Blackberry Phones

Right on time. Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada now have available the red BlackBerry Torch 9800 for those of you out there too cool for black or white. We caught wind of Bell’s release date  a while back now but glad to see they actually kept schedule. No changes on price points for either of the two carriers, so you’ll be looking at $599.95 no contract or go as low as you can with a new 3-year and pick one up for $179.95. Now, where is the BlackBerry Style 9670?

The white BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone is now available in Canada over Rogers. The white version has launched by AT&T in the US on the end of October. The Canadian carrier, Rogers is offering the white BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone for $229.99 with a 3-year contract.

As remind, the BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone has features a 3.18-inch TFT display with resolution of 480 x 360 pixels, 5MP camera with video capture capabilities, and 4GB of internal memory with expandable microSD card (up to 32GB).

BlackBerry Torch 9800 is also support for GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, HSPA 850/1900/2100 MHz connectivity. There is WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Just in case all the talk of the BlackBerry Bold 9780 releasing in Canada was driving you crazy because what you really want is red BlackBerry Torch or BlackBerry Style  then this news may be more to your liking. It seems as though both the red Torch and BlackBerry Style will be shipped off to Bell locations across Canada starting on November 15th with device purchasing going live on November 23rd.

The red Torch is suggested to cost $179.99 with a 3-year contract while the BlackBerry Style retail price is said to be $399.99. The contract pricing for the Style at this point was not available. Which would drop the cost to something a little more realistic with contract terms but I’m sure that will pop up soon enough.

Just the other day OS 6.0.0.284 was spotted for the BlackBerry Torch 9800. As with most spotted OS’, there wasn’t a leak and no further information. One of our connects let us know that OS 6.0.0.284 may be the next official build for the Torch.

While this build has just completed its production stage, it definitely has yet to become a “Gold Candidate”. We aren’t sure when it will become official or which carrier it is for. This definitely will be a nice jump from the currently official 6.0.0.246 build.

It is nice to know that RIM is working diligently to keep their flagship device fresh and bug free. Hopefully we will see this release soon.

Three UK has launched two BlackBerry family smartphones into their market. They are the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300. Both RIM’s smartphones are now available for order.

Three UK is offers the BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone with price tag £249 on a £35/month plan, which is includes 5000 minutes inside the Three network, 2000 minutes to any network, 5000 texts, and 1GB of data access.

As noted, BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone is packs a 3.2-inch (480 x 360) touchscreen display, a 5MP autofocus camera with flash, slider full QWERTY keyboard, 4GB of onboard memory, a microSD card slot, and a 1,300 mAh battery.

The BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 smartphone is selling on Pay As You Go (PAYG) offering. It costs £209.99 online (a £10 top-up, included) and £219.99 from Three stores (a £20 top-up included).

BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 has brings new optical trackpad, 2MP camera with video recording, 2.44-inch display, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), HSDPA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11n, GPS, 256MB internal memory, and a 1,150 mAh battery.

Well, it didn’t take long for BlackBerry Torch themes to start pouring in once the BlackBerry Theme Studio v6.0 beta download became available! The first I saw available for the 9800 was Paragon by AHazDesigns. This theme was recently released for other devices, and Alex was very quick to get it converted for all of you Torch users out there that were anxious to download your first themes. It looks great, and is on sale now for $2.99 in the CrackBerry store! This is just the start of many new themes that will rollout, check the forums for many more free and paid themes now available.

In some other Canadian carrier Torch news, Rogers customers looking to pick up their BlackBerry Torch should be advised that Rogers has changed their release date as well now. Previously set for launch today, that date has now been changed to September 30th as per the information posted on their company blog  and on the BlackBerry Torch landing page they have set up. With all the delay announcements and rumors that happened this was pretty much inevitable, now all we can do is hope that Rogers takes a marketing hint from Bell and reduces their pricIn some other Canadian carrier Torch news, Rogers customers looking to pick up their BlackBerry Torch should be advised that Rogers has changed their release date as well now. Previously set for launch today, that date has now been changed to September 30th as per the information posted on their company blog  and on the BlackBerry Torch landing page they have set up. With all the delay announcements and rumors that happened this was pretty much inevitable, now all we can do is hope that Rogers takes a marketing hint from Bell and reduces their pricing as well. But I’m guessing thats a no because the landing page still says $199.99. ing as well. But I’m guessing thats a no because the landing page still says $199.99.

If you’re Canadian and awaiting the Rogers release of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 this should come as some good news for you all. Rogers dummy units have started to arrive at Rogers locations which, has always been a clear sign that the devices will soon go on sale. The reported ones have been showing up in the GTA area but, I’m assuming most locations will see them in store by launch. The launch date was rumored to of have been pushed back but it appears thus far that Rogers is still on time for their September 24th release date. Upon release, you can pick up the BlackBerry Torch from Rogers for $199.99 with a new 3yr contract.

PrimeTime2Go from QuickPlay Media has long been a favorite app on mine on my BlackBerry. I was happy to see that it is available for download for all AT&T BlackBerry Torch users. I have previously reviewed it with a Bold 9000, Curve 8900, and on the T-Mobile Bold 9700. The service on the Torch in general is just as I have experienced it on previous devices, so check out those reviews for more detail. For those who haven’t heard of PrimeTime2Go, let me give you a quick synopsis of what it is.

PrimeTime2Go provides you with a mobile TV viewing experience. The service is only available on certain BlackBerry smartphones with Wi-Fi, and it costs $9.99 per month. If you are out of the house and on the road frequently, I have found this to be a great way to stay on top of your favorite TV shows.

If you have a new AT&T BlackBerry Torch and are looking for a new entertainment app, I suggest you go to the media folder on your Torch and click on the PrimeTime2Go icon and start the download. Happy channel surfing!

Since the initial release of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 we’ve not seen many leaked OS’ for it. Some arrived before launch but after that, only one OS. The last was OS 6.0.0.161  which was not all that great and left a lot to be desired for in new Torch owners. Now, we have a new build to check out. OS 6.0.0.214 has leaked online. If any of you all are going to brave the installation then of course, be sure to back up your data.

*OS Disclaimer – Please Read: Keep in mind this is NOT  an official release and as such is not supported by RIM or your Carrier. If you choose to install, do so at your own risk and only if you’re comfortable in the process of upgrading and downgrading your device software. It is quite normal during operating system development for certain features to be crippled or disabled while others are tested, and these beta builds often reflect that. They are not always better. Depending on your BlackBerry comfort level, it may be best for you to wait for community feedback on a build before deciding to download and install for yourself or simply wait for the next official release. If you require support, you will find it in our CrackBerry forums  via our extremely knowledgeable community base – do not contact your carrier or RIM for Beta OS technical support (their first course of action will be to advise you to downgrade to a supported OS). Follow the links below for more information and instructions. *