide range of BlackBerry devices available.  When we started, it looked very challenging to make these screens happen, said Michael Donohue, Senior BlackBerry Engineer of WhatsApp, This is truly a great UI for BlackBerry.”

”WhatsApp wants consumers to have the ability to message easily, intuitively to that degree we have overhauled the UI, making it simple, clean and easy to use. Our overall commitment to product quality and continued improvement to the BlackBerry is important to us, it is a great messaging device and we are fully committed to supporting the consumers who use it, said Jan Koum, CEO, WhatsApp.”

Source: BGR.com

As iPhones and Android phones get more powerful and gain more enterprise support, many folks are leaving the rounded realm of BlackBerry for the two big touchscreens. Most BlackBerry owners have built up an extensive list of contacts from their many, many texts and emails, and might wonder how they’ll survive the trip. But take heart: you don’t need to pull out your SIM card and pray, or load cumbersome transfer software. In fact, you’re one text message away from transferring your contacts to nearly any smartphone.

Android vs. iOS: Developers face off

Android’s on-screen keyboard alternatives

BlackBerry offers desktop syncing software, imaginatively titled BlackBerry Desktop Manager, that can import your calendar and contacts into Microsoft Outlook, Windows Calendar, LotusNotes, and a few other organizer apps. If you’re planning to sync your new iPhone or Android with Outlook or another one of those apps, you might do well to go ahead and bring them onto your PC or Mac, load them into Outlook or the like, then rely on that app to pass them on to your next phone.

But then again, the company with the most server space in the world wants to help you instantly synchronize your contacts from one phone to another, so why not let them? Google’s Sync app and service works with BlackBerry phones, along with iPhones, Nokia phones, older Windows Mobile (6.0 and 6.5) models, and any phone that supports SyncML. Android phones have built-in Google account syncing, including contacts, and most any modern smartphone worth its salt (including WebOS and Windows Phone 7) offers some kind of Google/Gmail contact syncing. Worse comes to worse, Google lets you export your contacts in the generally friendly CSV and vCard formats.

So let’s get started. Open your BlackBerry browser and head to m.google.com/sync. You’ll be prompted to download the app Google made just for BlackBerry phones. Alternately, use your desktop browser to open google.com/mobile/sync, then click the “Download app” link under the BlackBerry heading, where you can enter your mobile number to have a direct link sent by SMS to your phone.

On most BlackBerry phones, the Google Sync app should install itself automatically, after you approve the download. Once it’s installed, you can find the Google Sync icon on your home screen (or in your app list). Click it, and you’ll first need to enter your Gmail address, or your full email address at a Google Apps account, into the “Login” field — which brings you to a decision point, if you’re not already experienced with Gmail and Google Contacts.

If you already use Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, or any other Google product that requires a password, you already have an account you can push your Google Contacts into. That makes Google’s Sync product pretty convenient, but it might also mean a merging of your personal (Google/Gmail) contacts with your business (BlackBerry) contacts. What’s more, Google Sync also sends your calendar items from your BlackBerry to the Google Calendar connected to that Google account, and syncs your existing Gmail/Google contacts back onto your BlackBerry.

Note: If you have a Google Apps account through a job, organization, or your own web domain, you can always use that account for syncing as well by typing out your full “someone@somedomain.com” address.

If you don’t use Gmail, nor have many contacts stashed away in your Google Contacts, neither is much of an issue. If you do, you can either grin and bear the bulk merging, or create a new Gmail/Google account for syncing your BlackBerry contacts. Google Contacts is not, at the moment, the most agile and customizable contact management system around, but it is free and easy to connect to on any almost phone.

In either case, arm yourself with the login and password from your new or existing Google account, and log into the Google Sync app on your BlackBerry. You’ll arrive eventually at a Welcome screen, which sports a “Sync” button at the bottom. Hit that button, and wait while your contacts make their way from the palm of your hand into “the cloud.” If you’ve got a lot of contacts on your BlackBerry or in your Google Account, this could take a while; ditto with calendar items on both sides. Give it some time, then head to google.com/contacts and log in with the Google account you just synced up. Look through the contacts there; search out a few key people, ensure their data looks correct, then grab that device with the lingering new-gadget smell.

Looking at a shiny new iPhone? You’re going to basically set up a Microsoft Exchange sync to Google’s servers, just like you would with work. Google has outlined the setup steps at their Google Sync page. The short version is: Head to Settings on your iPhone, choose “Mail, Contacts, Calendars,” select “Add Account,” then pick Microsoft Exchange from the offerings. Enter your full Gmail/Google email address in the Email and Username fields, and your password in Password (leaving Domain blank), then hit Next in the upper-right corner. In the new Server field that appears, enter m.google.com. Ensure you’ve selected contacts to be synced when given the option, and note you can sync calendars and Gmail/Google Apps messages, too, if you’d like. If you have existing contacts on your iPhone, you’ll be asked whether to merge them with your Google/BlackBerry contacts, or replace them–it’s your call.

If you’re rocking an Android phone, you likely already signed in or set up a Google account when you booted your phone for the first time. If you synced to a different account, or don’t see your BlackBerry contacts after a good wait, head into your Settings by hitting the Menu button on your home screen. Next, scroll and select Accounts & sync. If your BlackBerry-synced account shows up, select it and ensure Contacts is checked as a synced item. If you need to add an account, tap the “Add account” button at bottom — move through the usual steps.

The English language version of Al Jazeera is now available to users of Google Android-based and Blackberry mobile devices across the globe, most importantly the US where the Qatar-based channel still receives limited transmission.

Al Jazeera’s acclaimed coverage this year of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, followed by the ongoing political unrest in Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, has won the broadcaster an international audience which outstrips its availability on cable or satellite networks – either because of a paucity of carriage deals, such as in North America, or due to signal jamming by authorities affected by the unrest.

“There’s been a huge demand from our audience to make applications available on these popular mobile platforms. We’ve designed and developed the apps to be very visual and easy to use, and we’ll be adding even more to them over time,” said Safdar Mustafa, Al Jazeera’s head of mobile media.

As well as a live video stream, users can access text-based news reporting and opinion from Al Jazeera journalists, as well as features. Furthermore, they can easily share stories through social networks.

Apple iPhone, iPad and Windows Symbian-based applications are already served for further mobile TV options. Live internet streaming of Al Jazeera English is also available on YouTube, LiveStation and Vingo TV via the channel’s website http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera English continues to call for the immediate release of its journalist Dorothy Parvaz, after Syrian officials confirmed they are holding her captive.

Dorothy Parvaz, a graduate of both the University of British Columbia and Arizona University, was detained upon arrival in Damascas on 29 April and has had no contact with the outside world since.

Journalists have faced ever increasing restrictions in Syria since the protests began.

An Al Jazeera spokesman said: “We are worried about Dorothy’s welfare, security and safety. Syria should release her immediately.”

Earlier today, Research In Motion announced its intentions to bring its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) its mobile device security and administration services to both Android and iOS. Through its acquisition of ubitexx, the Canadian company is looking to expand the portfolio of mobile devices its BES solution supports. “The single web-based console is being designed to provide IT administrators with a simple and efficient way to distribute software and manage policies, inventory, security and services for BlackBerry devices, as well as other mobile devices,” reads the press release.

“IT administrators will be able to manage devices over-the-air, including activating devices, distributing software and applications, locking or wiping devices, enforcing and resetting device passwords, setting IT policies, and managing optional mobile applications for end users. Certain features are expected to remain exclusive to BlackBerry devices because such capabilities are built into the design of a device’s operating system.” The new solution should be available “later this year.” Hit the jump for the full release.

RIM Announces Multi-Platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for Smartphones and Tablets

Device Management Solution to Provide Security, Management, and Control of BlackBerry Devices, Plus Secure Management for Other Mobile Devices

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM, TSX: RIM) is announcing today plans for a multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution for managing and securing mobile devices for enterprises and government organizations. The solution will make available the market-leading management, security and controls of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express for BlackBerry® devices plus, through RIM’s pending acquisition of ubitexx (creator of the ubi-Suite device management solution), the solution is expected to incorporate secure device management for Android and iOS based devices and tablets, all managed from a single web-based console.

“The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is designed to address a growing market and respond to requests from enterprise customers who want a secure multi-platform device management solution from a company that already delivers the gold standard for enterprise mobility,” said Peter Devenyi, Vice President, Communications Platform Group at Research In Motion. “We recognize the opportunity to continue leading in the enterprise market by providing customers with a common platform to help simplify the management of a variety of mobile devices.”

The single web-based console is being designed to provide IT administrators with a simple and efficient way to distribute software and manage policies, inventory, security and services for BlackBerry devices, as well as other mobile devices. IT administrators will be able to manage devices over-the-air, including activating devices, distributing software and applications, locking or wiping devices, enforcing and resetting device passwords, setting IT policies, and managing optional mobile applications for end users. Certain features are expected to remain exclusive to BlackBerry devices because such capabilities are built into the design of a device’s operating system. Examples include RIM’s industry-leading push technology, network and data usage efficiency, behind-the-firewall access to enterprise applications and systems, and many of the over 550 IT policies available through BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The recently-released BlackBerry® BalanceTM technology (see separate press release issued today), which supports the use of a single smartphone for both work and personal purposes without compromising thesecurity of corporate content or the privacy of personal content, will also remain exclusive to BlackBerry devices.

Overall, as is largely understood in the enterprise market today, organizations can expect a range of security, manageability and controls depending on different device platform capabilities, with some devices further limited by the design of their operating system.

The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution will be comprised of optional architectural components based on the configuration of an organization’s mobile deployment and their operational needs. Optional components will include BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express for BlackBerry devices, and a separate, secure device management server for Android and iOS devices (based on the foundation of ubi-Suite from ubitexx). It will be possible to deploy multiple components in a virtualized environment on a single server.

Note: Registration for a product preview of the ubitexx solution is open today at www.ubitexx.com/preview.

The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is planned for general availability later this year.

According to Research In Motion, the company now has over 10,000 applications in their application store, App World. While 10,000 is not a number to be scoffed at, BlackBerry pales in comparison to Apple’s 250,000 apps and Android’s estimated 100,000 figure.

RIM also has the challenge of fighting Google and Apple in the application quality department; BlackBerry apps are probably the most unpolished at this point. Let’s hope RIM’s developer conference — DevCon — will kick things into the next gear.

According to blog DigiTimes, Quanta Computer will be charged with manufacturing Research In Motion’s rumored tablet, dubbed BlackPad. The blog cites Chinese publication Apply Daily, and writes:

The tablet (BlackPad) will support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as 3G through connection to a Blackberry smartphone. The device will be priced at US$499 and Quanta will start shipping orders in September with volumes to reach two million units in 2010 and eight million units in 2011.

Where the report gets a little suspect is here: “Research In Motion’s Android tablet PC [...] will be launched in November 2010.” RIM shipping an Android product? Don’t get us wrong, we would love to see it, but that’s not in the cards for RIM. Especially not with the purchase of QNX.

We wrapped up the RIM and AT&T event with some hands on time with the just-announced though hardly-a-secret BlackBerry Torch 9800. Here are some first impressions:

• The hardware (casing, build quality, feel) is typical RIM — it’s great. Very solid, actually a bit heavy, but a very good feel. The sliding mechanism is top notch.
• The software is typical RIM — uninspired, old, clunky sometimes, and cluttered. Even with the new UI elements in OS 6, we experienced choppiness in the web browser, hangs navigating between screens, and a general feeling of well… claustrophobia on occasion. The simplified BlackBerry now sort of feels like too much has been added without thinking of the ramifications.
• The keyboard is perfect — just like a Bold 9700, and it seems to not be dug in the slider mechanism, unlike the Palm Pre.
• The internals of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 are disappointing. From the 624MHz CPU to only 512MB of RAM, to  (sorry, confused RAM with built-in storage) the 1300mAh battery, it has us a little worried as it feels like the hardware is pushed to the max. On a brand new phone. That’s not even out yet.
• The screen is laughable. For a company that is always “planning three years out” they surely didn’t get the memo that a 480×360, poor, poor LCD wasn’t going to cut it in 2010. That’s the focal point of the entire device, and it makes you feel outdated out of the gate.

All in all, we came away with mixed emotions. On one hand, OS 6 is a much better UI leap from OS 5 than OS 5 was to OS 4, but it still feels a bit not thought out. On the other hand, the device seems like it will continue to excel at specific functions, mainly email, any sort of text-based messaging, etc. My personal thought so far is: this is a stop gap device for current BlackBerry users… and that’s an issue. iPhone 4 or recent Android owners won’t be lusting after the 9800, and that’s never a good thing. We have some images in our gallery for you BlackBerry fanatics to drool over!

Salomondrin has some new videos up. If you want to get a quick look at the BlackBerry WebKit browser going head to head against the browsers of Android and iPhone then you’ll want to check out the video after the break. Salomondrin also posted some details regarding the Acid3 tests and how the devices compare there. One thing to note about the Acid3 test however, is that they often seem to vary so take from it what you will. Hit the video after the break, leave some comments on the post and let us know your thoughts.

Ah, a Tour owner’s dream. The BlackBerry Bold 9650 started life out as the BlackBerry Tour2. It then went through a late-stage metamorphosis and received a memory upgrade and name change for a couple of different reasons. One of the reasons is to utilize a positive product name RIM has built (the Bold line), and another would be to prevent hundreds of thousands of angry BlackBerry owners from practically taking over the entire city of Waterloo, Canada. You see, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 is what the Tour should have originally been, and by releasing a Tour2 under a year from the original device’s debut would be straight up insulting. RIM killed two birds with one stone by renaming the device to be a Bold, continuing a successful device brand, and also trying to not completely obliterate an existing handset (even though the Tour 9630 will certainly be end-of-life’d very, very quickly). So is the BlackBerry Bold 9650 the best in the biz? You’ll see soon enough, after the jump of course.

We have been playing with the BlackBerry 9650 on and off for a couple months, and now that we have an official unit from RIM and Sprint, we’re able to effectively judge the handset. Instead of doing a traditional review, we figured since the device really hasn’t changed so dramatically from the original BlackBerry Tour, we’d put our likes and dislikes into different sections.

Likes:

* Durable, solid construction and hardware.
* Great keyboard as always.
* Sounds great as a phone, great reception, perfect voice performance with calls.
* Much faster than the original Tour 9630, no real slowdowns or hangups in the OS, and a much speedier overall experience thanks to a newer and faster processor.
* Wi-Fi — obviously.

We love the solid hardware that RIM has been known for. It definitely shows in the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and it’s a real work powerhouse.

Dislikes:

* The raised trackpad, menu, send, BlackBerry, back keys (they are raised up beyond the keyboard and are a little too high).
* The terrible music speaker on the phone. It’s on the left side, and is a single speaker with a single opening in the case compared to 3 openings in the BlackBerry 9700 case. Sound sounds muffled, and the volume is pretty low. Overall, it’s kind of disappointing. Note: the speakerphone sounds great, we’re talking strictly about music/audio playback.
* The camera lens is still recessed so it can collect dust and isn’t cleaned easily. It would have been great for RIM to make the entire cover go over the camera lens so it would be flat and thus easily accessibly/wipeable.
* The phone is large in size and feels pretty outdated compared to sexier, even on carrier alternatives.

At the end of the day, this is what the BlackBerry Tour should have been. RIM’s hardware roadmap seems to be 1-2 years behind other mobile smartphone powerhouse manufacturers (that is being generous), and the BlackBerry Bold 9650 demonstrates this. The device is incredibly solid, but it’s overly large, especially when compared to a sleeker, sexier BlackBerry Bold 9700 sitting next to it. With phones that are pushing CPU speed barriers at 1GHz and beyond, RIM’s using an estimated 500MHz CPU here with 512MB of RAM and no internal storage. And that’s not exploring the truly ancient operating system that powers it.

The handset itself just straight up feels outdated. It’s a logical choice for a CDMA user, but we can’t help but feel like this device really doesn’t belong in a 2010 lineup. This is a great BlackBerry, and if email is your life, great. If not, there’s not too much we can say the BlackBerry 9650 offers over competitors on Sprint or Verizon. HTC’s EVO 4G and the HTC Droid Incredible (yes, they are two Android handsets) are miles ahead of this device, and unfortunately we’re not sure we’d recommend this handset over one of those except in extreme scenarios.