Blackberry Phones

Back in January, a leaked BlackBerry roadmap mentioned a low spec’d entry level model called the BlackBerry Curve 9320. This is a great model for the first time smartphone user as it won’t get you too wrapped up in features and bogged down in customization. While the physical QWERTY on this model isn’t as amazing as the one on the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930, it still is a great feature for your thumb twirling texting teen who might not need a touchscreen as long as she can keep that conversation with her BFF going.

One feature of the BlackBerry Curve 9320 that both new and old ‘Berry users will appreciate is the dedicated button on the side of the handset that launches BBM. The rest of the specs include a 2.44 inch QVGA non touchscreen display with pixel density of 164 ppi. A single core processor of unspecified clock speed is under the hood with 512MB of RAM aboard. The microSD slot that is on the device is strategically placed to allow hot swapping, and can accept as much as an additional 32GB in storage and there is a 3.2MP camera on back that does capture video. BlackBerry 7 OS should be installed out of the box. This model replaces the similarly low spec’d BlackBerry Curve 9300 aka BlackBerry Curve 3G.

As we noted when BlackBerry India leaked some photos of this device earlier this month, this phone is still unannounced by RIM so important things like launch date and pricing are unknown at the moment. One interesting observation from BlackBerry India is that while the phone is made of plastic, the quality of the plastic used is superior to that used by Samsung on some of the Korean based manufacturers higher-end models.

Following the much delayed BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 update, the tablet finally has a native email client, other PIM apps and a larger selection of apps thanks to its Android player. Research in Motion is now looking to further boost interest in its debut slate, and it has announced the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard for those users looking for a physical keypad option on top of the virtual one.

The accessory retails for a lofty $119.99 and is available for pre-order starting today, with shipments going out on March 23rd. The concept of the keyboard is similar to the competition. It includes a multitouch trackpad for browsing, a keyboard for easy input and a battery that last up to 30 days. Unlike the ASUS Transformer Prime, RIM’s accessory does not have a docking feature and is just a carrying case with an integrated Bluetooth keyboard. RIM’s video demonstation follows below.

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When Research In Motion released its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, the device had its fair share of problems. RIM promised an operating system update that would address these problems but the launch was delayed by several months. A new report from N4BB claims the official release of the PlayBook 2.0 update is set for February 21st, just over a week later than the company initially planned. The PlayBook OS 2.0 update will include native email, calendar and contacts apps, but unfortunately native BBM will remain absent from the tablet and can only be accessed through BlackBerry Bridge.

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You know what would go down well with this particular Game Boy skin for a range of BlackBerry devices from RIM? I am thinking a Game Boy emulator software, although the BlackBerry isn’t exactly the most optimal device to have fun with on the go, considering this is more of a business tool than anything else. Still, if you grew up in the era of the Game Boy and have your GamePaks all stowed away in alphabetical order, and mastering two-player Tetris, then you might just want to check out just what this $8.99 BlackBerry skin is able to offer.

Apart from making your smartphone look like a Game Boy from the outside from a certain angle, it will also offer minor protection from surface scratches, but do make sure you specify just which BlackBerry model you are ordering this skin for when you checkout. As far as we know, supported BlackBerry models comprise the Blackberry Bold 9000, Blackberry Bold 9650, Blackberry Bold 9700, Blackberry Bold 9780, Blackberry Bold 9900, Blackberry Bold 9930, Blackberry Curve 8520, Blackberry Curve 8530, Blackberry Curve 8900, Blackberry Curve 9300, Blackberry Curve 9330, Blackberry Curve 9350, Blackberry Curve 9360, Blackberry Curve 9370, Blackberry Curve 9930, Blackberry Torch 9800, Blackberry Torch 9810, and the Blackberry Torch 9850.

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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.

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Research In Motion is reportedly working on two new BlackBerry PlayBook tablets that are currently scheduled for release in 2012. BlackBerry watcher N4BB claims that while RIM had initially scrapped plans to produce a larger PlayBook tablet, the vendor now plans to release both a 10-inch and a new 7-inch tablet this year.

RIM’s new 7-inch model will feature embedded 3G connectivity when it launches in April according to the report, and the 10-inch BlackBerry tablet will reportedly include support for 4G LTE networks when it launches in December. The site also reiterates that RIM currently only has one BlackBerry 10 smartphone slated for 2012, which BGR exclusively reported earlier this month, and it states that at least two more low-end BlackBerry Curve models will launch this year as well.

The next version of the BlackBerry operating system will be known as BlackBerry 10, instead of BBX as the latter is no longer available for use by Research In Motion (RIM) as deemed by the court of law simply because another company already holds the trademark to BBX, and are not willing to relinquish it so that a corporation like RIM will be able to have it their way. Well, it is still months away before the first batch of BlackBerry 10 devices are released to the market, but that does not mean in this day and age, where ninja photographers are stealthy enough to shoot and capture upcoming devices without missing a beat. What you see on the right is an image render of what looks set to be the BlackBerry Milan.

Assuming what we see here is the real McCoy, it would seem as though this is not a different variant of the BlackBerry London, that is, of course, the BlackBerry London comes with a slide-out keyboard that was cleverly hidden form the masses until now. Not only that, you won’t find any physical buttons which are recognizable from previous BlackBerry handsets, such as call, hang-up, menu and back buttons, not to mention a missing trackpad. Are you stoked already?

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The BlackBerry Playbook is not exactly the best selling tablet in the market right now, let alone having it fly the best seller flag for manufacturer RIM at the moment. In fact, RIM has gone so far as to offer the Playbook for free to enterprise customers, which is not always a good thing as it reveals your position to your rivals in the market that you are clearly having issues clearing up your inventory, and while the Playbook has not gone the way of the HP Touchpad, it is still a worrying sign for the Canadian company.

At least RIM still supports the BlackBerry Playbook with updates, and while the most recent update will not introduce Blackberry smartphone synchronization capabilities to your tablet, at least it will still fix several issues as listed below.

• Updated version of Adobe Flash Player version 11.1 and Adobe AIR 3.1
• Daylight savings time updates for time zones in the regions of Latin America, Australia and Central America
• Updated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi software to help to improve connectivity
• Fixed issues some users were experiencing with account payments in the BlackBerry App World storefront
• Improved synching when restoring applications with BlackBerry Desktop Software

Have you updated your Playbook already?

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one London Bridge that will not fall, that’s for sure. I’m talking about this rather edgy looking BlackBerry device which has been given the nickname, BlackBerry London. Yes sir, it is most probably one of the next generation of BlackBerry smartphones that will be powered by the upcoming BBX operating system as well as boasting QNX roots. Touted for a release in June next year – why London, I wonder, perhaps it has something to do with the summer Olympics that is happening in that part of the world then.

Touted to run on a TI OMAP dual-core CPU that has been clocked to 1.5GHz, the BlackBerry London will also come with 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal memory, an 8-megapixel rear camera, coupled with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for vain self portraits as well as video calls. It seems that the London will be “thinner than the iPhone 4″ while sporting similar dimensions to the Samsung Galaxy S II. It takes on a rather boxy look to say the least, and will most probably run on some variation of the PlayBook’s operating system.

How much do you think this puppy will cost when it arrives, and will it help RIM get out of the doldrums?

You can more or less tell that the competitors have sniffed blood – and the blood belongs to the injured animal known as Research In Motion, or RIM for short. Who would have thought that RIM would one day be fending off the likes of Apple prior to the iPhone’s release? After all, Apple made computers and portable media players, not phones, and the BlackBerry family was the bomb back then as corporate figures and folks who cannot live without instant email proved to be quite the market winner. Too bad Apple’s iPhone changed the smartphone scene, and RIM has been on a slow downward spiral since then.

Their entry into the tablet market did not light up the world either, as the BlackBerry Playbook proved to be a flop as it did not sell as many units as RIM had originally hoped. I guess you can say that RIM’s pretty much stuck at the moment, and they’re most probably keeping their fingers crossed that the latest operating system known as BBX will be able to bring the Canadian company back to where it was originally, and beyond, of course. Word has it that the new BBX smartphones from RIM will come with a similar screen resolution as that of the Playbook, so you can expect to see a 1,024 × 600 resolution being squeezed into a smaller form factor – logically increasing overall sharpness in the process.