BlackBerry Cool

I don’t think near field technology will be a smash hit in the US. Attempts like Exxon Mobil’s Speedpass & Citibank’s Fast Pass aren’t really major hits. The issue with near field payment systems on a phone is, phones are easily lost or destroyed. People are used to keeping their wallets close but not worrying about their phones. I tend to drop my phone in a charger in my kitchen but keep my wallet upstairs next to my bed. I’d hate to lose a cell with near field tech on it. My thoughts are theat we will see incremental changes. More convergence (MP3, Cell, GPS, Wifi, Web browsing, Bluetooth). I also think that systems such as SMS payment systems to pay for parking or pay for a soda will come into play. Full motion video downloads will also become a reality. 3G will morph to 4G with high speed wireless broadband (access to the 700mhz spectrum will help). I forsee Mobile WiMax integration with the cell phone becoming the method of accessing the internet for many who can’t afford a PC & net connection. You want to remove the digital divide? Make all websites phone accessible in some form or the other (or use Apple’s iphone system for browsing) and give everyone cheap to free internet access with their phone plans. Why we must pay for data packets when every thing is digital and a packet now is just plain gouging by the phone companies. Thoughts? Comments?

- More memory device: 128 Mb or the possibility to install aplications in microSD memory
- microSDHC card in all new devies
- Video recording
- 3,2 Mpixel photo cámara
- Macromedia Flash support
- 3G devices with cámera and/or GPS
- New features in BIS: calendar and contacts sycronize wireless: Google, Yahoo, DataBase ofered by RIM

I believe the next step after WiFI/GPS would be an extension of their World Edition Models. Think about it: who wants to roam on GSM networks if all of their data is on GPRS. Why not make a real World Edition Blackberry, complete with universal 3G. Consider a phone with World Edition phone with a GSM radio, CDMA, EV-DO Rev A, and UMTS/HSPA. That would be the killer device for those who travel. Not only will they have the best of both worlds with GSM/CDMA, they will have full use of their capabilities. A universal 3G Blackberry with WiFi/GPS can be every blackberry lovers dream! I’ll use the unreleased 9XXX series for examples.
9100- Complete GSM 3G, Suretype, 3.2 MP Camera, Media Player
9110-Complete GSM 3G, Suretype, GPS, 3.2 MP Camera, Media Player
9120- Complete GSM 3G, Suretype, WiFi, 3.2 MP Camera, Media Player
9130 World Edition-Universal 3G (CDMA + GSM), Suretype, Wifi AND GPS, All GSM bands supported, 3.2 MP Camera, Media Player, Same time operability on both GSM and CDMA networks(ie have a verizon and t mobile service running on same phone)

9300- Curve-esque design scheme, Complete GSM 3G, QWERTY Keyboard, 5MP Camera, Media Player, Tabbed HTML Browsing
9310- Curve-esque design scheme, Complete GSM 3G, QWERTY Keyboard, 5MP Camera, Media Player, Tabbed HTML Browsing, GPS
9320- Curve-esque design scheme, Complete GSM 3G, QWERTY Keyboard, 5MP Camera, Media Player, Tabbed HTML Browsing, WiFi
9330 World Edition-Curve-esque design scheme, Complete 3G (CDMA and GSM), QWERTY Keyboard, 5MP Camera, Media Player, Tabbed HTML Browsing, WiFi And GPS, All Gsm Bands Supported, Same time operability on both GSM and CDMA(ie have a verizon and t mobile service running on same phone)

9900- 5 MP Camera with additional battery door to cover camera while conducting business or when camera not allowed, Complete GSM 3G, Redesigned keyboard, GPS, Tabbed HTML Browsing, Media Player, QWERTY Keypad
9920- 5 MP Camera with additional battery door to cover camera while conducting business or when camera not allowed, Complete GSM 3G, Redesigned keyboard, GPS, Tabbed HTML Browsing, Media Player, QWERTY Keypad, WiFi,
9930 World Edition- 5 MP Camera with additional battery door to cover camera while conducting business or when camera not allowed, Complete 3G, Redesigned keyboard, GPS, Tabbed HTML Browsing, Media Player, QWERTY Keypad, WiFi, Same time operability on CDMA and GSM networks (ie have a verizon and t mobile service running on same phone)

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^^^If this could possibly the future of Blackberry, then everyone will be in blackberry heaven. If these devices were to be released, there’d be something for every user. Enjoy CDMA, but also like the flexibility of GSM? Get a World Edition phone and use both. Really want a camera but cant because of your job? Get the 99XX series and change the battery door to get rid of the camera. Need a smaller device? 91XX. Blackberries with these functionalities would benefit every businessman and consumer. If the blackberries make it here, they’ll blow all competition away! This would be BlackBerry Paradise!

Heck!! We all feel more than crackberrys here. We all feel one with our blackberrys. Am I wrong? So the next best thing after all this nice fancy stuff can only be one thing. Straight telephaty with our BB’s. ( did i spell that right) What else could top that? My BB never leaves 5 feet away from me(thats only when i take a shower, but I may just get buy the waterproof case for my phone). It is a part of me as I am sure this is true with others (or everyone!).

3G PLEASE. Forget all the other stuff. 3G!

A lot of great ideas here, and I have to agree with Luke on his near-field assessment; don’t know that it would catch on.

I would like to see a fully functional browser. Hey, RIM, you really want to stick it to Steve-o at Apple? Go Firefox on the next model. Flash support, tabbed browsing, it makes me all tingly just thinking about it.

Beefed up memory, higher res camera, all great ideas. But what about a touch screen? Don’t even try to tell me that wouldn’t be cool…

I think that if there is only one correct answer to this question the it HAS to be adding 3G. That’s going to be a requirement soon on any decent phone. EDGE is just too slow to get the masses really using the mobile internet.

Although, more important than just the technological features themselves, we need better applications and a better mobile internet experience. Improvements are being made, but I wish they were moving more quickly.

For example, GPS technology should be combined with mobile internet technology so local searches already know where you are at, what sports team, weather, and movie theaters you are near. I know about Google Maps and its GPS capability, I know there are more location-aware applications being released every day, I’m just saying that it all needs to be better integrated, with an intuitive interface optimized for mobile devices, and rolled out the masses more quickly.

I think that if there is only one correct answer to this question the it HAS to be adding 3G. That’s going to be a requirement soon on any decent phone. EDGE is just too slow to get the masses really using the mobile internet.

Although, more important than just the technological features themselves, we need better applications and a better mobile internet experience. Improvements are being made, but I wish they were moving more quickly.

For example, GPS technology should be combined with mobile internet technology so local searches already know where you are at, what sports team, weather, and movie theaters you are near. I know about Google Maps and its GPS capability, I know there are more location-aware applications being released every day, I’m just saying that it all needs to be better integrated, with an intuitive interface optimized for mobile devices, and rolled out the masses more quickly.

We should look at Japan and South Korea as our “crystal ball” on what mobile tech holds for the future. These two countries have enjoyed for some years now:
1. 3G/4G wireless
2. Pay-by-cell
3. Video and audio on demand, streaming services
4. Video calling

Now, if our wireless carriers could just implement #1 on the list, all other possible services will follow.

I forgot to mention we should also look at and be “cautious” about China. They’re making incredible headway in terms of manufacturing and duplicating other manufacturer’s handsets.

Although they aren’t creative yet – meaning they don’t have the creativity, ingenuity and innovative thinkers that we have over here, I think China bears watching.

If they get their act together (creative genius + manufacturing prowess=???), China could be another “crystal ball”.

You guys said for conversation sake so I read that as use your imagination so these comments can go back to RIM to put on the drawing board. In Australia we already have 3G across all carriers and one next G (4G) carrier. Not that it makes any difference to the humble BlackBerry user.
My suggestion that I would like to see intergrated into the Blackberry is satalite phone and radio technology. I know it will be a little further off than 2008 but could you imagine the convienence of making and receiving calls/emails/BIS/BES anywhere on the face of the planet! You could also include satalite radio capability in this for added versatility.
Another handy include would be compatability with your Atomic Clock time sender system you guys have set up there in the North. I found this very helpful whilst travelling throughout your vast nation as I never knew what bloody timezone I was in. The system updated me watch to the second daily and automatically. I am shore this would be an eazy upgrade to include in what is already one of the most capable and handy gadgets to ever be produced.
Thanks for reading my comments and even if I don’t win I trully hope I can contribute to the development of the future.
Kindest Regards to All
Greg Myers

1) I currently connect my 8830 to my car both via automagic bluetooth for the phone and via the headset connection for music. This way I can listen to 4 gigs of music and if a call comes in, the media player instantly pauses while I’m on the call. This works pretty well but I can’t easily skip songs, fast forward etc. THe analog audio connection needs to be replaced with A2DP bluetooth on both ends, and then the car and the blackberry need to digitally communicate so I can control the blackberry and media functions right from the steering wheel.

2) Need way more storage space. I have 64 gigs of music and the blackberry currently maxes out at 4 gig. A paltry upgrade to 8 gigs is scheduled to happen in January. The SDHC spec for SD, miniSD and microSD maxes out at 32 gig so even when the maximum size 32 gig microSD is maxed out its still way too small.

3) The system memory has got to be expanded. I have had to cut back on the number of applications I use on my device just so I don’t get those dreaded “too many .COD files” error messages.

4) The 8830 successor has got to have a bloody media player that works. I can’t stand songs that don’t appear under the Artist or Album etc., songs that just display error messages, songs that work one day then all of a sudden won’t work even though nothing changed, a video player that will play something other than the built-in demo movie (I’ve tried everything…but that’s a topic for a different day). Oh and it’d be nice to be able to use the GPS that is already built in and working but disabled through software at the behest of Verizon.

ok

after GPS, wifi and 3g…the next step will be building in the access to all streaming media types be it video podcast, sling box or web radio.

for sure the ipnoe needs to do this to be a “pocket” version of itunes and RIM needs to hop on this ASAP.

The content is there and the hardware needs to catch up thus making the PDA or PCD (personal communication device)a mini pc or mac doing virtually all the same tasks.

I would like to have…
1. ability to load and run applications from expansion card.
2. A real MS-Office like application built-in (not only view but also edit Word, Excel and PPT files that can be stored in expansion card.
3. video recording.

Full use of voice command/control.

Think of the iPhone commercial and everything they do with touching the screen, and all of that being done by voice. Then add the ability to have text-to-speech so certain apps could communicate back to the user (ie, email, tasks, calendars, etc.).

The next killer app is tapping in to streaming media. 64GB is paltry, what about access to every song in rhapsody?

There will be intermittent hardware developments, which will be cool, but streaming is the next application that will change people’s daily experience to the extent that WiFi/GPS does.

Instead of trying to “fast-follow” other phone+media innovations (which have been clearly leapfrogged by Apple), you change the entire game by creating a completely different idea. For example, Apple didn’t build a better Walkman, they built the IPod.

I think the next thing to fix or update would be the camera so that people could take better pictures and besides that record videos. I think thats the way it will go. Also I think the blackberry’s I going to be a lot better than any other smartphone because of there ways you can send and recieve emails in one sec. Also for the memory. It’s like having a ipod. I had a Ipod video and I was going to get a Iphone but now that I got this Blackberry 8100 I sold my ipod and I don’t even want to see a Iphone. The RIM is the best out. So if I could help out in anything. I am here to help. Just email.

A full touch screen would be nice. I would like to see better compatabilty with software, cheaper software. I think that the desktop software should be revamped so that data can be entered on the desktop and be easily sent to the device.(palm has a great program that does this)

Here is what I think:

A facebook-like interface on my blackberry (we already have blackberry messenger, now we need blackberry community!), and if I’m sitting in an airport or train station, I can open BlackBerry Community application and i can see who around me is a friend of a contact in my address book. Cool way to communicate with friends of friends. I can then open an instant messenger conversation with them, chat with them, meet them if we wished, and all generally have a great time. BlackBerry Community would also alert me with a message if I am physically near one of my contacts. And allow me to see where, on a map, my other contacts are if they each allow it.

Super cool communication tool that would be.

I also want my BlackBerry to know what I’m doing. So if I’m in a Starbucks a message will pop up with a voucher code it found on the internet. If I’m running late it will alert my contacts that I have meetings with telling them I’m late, and it will also re-find my train times and co-ordinate my journey because I’m late.

Basically, BlackBerry handsets will become aware of their surroundings and improve our lives by being our personal slaves, instead of us being THEIR slaves, which is probably the current state of affairs for most readers of this blog…

Here is my 20 future feature items:

1. Video recording and video calling.
2. Of course this would likely require much higher bandwidth like 3G or 4G.
3. Built in voice-to-text technology. Hands-free email and IM capability.
4. Built-in car-kit speaker-phone option. The phone sends signal to 98.7 FM with auto answer (mute radio) whenever in car. Bypass the need for a car bluetooth kit – use in any car / home.
5. Battery. . .need more power. Seemed like there was promises of a nano butane engine generating enough electricity to extend charge to 30 days or more.
6. With that extra power why not build in a flash light? Or how about a hand-warmer for cold football games. Or cattle prod?
7. Better screen resolution for true HD experience on video playback? Not to mention attachment viewing.
8. Biometric security features? Its got a camera . . .retinal scan?
9. How about using the camera to scan the user’s eyes focal point for trackball / mouse / click wheel input. This is far out there and the camera is facing the wrong direction, but more “hands free” like operation.
10. Use the camera for built-in barcode reading. Many business applications could be based upon this concept? Re-ordering products? Package delivery? Price check at the store?
11. Women would like a personal security siren in case of mugging – ear piercing MP3 plays upon pressing a certain key combination.
12. Integrate car opening and starting capability – get rid of carrying keys.
13. Near field is going to happen with security and identity concerns growing. I want to end the wallet.
14. Built-in AM / FM radio / TV with DVR type recording for later playback. The radio capability would be very cool when combined with the car-kit option listed #4 above.
15. How about putting in one of those super-small video projectors I have seen in science magazines? That would make TV or Video playback very cool.
16. Business users would appreciate a built-in HP 12C calculator capability.
17. Web surfing / email while talking on phone. Maybe 8300 already solves this?
18. This is a stretch (I am trying to get to 20) – car diagnostics when vehicle breaks down.
19. Baby monitor. My wife and I have used two cell phones to monitor a baby on other end of house. Maybe a feature that would allow voice activated PTT to another phone when crying detected?
20. USB memory stick ease versus pull battery, remove card, etc or connect to SD card through USB cable with correct drivers needed. Can we have a USB connector built-in and have the memory card show up as a thumb drive? Not to mention convience of having the charger built in.

There you are. Feel free to contact me directly at Shayne dot Pierce at gmail dot com.

Well the next big thing for cell phone will be a faster speed network “4G” that will allow for VOIP on cell phones. This will cut down cost when making international calls. For example Skype. Its still very expensive to make worldwide calls using the cell phone providers. T-Mobile has this service using a hotspot but only work if your near one. The near future will allow hotspot internet speeds available anywhere. Witch in return will allow us to use VOIP technology anywhere we go.