Posted on October 14, 2009, at 10:46 PM .
Walt Mossberg of the WSJ is jumping on a trend of reviewing the Storm2 before it launches. While BlackBerry Cool has also reviewed this device before launch, it’s always best to wait for the launch date, and give both RIM and the carriers the benefit of the doubt that they may change something.
As you may remember from Walt’s conversation with Mike Lazaridis, he was not a fan of the first BlackBerry Storm. One of his questions to Lazaridis was “why wasn’t the Storm a better device?” Sort of a harsh dig considering it had one of the lowest return rates at Verizon. Yes, the device lacked WiFi, and the typing experience wasn’t stellar, but a touchscreen BlackBerry was much needed in the product line.
Well it seems Walt is convinced that the second time out the gate is a success:
Click through for more about this Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 9550 review
Posted on October 14, 2009, at 10:07 PM .
Google Voice allows users to make calls and send SMS from your Google Voice number. You can listen to your voicemail and read transcripts of the message too. Like almost everything Google does, they’re helping propel the industry forward and this particular app is going to save you money.
While the BlackBerry app requires a Google Voice account, Google has let everyone know that they are allowing users to invite friends. This means that the app will take a leap in the beta testing phase and make its way to the average consumer in the near future.
If you have Google Voice, you should see the latest update is version 0.1.5.1. Nothing crazy to report but we aren’t sure because a change log is not included. So far the forums are reporting improved compatibility with OS 5 and that the Google Voice access number has changed.
What changes have you noticed?
[Via]
Posted on October 14, 2009, at 2:10 PM .
Gartner has released a slightly revised version of their outlook for the 2012 mobile operating system. The latest predictions put Symbian as the top OS, followed by Android, with BlackBerry in third and iPhone in fourth.
The interesting part of this research is the positioning of BlackBerry relative to the iPhone. The advantage of BlackBerry is that it will always have enough devices to cover the entire gamut of potential smartphone users. While you may not love every device that RIM ships, there will always be a device for you.
While Gartner believes that Open Source OS markets are the future, we aren’t seeing much proof of this. Developers aren’t making enough money on either platform for the devices to be of much of use. We have said this countless times on BlackBerry Cool, it’s the software that determines the winner and hardware is fast becoming secondary with regards to the competitiveness of a device.
Gartner has placed a large degree in confidence in Nokia after their partnership with Microsoft. The thought is that the partnership will allow Nokia to deliver Office Mobile, as well as full SharePoint integration, allowing Nokia to steal some of RIM’s enterprise market share. Perhaps this may look good to an analyst at Gartner, but it simply won’t happen. Unless Nokia comes out with a product that rivals BES, hosts an equally robust developer community as well as provides the security of a BlackBerry, the partnership is just talk. If SharePoint is the only advantage, you will have to prove that it is significantly better than what Wicksoft can offer.
Overall, the predictions are as follows:
1. Symbian
2. Android
3. BlackBerry
4. iPhone
5. Windows Mobile
While we may not know the final outcome until 2012, rest assured it’s the developers who will decide the final victor. So if you’re a developer looking to make that killer app, don’t let Gartner become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Go to the brand you trust and ultimately, go to the brand that’s making you money. I guarantee you it’s not Symbian, Android or Windows Mobile.
[Via]
Posted on October 14, 2009, at 11:50 AM .
We have heard all manner of launch dates for the Storm 2 9520 and the Storm 2 9550 (or should I call it the Storm2?).
For Verizon, we are seeing the BlackBerry Storm 9550 rumored to launch October 21st. This rumor comes from an internal Verizon email that was leaked showing a launch date for the Storm 2 to be October 21st.
There is also some evidence pointing towards a Storm2 launch for October 28th. This is loosely based on some Verizon BOGO material that was leaked. At the very least, we know that when the device launches, the carrier is pushing a very intense sales campaign with it. On a side note, does anyone else think writing Storm2 vs Storm 2 looks a little silly? It could easily be mistaken for a typo.
The Vodafone Storm 2 9520 seems to be launching about the same time as Verizon. While we haven’t seen many internal leaks on the subject, we are seeing a lot of promo materials going up in preparation.
Overall, these things tend to get delayed for any number of reasons and I would be really surprised if the carrier, being a giant cumbersome organization where the left hand doesn’t talk to the right hand, could actually peg a date and stick to it.
The 21st is a reasonable date, but could easily be pushed back closer to the end of the month.
Posted on October 14, 2009, at 10:47 AM .
Elecite are known for making some really decent BlackBerry themes and they have recently launched a free theme. The theme, Scenic, comes with 5-6 bottom dock icons and an assortment of over 50 icons to choose from.
According to Elecite, this is a gift as a thank you to the community.
The theme is available for all BlackBerry devices except the Pearl 8100 series.
What do you think?
Download Scenic free from Elecite.
