Posted on August 13, 2008, at 7:25 am .
The push-to-talk BlackBerry rumored to be coming from Sprint now has a face and a release date. The BlackBerry 8350i is due to drop before the end of the year, and breathe some unexpected life into the Curve brand. With the BlackBerry Javelin well on the way, you would count on RIM to leave the predecessor in the dust – not so! On top of that, the brand new –50 designation could spawn a whole slew of 8000-level iDEN BlackBerrys. As is, the BlackBerry 8350i will launch with both Wi-Fi and GPS (something only the BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry 8820 have done to date), have a 2.0 megapixel camera, and run OS 4.6. Any push-to-talk users out there hankering for something like this?
(via BGR)
Posted on August 12, 2008, at 4:02 pm .
We thought it would be prudent to go through the process of upgrading your handheld software, what with OS 4.5 and 4.6 having hit us in pretty quick succession over the last month or two. New operating systems usually have plenty of new bells and whistles that are worth getting in on, so if you haven’t yet, we’ve got instruction here on how to make the switch. The BlackBerry OS upgrade can be a daunting process if you’ve never done it before, but don’t fear – Big Papa BBCool is here to hold your hand through the whole thing.
Get started with your BlackBerry software upgrade behind the jump!
Posted on August 8, 2008, at 8:31 am .
Three shiny new shades of BlackBerry 8120 are coming to T-Mobile in the near future: tahitian green, indigo and light blue. We’ve seen the indigo before, but if these mock-ups are close to the real deal, then I could see that green one doing pretty well. Of course the BlackBerry 8220 and BlackBerry Javelin are on the way to T-Mobile as well. The flip BlackBerry previously known as the Kickstart will also be available in a variety of colours (we’ve seen it in blue and red so far) and shipping with OS 4.6 – expect it on shelves around late September for $50 with contract. As ever, the BlackBerry Javelin, looking like a Bold/Curve hybrid and shipping with OS 4.6.1, should be coming out late November on T-Mobile. That’s a lot of new stuff coming down the pipes for T-Mobile before the end of the year, but the lack of 3G on the Javelin and the potential for the touchscreen-packing BlackBerry Thunder to be coming out on Verizon in the same time frame might make it a tough call for some buyers.
(via BlackBerry News)
Posted on August 6, 2008, at 8:23 am .
While we’ve known that the upcoming flip BlackBerry Kickstart will be shipping with OS 4.6, one assumed that it would be packing all the same goodies as the BlackBerry Bold. Jibi managed to have some fun on the BlackBerry 8220 simulator, however, and got some virtual impressions of the device in action. The biggest addition is CellData, which is going to be a second-best to a full-blown GPS unit. By recognizing cell tower usage and pairing it up with map data, folks who grab the Kickstart will be able to get a rough idea of where they are – not too shabby for what could be a $50 handset. The BlackBerry 9000 will be making use of the same kind of technology, only in conjunction with proper GPS in order to improve accuracy.
Aside from that, the simulator was running with MyFaves on the home screen, confirming a T-Mobile launch. BlackBerry Messenger will also getting some updates which we had heard about before, such as sharing your playlist and “On the Phone” status with BB Messenger contacts. Of course the Kickstart will be including the Clock app we’ve been waiting ever-so-patiently for from the Bold. Don’t forget that the BlackBerry 8220 will be packing Wi-Fi as well, which means MyFaves, WiFi calling and cell tower location tracking are all going to be under the same hood. Not a bad little package.
(via BlackBerry News)
More pictures of the BlackBerry Kickstart’s software after the jump!
Posted on August 5, 2008, at 8:17 am .
While Chile and Hong Kong might be rip-rearing to go with the BlackBerry Bold, it looks like Australia isn’t too far behind. Handheld software version 4.6 is now available for the Optus BlackBerrry Bold, which is a bit of a shocker considering the only BlackBerry Optus is packing right now is the BlackBerry 8100. Combined with version 4.6 of the Java Desktop Environment and Desktop Manager, and the iTunes Media Sync release, it looks like all of the software bases are covered for the Bold. We’re still frothing at the bit for the BlackBerry 9000, and are more than a little disappointed that Rogers didn’t get it nearly as early as we were hoping.
(via BerryReview)
Posted on July 25, 2008, at 4:20 pm .
First up, sorry for the lateness. The aforementioned server issues slowed production, but no worries- we still recorded and have a heaping two weeks’ worth of news for you this episode. The BlackBerry Thunder and iPhone 3G were both huge news items last week. There are lots of numbers on the ‘net to refute the iPhone’s hype, while the BlackBerry faithful are sticking to their guns and holding out for the BlackBerry Bold. Some more pictures of the BlackBerry Thunder have also floated up, showing off the on-screen keypad and media player, as well as a massive false start by Expansys. This week a lot of stuff was ramping up to a BlackBerry Bold launch, primarily in the form of OS 4.6 software.
Check out links to all the relevant news after the jump, as wells as options for streaming and downloading the BlackBerry Cool Podcast.
Click here to listen to the BlackBerry Cool Podcast: Episode 34
Posted on July 24, 2008, at 10:56 am .
OS 4.6 software is getting fast-tracked in order to prepare for the imminent BlackBerry Bold launch, now with the updated Desktop Manager available from Vodafone Germany. With the 4.6 BlackBerry Java Desktop Environment released just yesterday, it’s hard not to think that some of the issues delaying the launch of the BlackBerry 9000 are getting resolved. If the OS is solid enough that the JDE and Desktop Manager can be offered publicly, I think we can look out for a release real soon. T-Mobile Germany was one of the first to throw out some pricing, and Vodafone had one of the earliest sources of Bold pictures, so at very least Germans have good reason to get excited. If software’s not enough of an indicator, there’s also a batch of presale German BlackBerry Bolds to be shipped August 6th to get your hopes up…
(via BerryReview)
Posted on July 23, 2008, at 7:22 am .
While the last of the OS 4.5 suite is still in the process of getting outed, a beta version of the BlackBerry Java Desktop Environment for 4.6 is available. New features include being able to integrate with the Messages app, SVG support, additional BlackBerry maps APIs and more. The BlackBerry Bold is coming very soon, and those developers who aren’t RIM partners have probably been in the dark for some time now. It really wasn’t long ago at all that the 4.5 BlackBerry JDE was released, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see some developers going right from 4.3 to 4.6. Hopefully with the latest JDE available, we won’t have to worry about too many of our apps borking out after an OS upgrade…
(via Devberry)
Posted on July 15, 2008, at 12:17 pm .
Gadget guru Boy Genius has been toting around a BlackBerry Bold for at least a month now, and has posted a lengthy and juicy run-down of the device. A lot of it has to do with OS 4.6, but there’s plenty on build quality, screen, and speakers too. BlackBerry Messenger gets a significant overhaul, including ability to send videos, send messages to multiple recipients, show the music you’re listening to, and automatically change your status message when on the phone. Notifications for buddies coming online is a pretty sweet feature too.
Plenty more on the BlackBerry 9000 behind the jump!
Posted on July 14, 2008, at 11:37 am .
Call it mixed signals, call it a slightly confused source, or call it one too many Rogers iPhone 3G price points. Whatever you want to call it, it appears that we goofed last week when we told you that Rogers was opting to sell the nascent BlackBerry Bold at $199 on a three-year contract. While the Bold will still match the iPhone 3G in pricing, it will be for the 16GB model, not the 8GB model, which retails at $299 on a three year contract. We were told, however, that the price could drop as low as $199 by Christmas, due to increased smartphone demand from consumers, and well, competition from the iPhone. Consider us half right.
We were also able to learn that RIM shipped Rogers a final build of OS 4.6 early last week, which is surprising considering Rogers also hosted multiple BlackBerry Bold launch parties for corporate customers at the same time. What can we learn from this? Well, one more barrier to getting the BlackBerry Bold in our hot little hands has been checked off the list. Also, the fact that OS 4.6 wasn’t even final before Rogers was throwing parties for the Bold explains why reader ‘Rogers Guy’ was telling us that Rogers was only giving away coupons for the Bold rather than the device itself.
(Thanks to SingStar Hero for the tip!)
