A full year has passed since OS 5.0 was released as an upgrade for the Storm 9530. By using the download data from the popular game Pixelated I have been able to track the progress of the adoption of version 5.0 of the BlackBerry Operating System. Not only does this show the trends of the past year, but it also gives a guide to what we can expect to see in the adoption of OS 6 from in market devices such as the Bold 9700.?
While the majority of users upgraded right away (over two-thirds of all users upgraded in the first two months), the adoption rate after that was more slow and steady than anything else. After ten months the adoption rate has finally stabilized. The past three months has seen it remain just short of 90% ranging from 89.7%-89.9%, at this point there is no reason to expect much more change in this number.
Last week was an awesome week for BlackBerry 6 leaks as we saw the Curve and Pearl 3G, Bold 9700 and Bold 9650 all get blogged. There are some cool PlayBook articles worth checking out too. We’re starting to see developers really get into making apps for the upcoming tablet, and the fact that RIM has promised a free tablet to every developer that gets an app in App World, we’re hoping to see some cool stuff. Be sure to hit the jump and check out last week’s posts. Continue reading ‘Some BlackBerry News You May Have Missed Last Week’
The Rogers BlackBerry Bold 9780 is currently listed on the Future Shop website at $149.99 on a 3 year contract. The Bold 9780 is the same look and feel as the 9700, except it has a small spec boost, a better 5MP camera, and it ships with BlackBerry 6. It should be interesting to see how well this smartphone sells, considering the Curve 3G is going for $49.99 on a 3 year, and the 9700 is $99 on a 3 year. With the BlackBerry 6 upgrade coming anyways, is a 5MP camera important to you versus 3.2MP?
Have you loaded BlackBerry 6 on your Bold 9700? Even the leaked version that hit the Internet recently is more responsive than the Torch 9800. I’ve loaded the latest version of BlackBerry 6 on each device and even though the Torch 9800 has more icons on the screen, the Bold 9700 is definitely more responsive. Hopefully the Torch will get faster with a few more updates because the lag time on the device is a little frustrating. Other than that, the Torch is arguably the best BlackBerry to date.
Rent.com has launched a BlackBerry app that allows users to hunt for the perfect apartment while on the go. The free app lets you search for apartments, call or e-mail property owners and manage your favorite listings. The app automatically syncs with each user’s Rent.com account and apartment-hunters can attach their own photos and notes to listings to help them remember the details of a property after they visit. Plus, once you find an apartment, you can report your lease through the app in order to claim your $100 Visa debit rewards card. Check out the app in App World.
Today, RIM announced the global availability of BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express for Lotus Domino. BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express is free software that wirelessly synchronizes BlackBerrys with email, calendar, contacts, notes, tasks and more. The BES Express solution is ideal for organizations that do not want to spend money on extra BES licenses but want more employees to get the productivity of a BES setup.
With BES Express connected to IBM Lotus Domino, BlackBerry users will be able to:
Wirelessly synchronize email, calendar, contacts, notes and tasks
Manage email folders and search email on the mail server from their smartphones
Book meetings and appointments, accept meeting requests, check availability and forward calendar attachments
Set an out-of-office reply
Access files stored on the company network
Use mobile applications to access business systems behind the firewall
