Blackberry Phones

*Update: Looks like this may be the case for Bold 9650 users as well. Make sure you’re running the last official OS from Verizon and see if the update is available to you.

A few users have been reporting in today and it looks like OS 6 may be on the way down the pipeline from Verizon. Justin snagged us this screencap of his 9330 where it looks like OS 6.0.0.431 is available for an OTA update. Still no sign of OS 6 on Verizon’s download site, but it’s not unlike them to make the wireless update option available ahead of time. If you have a 9330 and are running an official OS, head to the wireless update option and let us know if it’s showing for you.

Verizon Wireless on Tuesday made RIM’s latest BlackBerry operating system available for the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphones. BlackBerry 6 is now available for both devices and will be pushed to customers as an over-the-air update beginning Tuesday evening at 8:00PM Eastern Time.

Customers may also update their smartphones using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software. Updates compared to version 5 of the BlackBerry OS include a redesigned UI, universal search functionality and RIM’s highly anticipated HTML-capable browser.

Kaufman Brothers are quite a reputable firm for investment advice in the sphere of telecommunications, technology and media. That is why when one of their senior tech analysts says something, we ought to listen. Shawn Wu’s s sources reveal that a BlackBerry 6 device will be landing at Verizon between January and March. He clarifies that this might be the BlackBerry Torch, or a similar device.

Not that the Torch landing into Verizon’s portfolio in the first quarter of 2011 is something extremely out of the blue, but it’s nice to expect RIM’s finest on the largest US carrier. What will be interesting to watch, though, is the cat fight that will ensue among the barrage of Android devices over there, Verizon’s BlackBerry mix of diminishing importance, and an eventual iPhone on Big Red in the next trimester.

In an investment note today, from reputable analyst, Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros., his Verizon insiders claim they see “no material value” in BlackBerry OS 6. In the eyes of Verizon, BlackBerry OS 6 will not be a “Saviour” for the brand.

Any Verizon BlackBerry user may have noticed how ‘pushy’ Verizon customer service reps may be towards converting you to Android. Some of our own Verizon sources have stated that the company has lost a lot of interest in BlackBerry, due to RIM having to play “catch up”, when compared to devices from Apple or equipped with Android. Analyst Shaw Wu also noted that Android may have peaked, and the Apple iPhone is extremely important for the success of Verizon.

Perhaps, this is the reason we haven’t seen Verizon very motivated to officially release OS 6 for the Bold 9650 and Curve 9330? Do they really not care that much for BlackBerry? Remember the Storm 9570 with OS 6 was supposed to go to Verizon, but they cancelled the device. We hope Verizon won’t be slow to release OS 6, as AT&T was to release OS 5.

Back on the 14th of September, Verizon Wireless announced that the BlackBerry Curve 9330 would be available for purchase in the “coming weeks.” After almost a month, it looks like the time has finally come. Today, the Curve 9330 subtle appeared in the Verizon online store in a not-so-subtle fuchsia color. The device, which has 3G, Wi-Fi, and BlackBerry OS 5, will retail for $29.99 with a 2-year contract.

Hey, what do we have here? One of our Verizon sources was kind enough to send us this piece of intel regarding Verizon Wireless and BlackBerry 6. It looks like the company plans of having an “interactive launch” of the BlackBerry 6 operating system on Thursday, October 14. The word interactive  makes us think that the actual software bits may not be available, however, at minimum, this indicates a BB6 launch is right around the corner. We’ll keep digging and report what we find.

Source: BGR

Hands On Look at the new Verizon BlackBerry Curve 3G – an Entry Level BlackBerry that’s BlackBerry 6 Ready

Verizon’s latest offering comes in the form of the new BlackBerry Curve 3G. A near dead-ringer for its 8530 sibling, the Curve 3G (or 9330) is another “entry-level” device geared towards users just getting into BlackBerry or looking for a cheaper alternative to the more expensive models like the BlackBerry Bold 9650. The device features a full-QWERTY keyboard, Wifi, GPS, optical trackpad and the ability to run BlackBerry 6 thanks to its memory increase from up to 512MB from the standard 256MB found in the Curve 8530 and even the Curve 3G 9300 (upon release, which we have yet to see for a device other than the BlackBerry Torch). The Curve 3G obviously isn’t marketed toward seasoned BlackBerry users as most will feel it is a bit of a downgrade with a “cheaper” feel and lower resolution screen. If you’re checking out BlackBerry for the first time or looking to get in on the less expensive end, the Curve 3G just may be the device for you. Read on for our full review.

Hardware

The Curve 3G feels solid overall when first handled. It feels fairly well constructed and you can’t help but notice that it’s all plastic all around, with no chrome bezel to break things up. The 320×240 screen sits over top of the Send, Menu, Back and End buttons which are centered by the optical trackpad. The screen and button set flow together extremely well as they are all one piece that covers right down to the keyboard. The full-QWERTY keyboard goes back to the style of the old 83xx series which is one of my favorites. The keys are separated so even people like myself with fat fingers have no problems typing. They are a bit “clicky” at first and feel kind of cheap, but I think once you get into using the device you won’t really notice either.

The Curve 3G is sporting Bluetooth, Wifi and GPS as well. The Curve 8530 was one of the first devices on Verizon to have Wifi available and it’s been a hit ever since. With so many college campuses being Wifi’ed out, having the option on a device is a huge plus and can potentially save a ton of money.

There is 512MB of internal memory, which is actually double what the Curve 3G 9300 (the GSM version has). It seems for BlackBerry 6 GSM devices can get away with 256MB of memory while CDMA devices require 512MB, hence the bump up compared ot the Curve 3G 9300. The Curve 3G supports up to a 32GB microSD memory card as well. The device isn’t bursting with memory, but it’s enough to get things done. Using a media card (a 2GB card is included) for photos, videos and music, you really don’t have to worry about eating up space on the device itself.

Software

The Curve 3G comes from Verizon loaded with OS 5.0 but is “BlackBerry 6 ready”. What does this mean? This means that should Verizon (and pretty much every other carrier) get their act together, you will be able to install BlackBerry 6 on this device. For now we’re stuck with OS 5.0 which still does what it does and does it well. Included are the default applications you would expect including email, SMS, MMS, phone, calendar, memopad, tasks, clock and BlackBerry Messenger. Other add-on applications like BlackBerry App World 2.0, AIM, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, Myspace, Facebook, Flickr and more are all available for download at launch as well. The web browser is a bit outdated at this point but with the new WebKit browser on the way as part of BlackBerry 6 things will be much better on that end.

I did load up a leaked version of OS 6  on my 9330 just to take it for a test drive. The OS is available as a leaked beta, but still hasn’t been officially released by Verizon. The revamped OS is a big redesign of the old 5.0, and really adds to the usability of the device. It adds amazing features like the WebKit browser, Universal Search, multiple views and more. OS 6 runs very well on the Curve 3G and is only held back by the low resolution screen. Don’t get me wrong I love OS 6, it just seems to drop a bit short on the 9330 when you go from using the Torch 9800 or even the Bold 9650 with the same OS. OS 6 does make things a whole lot easier as it is much easier to get around the device (mainly with Universal Search) and having the updated browser is a huge plus.

Conclusion

Overall I can say I do like the Curve 3G. As in the case of the Curve 8530 however, if you are switching from a newer BlackBerry you mostly likely won’t be satisfied. The Curve 3G is geared towards new to BlackBerry Users and those who don’t really need/want the “latest and greatest”. The device is solid and has all of the BlackBerry features you would expect, and with BlackBerry 6 is really gets the job done. New users will love the OS and won’t mind the low resolution as they get into the BlackBerry world, but may look to upgrade to a different device down the road.

Today, Verizon Wireless and RIM announced the availability of the BlackBerry Curve 3G. The device sports that oh-so-familiar BlackBerry form factor, 512 MB RAM, 3G, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth, GPS, and a micro-SD card slot with support for up to a 32 GB card. The Curve 3G will be available in all business channels on September 16 and will be available in Verizon stores in the “coming weeks.” The device is priced at $29.99 when signing a 2-year contract and is “BlackBerry 6 ready.”

Today we got out hands on the latest rebate form from Verizon and from the looks of it the Curve 3G should be heading the way of Big Red. Much like the 8530 followed its 8520 sibling to Verizon, the Curve 3G will be landing on the CDMA carrier after it has shown up on Rogers and T-Mobile. The entry-level device will come in both Charcoal Gray and Fuchsia and although this rebate is set to end on October 31st no exact release date is available.

For those of you venturing out today to pick up a BlackBerry Torch 9800 on AT&T or a Motorola DROID 2  on Verizon Wireless, we wish you good luck. Make sure to let us know if you’re successful in your quest, and what you think of your newly acquired toy.