Tag Archives: RIM

BlackBerry Style 9670

Posted by on Wednesday, 24 November, 2010 No comments

blackberry style 9670 201x300 BlackBerry Style 9670DESIGN & BUILD

Six years ago the RAZR was on the cutting edge of design (no pun intended), and since then there hasn’t been a single clamshell on the market I’d want… until now.

When it’s closed, the Style is about 2/3 the size of a Storm or iPhone and just a little thicker.

The device feels solid and secure in the hand and I wouldn’t think twice about dropping it. The phone fits and feels well in my palm but I found myself wishing a few times that it was thinner.

It is adorned with a smooth plastic back, black polished finish accented with a pewter bezel. This generally looks good, but one major annoyance I found throughout my test period was that the Style attracts and retains finger prints in the worst way. The high gloss finish means the smudges are extra noticeable as well.

Because of its slick finish and convenient form factor it slides effortlessly in and out of my pocket.

Screen
There is a large 2-inch external color display complete with the status information you want in a hurry — message counter, battery life, signal strength, clock, and even previews of messages via the side convenience keys.

Cracking open the device continues to reveal a treasure trove of delights. The internal 2.7-inch QVGA display looks nicer than its specs would lead you to believe. Screen contrast, brightness, and clarity were all better than I was expecting.

This smartphone opens at an angle and is weighted towards the base. As such, I found myself able to flip it open on a desk and comfortably read from it.

This relative angle between the screen and the base causes problems when taking pictures, though, as straight-on camera shots have to be taken while angling the phone towards yourself.

Read more »

Incoming search terms:

  • blackberry style 9670 optical trackpad issues
  • blackberries the phones
  • blackberry style email setup problems

BlackBerry Curve 3G

Posted by on Sunday, 17 October, 2010 No comments

BlackBerry Curve 3G 212x300 BlackBerry Curve 3GBUILD & DESIGN

The Curve 3G retains approximately the same dimensions as the previous Curves (8530, 8900, 8300). Compared to other current generation BlackBerrys, the Curve 3G feels remarkably light. This is due in part to the C-S2 battery that has been regularly featured in several BlackBerry models. This means that users upgrading from the 8xxx may be able to continue to use their battery as a spare.

Screen
Staying true to form in terms of being an update of the previous Curve, the screen on the new model is a step up over previous generations, but only just on par with its current generation competitors.

Its contrast and crispness will draw no complaints. However, I do have an odd complaint with the screen brightness – though having a bright screen is usually great, it doesn’t dim as much as I’d prefer. If you’re a heavy screen-as-flashlight user (but really, who isn’t?), you’ll be happy here.

Another complaint is the size and brightness of the LED message indicator, which is approximately the size of a ball point pen tip. Not a new complaint for current generation BlackBerrys.

Keyboard
The Curve 8900 was the wild child of the Curve family and boasted the rubbery keys found on other BlackBerry lines (read: 8800, Bold, Torch, Tour). The Curve 3G, on the other hand, remains steeped in family tradition and retains the chicklet style keyboard.

There is nearly no difference between the Curve 3G and previous generation keyboards.

Read more »

Incoming search terms:

  • blackberry curve c-s2
  • blackberry curve s2
  • Blackberry Curve C-S2 battery

BlackBerry Bold 9650

Posted by on Saturday, 19 June, 2010 No comments

BlackBerry Bold 9650 214x300 BlackBerry Bold 9650RIM is at it again with the BlackBerry Bold 9650, the successor to the BlackBerry Tour. The smartphone successfully delivers the best of BlackBerry’s features: the latest operating system, the best keyboard, camera, Wi-Fi and more.

Despite its outdated looks, the Bold 9650 seems poised to take over the role of most-desirable BlackBerry for Sprint and Verizon users. It’s available now from Sprint for $200 with contract, and Verizon will release it soon.

I’ve only had the device for a short time, but that’s enough to offer my first impression.

BUILD & DESIGN

You won’t be blown away by the looks of the 9650. In fact, after the initial unboxing I had to look twice to make sure that this was actually a new device. It looks almost identical to the BlackBerry Tour 9630, with the exception of an optical trackpad and slightly smaller dimensions. It couldn’t be more obvious that the new model is the replacement for the Tour, despite the new name.

Screen/Keyboard/Trackpad
The screen is crisp, vivid, and bright. Happily, it seems RIM has resolved the issue we saw with the Tour where the screen would ripple from the corner when pushing a talk button.

The keypad is taken almost directly from the Tour, maintaining the same layout, color scheme, and the same great rubbery keyboard.

The trackpad seems a little finicky but hopefully that’s just part of the learning curve.

Other Design Elements
Unlike the Bold models offered by AT&T and T-Mobile, the 9650′s back plate doesn’t sport any faux-leather. Instead it has a simple textured plastic center piece on a standard black matte finish.

There is a rocker key across the top for the mute and lock keys, but no dedicated media keys like we’ve seen on other RIM models.


PERFORMANCE

In keeping with its mission of delivering a top-quality device, the 9650 comes loaded with BlackBerry OS 5.0, which includes a collection of useful apps including email, a web browser and a calendar.

With the recent updates to the OS, the line between basic BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) features and the consumer-oriented BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) features continues to be blurred, which is a great thing for BIS users. Features that were once available only to corporate users are becoming available to individuals.

There don’t seem to be any major improvements or changes to this specific flavor of the OS compared to the versions on other RIM offerings.

Other Features
The Bold 9650 offers 3G (EV-DO Rev. A) and support for UMTS/HSPA overseas, so it can be used in the U.S. and abroad.

Unlike its predecessor, the Tour 9630, the smartphone offers Wi-Fi.  It also has Bluetooth.

Call quality is good so far, though the speakerphone can be a little choppy at the highest volume settings.

RIM includes its nearly-standard 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, and the lens is slightly offset from the center on the back of the device.


PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 isn’t groundbreaking. Normally it would be a huge step for the CDMA crowd, envious of the 9700. However given how capable the Tour is, the only real improvements seem to be more connectivity and the trackpad.

Understanding the BlackBerry Ecosystem

Posted by on Tuesday, 8 December, 2009 No comments

blackberry curve 89001 284x300 Understanding the BlackBerry EcosystemThe BlackBerry smartphone has its roots in a two-way messaging device called the “Interactive Pager” released in 1995 by Research In Motion, a small hardware designer based in Waterloo, Ontario. Unlike today’s BlackBerry devices, the Interactive Pager did not work on normal cellular data networks, instead using a special-purpose wireless data network known as Mobitex. The device even looked like a pager, except that it included a small keyboard for user input.

The trademark “BlackBerry” first appeared in 1999 as the name for RIM’s end-to-end wireless email solution for corporate customers. The term “Interactive Pager” was dropped and the pager was rebranded the “RIM 950″. The form factor remained the same, though, about 3.5 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall, and it still worked only on the Mobitex network.

Read more »

BlackBerry Bold 9700

Posted by on Tuesday, 17 November, 2009 No comments

BlackBerry Bold 9700 300x270 BlackBerry Bold 9700The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is a 3G, Wi-Fi enabled smartphone offered in the U.S. by T-Mobile and soon AT&T. It has a beautiful HVGA screen, track pad, full QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, and expandable microSD memory card slot.

The original Bold 9000 set the bar in terms of delivering a reliable, high performing device that sported the best feature set RIM had to offer. Just a year later, the Bold2 offers an enhanced feature set and an improved design that instantly leaves the original Bold feeling, well, old.

Read more »