Take it all with a grain of salt, folks. Someone working around the block from RIM claims to have nabbed this shot of a next-gen BlackBerry. Full QWERTY keypad, so you can forget touchscreen and funky roll-out keypads for now. As for credibility, the keypad looked way too much like a Motorola Q’s at first glance, but if you check out the rear keys, it looks like they’ve got a curved bevel similar to the BlackBerry 8800’s keys. Others on the forums have pointed out the fishy-looking backwards “B” in “Berry”, as well as the possibility of an eBay scam. Regardless, plenty of people have complained about the 8800’s key size, so keeping that indentation but increasing the area seems plausible. The auction also says it has a camera, but you can also shack that one under rumors for now. Previous information says that this thing will be packing some heavier horsepower under the hood, which will probably define the new generation more than form factor changes, and should be landing in early ‘08. In any case, at least now we can do away with that mock-up…
Monthly Archive for December, 2007
BlackBerry 9000 shots leaked?
Gearing up for the coming of ‘08? We are, that’s for sure. Here’s a few quick stories to tide y’all over before we get back on track January 7th.
-Gadget use hurts sleeping habits: Docs at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre say that checking your evening e-mail is “the equivalent to drinking a double espresso last thing at night”; leave the BlackBerry alone for an hour before hitting the sack to get a full night’s rest.
-EVE Online BlackBerry App – Keep an eye on skill training times and market orders. Check out the game, I’m Nick Lanks, set up in Solitude.
-ColorWare to offers Curve, Pearl and 8800 recolouring: Ship your BlackBerry in to these guys to get a custom polymer coating. Probably costing $99 bucks and up, based on SideKick prices – think I’ll stick to DecalGirl.
We hope you guys are enjoying your holidays so far with good eats, good friends, good family, and a few good presents! The world keeps turning, though, and we’ve got a few quick BlackBerry stories to hook you up with before we get back to our own revelry.
-Cytamobile launches BlackBerry 8100 and BlackBerry 8310: The Pearl’s going for €340 and the GPS Curve for €408,35 from the Cyprus carrier.
-SmartGlove offers help for BlackBerry thumb: $23 glove from IMAK braces your thumb when the arthritis starts building up. A New Zealand kid could use it for his case of Texting Tenosynovitis.
-Beta OS 4.3 leaked for BlackBerry 8100: We hear it’s glitchy, but you can look it up on The Pirate Bay if you want to give it a shot.
-BlackBerry 8320 lands in Phillipines: Smart carries the Wi-Fi Curve, joining the 8800 and the Pearl, and ousting the old Curve.
This week we check out RIM’s third quarter results, BlackBerry 8120 coming to Suncom, penetrating the South Korean market, a bit of recent legal troubles, and more of the week’s assorted news. Take a listen here. (14 minutes)
In the rush of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget that 2007 is quickly drawing to a close. It’s been a good year for BlackBerry, hasn’t it? We got a ton of new devices, like the BlackBerry 8800 way back in February, the Curve in May, and the 8120 and 8130 in just this October, but new services like BlackBerry Unite and the Mobile Voice System still loom on the horizon. Although we have 4 to 5 new devices to look forward in 2008, we do enough forward-looking speculation around here. For a change, let’s look back and remember the good times of 2007. This week, we ask: what was the best moment for BlackBerry this year? The one who can conjure up the most teary-eyed nostalgia will get their pick of one fine Curve or Pearl skin from DecalGirl.
Last week’s winner behind the jump!
Okay, you can drop the booing and hissing, we know it would suck, but it’s all gossip until the thing comes out. Keep in mind that this is just for the first iteration of the series, the BlackBerry 9000, and that the previously-rumored 9100 should still have 3G. Outside of that, the rumors are also telling us the 9000 will be packing quad-band GSM/GPRS, QWERTY keyboard, support a, g and b flavours of Wi-Fi, and a 480 x 320 screen like the 9100. Nothing’s been said for sure about a touchscreen, and I’m partial to the idea that it’s just wishful thinking on a lot of people’s parts.
TeleCommunication Systems based out of Virginia came knocking on RIM’s door yesterday about their patent for an e-mail system which handles multiple logins under one app. Not only is TCS looking for damages, but they also want an injunction made against RIM to stop them from using it. C’mon, now. Isn’t the money enough? These kind of things have been known to end amicably, so here’s hoping we don’t have another NTP on our hands.
The results are in, and they’re peachy as ever. Revenue was up 22% from last quarter to $1.67 billion, with $1.8 – $1.87 billion forecasted for next quarter. RIM’s stock has been enjoying a jump, having climbed $12.12 to $119.11 in early trading. 1.65 million new subscribers came in and 3.9 million devices shipped out during the 3 months leading up to December 1st. With such good news, we can brush off the iPhone a little more soundly, along with their 1.1 million units sold last quarter.
Just after Singapore’s BlackBerry 8320 release, RIM issues an announcement of the same device just around the proverbial block. Thai carrier True Move is now packing the Wi-Fi Curve, but no word on price from their online catalogue. It’s safe to assume the device will be making more rounds in the neighbourhood soon.
Although unheralded by press release nor fanfare, the Wi-Fi Curve has made its way to The East through M1 for around S$450 (or US$312). Still no sign of the 8120 on Singtel, Starhub, or M1 but the 8320 is a decent trade-off, no? Besides, M1 has a pretty decent lineup with the 8310, 8820 and 8707 up there, too. Interestingly, the new Curve doesn’t have the big “BlackBerry from Vodafone” label (reminiscent of VIP’s deal) slapped underneath it. Maybe M1’s managing to handle it themselves…? Thanks Ross!
