Our remaining doubts concern how well the Storm2 stands as a prosumer device compared to its flourishing Android, iPhone and webOS rivals. Each has areas in which they better the Storm2, whether in usability, responsiveness, browser experience or media playback, but the BlackBerry does put up a decent fight. The Storm2 falls short of delivering a knockout blow, but it’s no longer undermined by its own “unique features”. RIM has certainly done enough for the Storm2 to warrant a place on your touchscreen smartphone shortlist.

Key Features:

• Smooth design and premium finish with sloped edges, chrome accents, glass lens and stainless steel backplate
• Large (3.25”), dazzling high-resolution 480 x 360 display at 184 ppi
• Capacitive touchscreen with integrated functions (Send, End, Menu, Escape) and new SurePress technology that makes clicking the display practically effortless
• 3G and global connectivity support for making phone calls in more than 220 countries and accessing data in more than 185 countries (with more than 80 destinations in 3G)
• Network Connectivity: EV-DO Revision A; UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz); and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks
• Supports Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• 256 MB of Flash memory
• 2 GB of onboard media storage and a microSD™/SDHD memory card slot with a 16 GB card included

BlackBerry Storm – MR3 (5.0) Software Release

• Software Version: 5.0.0 Release 508(OS 4.2.0.128 / Applications 5.0.0.328)
• Significant improvements in rotation detection and screen painting have been introduced in this software.
• Device displayed a white bar at the bottom of the screen after a rotation event.
• When setting a custom SMS tone for a single contact, this tone may playback unexpectedly for SMS’ received from other contacts.
• When swiping down the virtual keyboard in an MMS message the send and save draft icons did not appear as expected.
• When viewing an SMS there was no simple way to call the current user. Now the user can select the number from the Callback Number field or from the message body and call that number from the pop up menu.
• The delete prior function has the unwanted side-effect of triggering the compose email screen.
• The user cannot configure their profile settings to increase the number of alerts when being notified of an event such as incoming SMS or email.
• Previous software versions did not allow the user to increase the count of notifications (i.e. Beep 5 times when when I get an email and beep 3 times when I get an sms). In this software, this is now allowed with counts from 1-10.
• When trying to set a home screen background of a certain resolution (more specifically a resolution matching either the width or the height of the native resolution of the LCD) it may have appeared as a black screen.
• When trying to edit/create a folder, the virtual keyboard did not render to allow the user to enter the names of said folders.
• Intermittently, when streaming a video while doing a handover to 2G on a 3G network the video would stop playing.
• If you paused a video recording and then resumed, the icon state may not have reflected the current recording state.
• After recoding a video of a certain size (7M) the saved video may be corrupted and unplayable.
• During manual network selection, the radio buttons associated with the networks did not render as expected.
• When moving out of coverage your device display for no coverage may have been inconsistent.
• During voice calls, your device may have reset on a rare occasion.
• After viewing and accepting the End User Licensing Agreement of the App World application the application doesn’t startup (fixes introduced in the latest version of App World).
• On some rare occasions, the device may reset on its own during a voice call or while idle.
• During an MTP side load of 16GB of music, the device would leak memory and stop the transfer at ~75%.
• During device full boot-up, the progress bar skips from 0% complete to ~66% complete instead of showing a gradual progression (Note: from 66% to 100% it does show a gradual progression).

[via engadgetmobile]

Soon to be available around the world beginning November, for example AT&T, T-Mobile and Bell Canada, T-Mobile will sell the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 for $199.99 with a 2 yrs service contract.

Key features of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone include:

• Size: 4.29″ x 2.36″ x 0.56″ (109 mm x 60 mm x 14.1 mm) 
• Weight: 4.3 oz (122 grams)
• 2.44” display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi)
• touch-sensitive trackpad
• Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• 3.2 MP camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording
• Built-in GPS
• 3.5 mm stereo headset jack
• microSD/SDHD memory card slot
• 256 MB of Flash memory
• Bluetooth (2.1)
• Removable, rechargeable 1500 mAhr battery that provides approximately 6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby time in 3G mode

[via slashgear]

The BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone introduces a new SurePress technology based on an electronic system that provides the user with tactile feedback when the touch-screen is pressed. The new SurePress technology also allows the user to type a letter with one thumb even while their other thumb may still be touching or resting on another letter, enabling faster typing and multi-key actions such as Shift or Alt -key combinations.

Hardware Features

• 3.25-inch capacitive touch screen (360 x 480)
• Global connectivity support: UMTS/HSPA (2100Mhz), quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM and Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g) networks
• 3.2 MP camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording
• 256 MB of Flash memory
• 2 GB of onboard memory storage and a microSD/SDHD memory card slot
• 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and dedicated volume controls
• Bluetooth 2.1
• Built-in GPS / WiFi
• Removable, rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides approximately 6 hours of talk time on 3G networks and 280 hours of standby time

[via slashgear]

At launch, the REDFLY will be compatible with the BlackBerry Bold 9000, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Tour 9630, with plans to support additional phones as they are released by RIM.

The REDFLY Mobile Companion comes in two models – the C8N and C7 – and has a large screen, full QWERTY keyboard, touchpad, up to 8-hour battery, and USB, VGA and media ports, enabling people to get the most from their BlackBerry handhelds. The REDFLY has no OS, storage or processor, but uses the smartphone’s computing power to give users the ability to interact with the smartphone’s familiar user interface on an 800×480 resolution display. The REDFLY is currently compatible with more than 70 Windows Mobile devices.

[via phonemag]

“We are excited to bring some of EA Mobile’s most popular franchises to the BlackBerry App World where BlackBerry customers can easily download them from one location,” said Adam Sussman, VP Worldwide Publishing for EA Mobile. “We look for the BlackBerry App World to become an important channel for EA Mobile, providing convenient access of our great games to BlackBerry customers everywhere.”

[via mobilecrunch]

Other than the usual BlackBerry emailing features, the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 also comes with a 2 megapixel camera, built in bluetooth, WiFi, microSDHC card slot and 256MB built in memory. For those business users who love music, the 8520 curve’s 3.5 mm headphone jack and music player shortcut keys on top will let you enjoy the music listening easily.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 specifications:

• Size: 109 x 60 x 13.90 mm
• Weight: 106 g
• Memory: 256 MB internal flash memory
• Expandable Memory Hot swappable micro SD
• Battery: 1150 mAh removable/rechargeable cryptographic lithium cell
• Battery Life: 4.5 hours talk and 17 days standby time12
• Navigation Trackpad – Located on front face of device,
• Display: 320 x 240 pixel color display, transmissive TFT LCD, supports over 65,536 colors 2.46″
• Camera: 2 megapixel camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g enabled
• Bluetooth Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Micro USB port
• Network Quad-band: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS networks
• Quad-band: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz EDGE networks

[via slashgear]

check out more photos at next page

This version of Slacker Radio also connects to V CAST Music, combining this exciting music application with Verizon Wireless’ industry-leading mobile music service. When a song is being played using Slacker Radio and is one of the more than 4.5 million available in the V CAST Music with Rhapsody catalog, a V CAST icon will appear on the screen that will let customers easily purchase that track while it continues playing on the smartphone.

Slacker Radio is included with Email and Web for BlackBerry plans, which begin at $29.99 when added to any Nationwide voice plan.

[via fortythreepr]

[via slashgear/boygeniusreport]

The BlackBerry Tour is in a chic black finish with chrome highlights surrounding its body design (112mm x 62mm x 14.2mm and 130g). It also includes a full-QWERTY keyboard, 2.44-inch display with 480 x 360 resolution, full HTML web browser and 3.2 megapixel camera. The camera module seems to be a better one with flash LED, image stabilization and auto focusing.

For those business users who need some entertainment on the road, the BlackBerry Tour has a 3.5mm headset jack and support the Bluetooth Stereo Audio Profile (A2DP/AVCRP) for wireless music listening. Other than the 256MB flash memory, its microSD/SDHC card slot will allow up to 16GB microSDHC memory card for your file storage.

[via slashgear]