The biggest news this week is probably all the hype around OS 6 and which devices will be getting the upgrade. Rumors (which are borderline fact) are circulating that the 9700 is getting a memory refresh to 512MB of RAM in order to make it OS 6 ready. If OS 6 requires 512MB of RAM, the only device currently in RIM’s product line that will support 6 is the 9650.
Should users be upset about this? Take a look at the iPhone. The iPhone has a 2 year obsolescence since the iPhone 3G, a 2 year old device, will not be getting the OS 4 upgrade. By the time the 9700a launches, it could be a 2 year old device. Therefore, for all the users complaining that their device is becoming obsolete, I think this is a general complaint towards consumer electronics, and isn’t something necessarily wrong with RIM’s strategy. What are your thoughts?
Make sure to hit the jump because we have a full roundup of BlackBerry news this week for you to catch up on.
We have been talking a lot about which BlackBerrys will be getting an OS 6 upgrade and it looks like 512MB of RAM might be the memory cutoff. If true, it would mean the Bold 9650 is the only device currently in circulation that would get the upgrade. Until you get your hands on a modern device, Theme Designers are doing their best to bring some of that experience to the user. Currently, I’m using the OS 6 theme by WJD Designs, and it’s very well done. It has some minor glitches such as lag, but it includes some nice transitions and menu features.
MMMOOO has just launched its OS 6 theme, and it also looks pretty clean. The MMMOOO OS 6 theme comes with a clean green homescreen and a hidden dock and OS 6 icons. Overall, these two OS 6 themes offer a nice variety of options for users who want the OS 6 look on their device.
About a week ago we told users on our Facebook page about a rumor that the 9700 won’t be getting an OS 6 upgrade, and that RIM will be launching an updated device with more memory. A UAProf document exists on RIM’s servers confirming this new device, and there is a rumor about the device having 512MB of RAM, which is the same as the 9650 and the amount of RAM we’re predicting will be required for an OS 6 upgrade. Of course, with OS 6 comes the new WebKit browser and rumor has it that the 9700a will also have a 5MP camera.
While OS 6 does look cool, it’s a shame to think that the 9700, Storm2 and everything pre-9650 won’t be getting the upgrade. Looks like these devices will be stuck trying to imitate OS 6 with a theme.
If you only read one article this week on BlackBerryCool it should probably be the BlackBerry Bold 9650 review. The device launched semi-recently on Sprint and is one of the best BlackBerrys currently on the market. With 512MB of updated memory, it’s a likely scenario that this device will get an OS 6 upgrade, making it future-proofed for the foreseeable future. There are rumors circulating that devices even as new as the Bold 9700 won’t be getting an OS 6 upgrade for memory reasons, which could lead one to believe that 512MB is the cutoff for OS 6. In any case, this is all speculation and we’ll have a better idea for who gets OS 6 once we see it in the wild. Other than that, this week is jam-packed with apps you should try and themes worth downloading so be sure to hit the list after the jump. Continue reading ‘BlackBerryCool Roundup for the Week of May 24th’
In the above video, the user doesn’t touch the trackpad and instead relies on the touchscreen. This makes sense, because OS 6 seems very touchscreen-friendly, but it just makes you wonder what the use case for the trackpad is. It’s also good to see SurePress wasn’t in use here. While SurePress makes sense for typing, it does create for an awkward user experience, and I found it made the Storm2 experience a little buggy. Overall, this device looks like it still needs a little more time in the oven but it’s coming along nicely. Continue reading ‘Pictures and Video of the BlackBerry Bold 9800 Slider With OS 6′
The BlackBerry 9670 clamshell now has a leaked video up on YouTube but sadly the audio has been taken out. The walkthrough shows some of the inner workings of OS 6 and the navigation looks very smooth. The rubberband effect is present throughout the menus, much like the experience you get on the Storm2. As ugly as the device seemed in pictures, it actually looks pretty good in-hand. Some of the applications we get to see in action include BBM 5.0.1.5, Facebook, Twitter, Viigo and App World, which we’re all hoping comes preloaded. If the video gets taken down we have some screenshots after the jump. Continue reading ‘Video Walkthrough of BlackBerry OS 6 on a 9670 Clamshell’
