Gizmodo: Rim

Touchscreen BlackBerry Thunder Is BlackBerry 9500, Has Higher Res Screen Than iPhone

matt buchanan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:01:16 EDT

A bit more tricklage on RIM's "Apple Killer," the touchscreen BlackBerry Thunder: The official model number is the BlackBerry 9500, and the touchscreen is a bit higher res than the iPhone's (360x480 to 320x480). It'll be running OS 4.7.0 (the Bold runs 4.6). As we inch closer to the September release date expect to hear a lot more, since RIM's ship ain't exactly the tightest one on the seven seas. [BlackBerry News]

AT&T 2008 Smartphone Roadmap Leaked

matt buchanan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:59:19 EDT

Believe it or not, AT&T actually does have other smartphones coming this year besides the iPhone 3G and BlackBerry Bold. Four sequel-y Windows Mobile phones all slated for winter, and 6.1 updates for existing ones. Besides the Pantech Tech Duo 2, there's the BlackJack 3 (with a better cam and a little faster hardware), Tilt 2 (Update: BGR says Tilt 2 is probably the Touch Pro), and another unnamed Sammy, possibly the Omnia. There's also a "non-QWERTY" LG phone of some sort and a Wi-Fi version of the Curve (8320). Since these are all smartphones, we're guessing there's another consumer roadmap. [Gear Diary]

RIM Denies BlackBerry Bold Delays, But It's Still Hitting in August

Mark Wilson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:04:00 EDT

While the Boy Genius Report claimed the BlackBerry Bold was delayed until August, RIM turned around and said, "We didn't say anything about 'July' or 'August.' It will become available in August." So in other words, expect the BlackBerry Bold this August—later than July but earlier than September. [Betanews]

BlackBerry Bold Hands On (It's Great)

Benny Goldman — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:41:22 EDT

Tonight, we finally got our hands on the BlackBerry Bold, and it was worth the wait. You've already seen the UI, which yes, it's that snappy and smooth. The screen is nice 'n' crispy, if a lil' tiny for extended cinematic pursuits. But the real q: How's the browser? Damn skippy. It not only renders Giz correctly (a feat that makes most mobile browsers cry blood), it's fast (thanks AT&T), and zooming in and out with the trackball works pretty well.

Smaller than the 8800, but bigger than the Curve, it feels really nice in your hand. Well, our hand. The keyboard is solid, as expected—BlackBerries live and die by the keyboard. Sweet design, more features, a great browser and the most consumer-oriented feel of any BlackBerry yet. This is the BlackBerry you've been wanting.

RIM Spending Hard to Develop Hot New BlackBerrys

matt buchanan — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:01:48 EDT

In the numbers soup of RIM's quarterly earnings today, there is a one bit that stood out to us: RIM is pushing hard on R&D and marketing next quarter, to the tune of an expected 26-28 percent increase in expenses. In other words, it's going to spend serious cash to promote the hell out of the BlackBerry Bold, Thunder and Kickstart, while furiously developing new wares behind the scenes to try to stay ahead (or keep up, depending on how you see BlackBerry). But it's a fight for survival either way. [Alley Insider]

AT&T BlackBerry Bold Delayed Until Mid-August

matt buchanan — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Okay, so the BlackBerry Bold doesn't even have an official release date yet, but Boy Genius's RIM spies (who have a solid track record) say that it's been pushed back into August, courtesy of "software issues with battery life and overheating," so AT&T hasn't certified it yet. But apparently it's just fine for Canadians. Color us red-blooded Americans blue. [BGR]

BlackBerry Bold on Video: My, My What a Pretty UI

matt buchanan — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:20:48 EDT

RIM's video tour of the BlackBerry Bold breezes through each feature a little more quickly than we'd like—especially the browser, please show us it won't suck—but it looks more polished than the rough release we saw in action a month ago, with more color and silky smoothness. The interface is nice 'n' clean, entirely composed of soft lines—I think the only sharp thing about it is the screen itself. Definitely RIM's most exciting phone in a long time. [BlackBerry via Crackberry]

Canadian Carrier Rogers Getting BlackBerry Bold June 25, Way Ahead of AT&T?

matt buchanan — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:48:08 EDT

Boy Genius is hearing that Canadian carrier Rogers is launching the BlackBerry Bold as early as June 25—a month or more ahead of the July/August release we've been hearing for AT&T in the U.S., where it has first dibs. We hope they're either wrong or AT&T's dropping it quicker than expected, since we hate it when the Canucks beat us at anything. BGR says nothing on RIM's end is holding up the launch. We can't figure it out—it's not like there's another big phone launching in the next couple weeks or anything that AT&T would want to clear space for. [BGR]

BlackBerry Kickstart Flip Phone In the Flesh (Looks Chunky)

matt buchanan — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:50:00 EDT

The dudes at Crackberry have scored some serious camera time with BlackBerry's first clamshell, the Kickstart, shooting it from every possible angle. I think I'm back in the "it's, um, ugly" camp—it's definitely not a svelte or sexy number, and I don't really see it appealing to teens or other youngins if that's who the new flippiness is aimed at. But I failed art classes and Jesus cries whenever I open Photoshop, so maybe I just don't have any taste. [Crackberry. Thanks Kevin!]

BlackBerry "Seawolf" 9110 Clamshell for AT&T and "Aurora" Mystery Phone Surface

matt buchanan — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EDT

BlackBerry's first flip phone, the Kickstart (9100), is obviously for T-Mobile, but Boy Genius has uncovered some stuff that refers to the BlackBerry Seawolf (9110). The model number indicates it's a version of the Kickstart with GPS for another carrier, most probably AT&T. The mystery phone is the Aurora, which is in the same series as the touchscreen Thunder, but with an indicator of SureType keyboard like the Pearl—BGR suspects it might be an R&D fossil we'll never see. Still, looks like the Kickstart won't stay T-Mo exclusive for very long (if at all). Check out the revealing code over there: [BGR]

BlackBerry Thunder Live Shot, Features, Verizon Exclusivity Captured in the Wild

Jack Loftus — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:42:00 EDT

RIM's iPhone killer was conveniently seen in the wild by the folks over at the Boy Genius Report a day before Steve Jobs will take the stage at Apple's WWDC. BGR is claiming this is a live shot of the final device, which could hit store shelves and Apple's bottom line sometime in September. It bears a striking resemblance to the minimalistic mock-ups that were floating around in May, and the Verizon exclusivity rumor appears to be true(er). [Boy Genius Report]

Awful, Blurry Pic Reveals Touchscreen BlackBerry Thunder?

matt buchanan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:32:24 EDT

The tradition of "leaked" photos being blurry and godawful is an enduring and respected one, going back to the time of the bards. But this purported live shot of the touchscreen BlackBerry Thunder's shell is truly among the most epic in its fuzzy fail. Going for its authenticity is that RIM supposedly asked Horizon to pull it, plus Boy Genius says they've got their own confirmation, in addition to the super obvious lack of Photoshopping/rendering. While it's hard to tell dimensions (or anything but the faintest hint of four buttons along the bottom) it does look a smidge chunky, doesn't it? [Horizon via Engadget via Boy Genius]

What Using a BlackBerry Kickstart Will Be Like (Hint: Just Like a Regular BlackBerry)

matt buchanan — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:30:00 EDT

The guys at Crackberry have gotten their hands on some authentic looking slides that talk about the "Kickstart experience," which is basically all about keeping the flip phone's BlackBerriness intact. It's mostly "duh" stuff, though it's sorta interesting how feverishly they're making the experience of opening and closing the phone exactly match holstering and unholstering the plank versions. Also, you can flip through missed alerts on the external screen without opening the phone. And play music! Very exciting. (If you think so too, check out all the slides over there.) [Crackberry]

Regional Carriers Want the iPhone, Tell FCC to Ban Phone Exclusives

matt buchanan — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:20:00 EDT

The wireless industry is essentially at the saturation point, so exclusive phones matter more than ever, especially ones like the iPhone for AT&T or the touchscreen Blackberry Thunder for Verizon, phones that really drive people to particular carriers. So it's no wonder the Rural Cellular Association (repping smaller regional carriers) is petitioning the FCC to ban exclusive deals, which obviously push people out of smaller local carriers to the established juggernauts, since it can take months or years for trickle down. The iPhone is at the center of the complaint.

Basically, the peg is that most people in Vermont can't get an iPhone, since AT&T only has roaming coverage there, and none of the carriers in the area can offer it. While it sounds like a nice, egalitarian thing the gov't could latch onto, the petition will probably fail.

As big as FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is on promoting competition, it's really only particular kinds of competition, and this doesn't really fall into the rubric. Moreover, this isn't the first time this kind of petition has been filed, and it's been smacked down every time before. Sorry, Green Mountain Staters and boondocks-dwellers, you're probably not going to get an iPhone till iPhone 4 or 5, when that AT&T exclusive finally runs out. [WSJ via Silicon Alley Insider]

RIM CEO: BlackBerry Bold Not Inspired by the iPhone At All, Really

matt buchanan — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:00:00 EDT

RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, who was hating hard on touchscreen keyboards last time we heard from him, took the defensive on the BlackBerry Bold's iPhone-esque aesthetics at the Wireless Enterprise Symposium, saying that the Bold "wasn't a response to another device.... This was actually designed three years ago and the actual physical design of this product—I have the original models from 2006." Syncing to iTunes aside, Mike, I take it that this would be your response to the iPhone then? What do you guys think? Update: Changed the picture to live shot comparison, rather than renders.

Lazaridis also continued proselytizing for the full, physical QWERTY, calling it "the most exciting mobile trend," arguing that

"I'm not making this up. People are running out of their two-year contracts and they're coming into the stores and they want to be able to do Facebook and they want to be able to do instant messaging and they want to be able to do e-mail and they ask for those features thinking that they're going to get another flip phone and they're walking out with a (BlackBerry) Curve or a Pearl because they're the best devices for doing those kinds of activities."

Man, it sure would be great if there was a BlackBerry flip phone, wouldn't it ? All mocking aside, I think he's kinda right—look at the success of the Sidekick and LG's various QWERTY-but-basic phones, like the Rumor and enV. [Cnet via Daring Fireball]

Wall Street Journal: Touchscreen BlackBerry Thunder Due by September

matt buchanan — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:10:00 EDT

The Wall Street Journal confirms all of the details unearthed a few days ago about BlackBerry's touchscreen Apple killah: Dubbed Thunder, it's only got four physical keys and it'll be exclusive to Verizon Wireless in the US and Vodafone abroad. They also toss in a launch date—Q3 of this year, meaning September at the latest, practically right on the heels of the BlackBerry Bold. Looks like RIM is seriously stepping up its game—whether or not it's 'cause of the iPhone, we like it. [WSJ]

BlackBerry Bold (aka 9000) Will Sync to iTunes

Sean Fallon — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:21:38 EDT

According to CNET, RIM is planning to ship the newly announced BlackBerry Bold (aka 9000) with some newfangled music capability that the folks at Apple may not be all that pleased with. The program in question has been dubbed "Blackberry Media Sync"—and it will make it possible to transfer music to the phone via iTunes. There has been no official word yet, but my guess is that Steve's reaction will be to bypass diplomacy and stomp on RIM Godzilla style. [CNET]

AT&T Confirms First Dibs on BlackBerry Bold

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:11:47 EDT

AT&T told our friend Sascha at PC Mag that it would be the first carrier to sell the new BlackBerry Bold. Others may very well follow this year, and judging from the fact that the hardware specs include room for T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon, they most certainly will. AT&T also said that it's got exclusivity on international 3G usage—Sprint/Verizon's EV-DO isn't as universal as AT&T's HSDPA—and the ability to use the BB in Japan and South Korea. [Gearlog]

Hotmail Comes to BlackBerry

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:35:41 EDT

In addition to the big Bold BlackBerry news at RIM's Wireless Enterprise Symposium, the company announced it would finally support Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, says Crave. This includes push, realtime synch and full HTML support, plus an "almost PC-like" Messenger experience, with file transfers, custom status messages and cartoon emoticons. Like the Bold itself, this service is due in the vague "this summer" timeframe. Ironically, this might actually be more than what Microsoft itself is doing for poor old Hotmail. [Crave]

RIM Sees Apple $100M Fund for Programmers and Raises $50 Million More

AddyDugdale — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:30:00 EDT

Hot on the heels of the BlackBerry Bold comes the news that the company behind it is to start up its own venture capital firm. And if it's a way of besting Apple's iFund, then the Canadians win, by fifty million buckeroonies. The BlackBerry Partners Fund is a bunk up between RIM and Thomson Reuters, and has earmarked $150 million for mobile applications and services for mobile platforms including BlackBerry. Full press release after the jump.

RIM, RBC and Thomson Reuters to Anchor a $150 Million BlackBerry Partners Fund Focused on Investing in Mobile Applications and Services
New fund to mark "mobile" as the new frontier

TORONTO, May 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Research In Motion (RIM) (TSX:
RIM; NASDAQ: RIMM), RBC (RY: TSX; RY: NYSE) and Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI;
TSX: TRI; LSE: TRIL; NASDAQ: TRIN), today announced plans to launch the
BlackBerry(R) Partners Fund, a US$150 million venture capital fund, to
invest in mobile applications and services for the BlackBerry(R) platform
and other mobile platforms. The Fund is to be co-managed by JLA Ventures
and RBC Venture Partners.

Agnostic to both stage and balance sheet, the BlackBerry Partners Fund
will not restrict the development of mobile applications and services to
any single mobile platform or any specific industry segment. The Fund will
be designed to advance the industry by fostering development and driving
the entrepreneurial spirit to create the most innovative mobile offerings
for customers.

"The mobile world has evolved well beyond phone calls and simple
messaging to require more empowering and liberating solutions that connect
people to everything that matters most to them, wherever and whenever they
want," said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO, Research In Motion. "RIM, RBC and
Thomson Reuters share the common belief that mobile applications and
services will propel the industry forward and the BlackBerry Partners Fund
is being formed to help fuel innovation and activity in the mobile
ecosystem."

"Thomson Reuters is committed to supporting the development of next
generation mobile applications that will provide our professional and
business customers with anywhere, anytime capabilities," said Devin Wenig,
Chief Executive Officer, Markets Division of Thomson Reuters. "The ability
to make business critical decisions with intelligent information available
on mobile devices will give our customers a clear competitive advantage."

"The BlackBerry Partners Fund will focus on evaluating companies in all
regions of the world and investing in the long term success of those that
demonstrate market leadership and unique differentiation," said John
Albright, Managing Partner of JLA Ventures, who will also assume the role
of Co-Managing Partner of the BlackBerry Partners Fund. "Whether it's
access to corporate data or the latest craze in mobile entertainment, we
want to fund companies that are forerunners in driving adoption and further
enriching the mobile experience."

"The BlackBerry Partners Fund will be a catalyst for the development of
next generation mobile applications and services," said Kevin Talbot, RBC
Vice President and Managing Director of RBC Venture Partners, who will also
assume the role of Co-Managing Partner of the BlackBerry Partners Fund.
"The BlackBerry Partners Fund will focus exclusively on mobile applications
and services and our close alliance with RIM will bring unparalleled access
and value to our portfolio companies."

About BlackBerry Partners Fund

The BlackBerry Partners Fund is a $150 million venture capital fund
being formed to focus on applications and services for the BlackBerry
platform and other mobile platforms including mobile commerce (payments,
advertising, retailing and banking), vertical and horizontal enterprise
applications, communications, social networking, location-based
applications and services (navigation and mapping), media and
entertainment, and lifestyle and personal productivity applications. The
Fund will consider all stages of development and is to be co-managed by JLA
Ventures and RBC Venture Partners. To sign up to receive further
information visit: http://www.blackberrypartnersfund.com.

[PR Newswire]

BlackBerry Bold (aka 9000) Officially Official

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:01:03 EDT

They said RIM's BlackBerry 9000 would be formally announced on the 12th. They said it would be called the Bold. Photos suggested that it would be the sexiest thing to come out of Canada since Sarah McLachlan's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. And they wuz right. Boy Genius says it'll be available this summer on AT&T 3G, with a T-Mobile 3G edition in the wings—the handset can handle 850/1900/2100Mhz for HSDPA/UMTS, plus T-Mo's 1700MHz band. Sascha at PC Mag is reporting a CDMA/EV-DO version as well. Jump for more details like that 480 x 320 screen—and giddy tittering—from sources all around the web, plus the official press release.

Here's the rundown:
• Has 802.11a/b/g plus good GPS, typically a tradeoff with BBs
• GPS is enhanced and assisted, and the handset has better map rendering, says Laptop
• 480 x 320 resolution screen with 65,000 colors—Crave says "never seen a better-looking display"
• 624MHz Intel PXA270/Marvell Tavor PXA930 processor (reports differ), up from 312MHz
• Runs BlackBerry OS 4.6
• Keyboard has 8800-style "sculpted keys," says PC Mag, "but the rows are separated by curved barriers"
• 4.5" tall x 2.6" wide x 0.5" deep, weighing 4.7oz
• Side-loading MicroSD/SDHC slot for up to 16GB additional
• 2MP camera with flash
• Talk time of 5 hours, with standby of 13 days
• MP3, WMA, AAC, DivX4 and WMV3 codec support
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• "Pretty powerful speakers—none of that weak, tinny junk," says Crave
• 128MB of flash plus 1GB of onboard memory (with encryption)
• Black leather back panel that can be swapped for other color leather plates
• Pricing will be $300 to $500 says BGR, a pretty wide (and obvious) range; Crave narrows it to "$300 to $400"

Why the name? Well, since Mike Lazaridis stopped taking our phone calls (blog allergy, some say), my guess is that those dudes are either fans of Goethe or fans of Cameron Crowe. You know... "Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid." Keep it up, RIM. I think it's working. [Product Page and Press Release PLUS Boy Genius; Laptop; Crave; PC Magazine]

Official Press Release:

RIM Introduces the BlackBerry Bold Smartphone
Top of the line BlackBerry smartphone features premium design and unprecedented performance; perfect for business professionals and power users.

Waterloo, ON- For customers seeking a smartphone that makes a bold statement, Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today introduced the admirable BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone. Crafted from premium materials, inside and out, that radiate elegance with a dramatic presence, the BlackBerry Bold is designed to give business professionals and power users unprecedented functionality and performance in an intuitive BlackBerry® smartphone. It is the first BlackBerry smartphone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world and comes with integrated GPS and Wi-Fi®, as well as a rich set of multimedia capabilities. From its lustrous black exterior, satin chrome finished frame and stylish leather-like backplate, to its stunning display, sophisticated user interface and newly designed full-QWERTY* keyboard, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone is a symbol of accomplishment and aspiration.

"The new BlackBerry Bold represents a tremendous step forward in business-grade smartphones and lives up to its name with incredible speed, power and functionality, all wrapped in a beautiful and confident design," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion.

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone's support for tri-band HSDPA and enterprise-grade Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g) networks and its next-generation 624 MHz mobile processor make short work of downloading email attachments, streaming video or rendering web pages. The BlackBerry Bold also includes 128 MB Flash memory plus 1 GB on-board storage memory, as well as and a microSD/SDHC memory card slot** that is conveniently accessible from a side door. It comes with the renowned BlackBerry productivity applications, including phone, email, messaging, organizer and browser, and works with thousands of mobile business and lifestyle applications, making it easier than ever to stay connected, productive and entertained. With this powerful new smartphone, users can even talk on the phone while sending and receiving email or accessing the web, and download Word, Excel or PowerPoint files and edit them directly on the handset using the preloaded DataViz® Documents to Go® suite.

STUNNING DISPLAY
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone comes with the most vivid and bold display ever introduced on a BlackBerry smartphone. Its half-VGA (480x320 resolution) color LCD is fused to the undersurface of the lens, making images leap out with stunning definition and clarity. Pictures are vibrant and razor sharp, while videos play smoothly and web pages, documents, presentations and messages snap with exceptional quality and contrast.

DESKTOP-STYLE WEB PAGES
With its newly enhanced, high performance browser and high-resolution, ultra-bright display, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone gives users an on-the-go web browsing experience with desktop-style depiction. The trackball mimics a mouse, making it easy to navigate sites in "Page View" or "Column View" or to zoom in on specific parts of a web page, while various emulation settings allow users to choose between the full desktop-style HTML content and layout or the mobile version. Attachments can also now be downloaded from within the browser and there is support for watching streaming videos (RTSP - real-time streaming protocol).

RICH MULTIMEDIA
While it is designed to meet the extensive requirements of the business professional during the day, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone also caters to the business person's consumer side during evenings and weekends. It features a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capability, built-in flash and 5x digital zoom. The enhanced media player can display pictures and slideshows quickly, play movies smoothly in full screen mode, and manage an entire music collection. Audio can be played over the handset's dual speakers in rich, stereo sound, and when using wired headphones or external speakers, the media player gives the user an equalizer with 11 preset filters - like "Lounge", "Jazz" and "Hip Hop" - that boost or soften audio ranges to create the perfect ambiance.

For managing music and video, the BlackBerry® Desktop Manager software includes Roxio® Media Manager for BlackBerry® as well as Roxio Photosuite® 9 LE, which makes it easy to enhance pictures and create photo albums on the computer. For users that manage their collection with iTunes®, the new BlackBerry® Media Sync application provides a simple way to sync iTunes digital music collections with the smartphone***. Support for High Speed USB 2.0 allows all files to be transferred quickly from a desktop computer to the BlackBerry Bold smartphone.

POWERFUL WI-FI & GPS
For even broader high-speed network coverage, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone supports the 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi standards, ideal for use in enterprise or campus wireless LAN deployments, over Wi-Fi hotspots and on wireless home networks. A new "Push Button Setup" is included, making it faster for users to connect to protected wireless networks that require a sign on process.

Through its integrated GPS, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone can pinpoint its exact location, supporting applications like BlackBerry® Maps and other location-based applications or services. With its improved rendering capabilities, faster download speeds and ability to support simultaneous voice and data, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone even allows users to navigate while on a call.

FIRST CLASS PHONE
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone features a new acoustic design that increases the size of the phone's audio sweet spot, improving listening quality and clarity. It also comes with numerous premium phone features including Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), Bluetooth® 2.0, with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including car kits that adhere to the Bluetooth Remote SIM Access Profile) and other Bluetooth peripherals. It is a quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSDPA handset that supports global roaming**** and features dedicated 'send', 'end', and 'mute' keys, smart dialing, speed dialing, conference calling and call forwarding. It also features noise cancellation technology that offsets background noise, a powerful speaker phone and support for polyphonic, mp3 and MIDI ring tones.

ROBUST EMAIL & MESSAGING
Like all BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Bold gives users the industry's leading mobile messaging solution. It works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, which enables advanced security and IT administration within IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® environments, as well as BlackBerry® Professional Software for small businesses. It also works with BlackBerry® Internet Service, which gives users access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), and the BlackBerry® Unite! software for SOHO and home users.

CONVENIENT ACCESSORIES
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone comes with a variety of convenient accessories including a stereo headset, travel charger, carrying case or sleeve and USB cable. Users will also be able to personalize their BlackBerry Bold smartphone by purchasing replaceable leather-like backplates that come in a range of colors. The removable / rechargeable 1500 mAhr battery provides multi-hour usage with a target talk time of approximately 5 hours and 13 days standby time.

Accessories for BlackBerry smartphones, including leather holsters and totes, charging pods, premium earphones, the BlackBerry® Remote Stereo Gateway and Bluetooth headsets, are available through retail outlets or online at: www.shopblackberry.com.

AVAILABILITY
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone (model number: 9000) is scheduled to be available from wireless carriers around the world beginning this summer.

For more information please visit: www.BlackBerryBold.com.

About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM's portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

* Keyboard also available in AZERTY and QWERTZ configurations to support different language groups.

** MicroSD/SDHC memory cards are available today in configurations of up to 8GB and the BlackBerry Bold is expected to support upcoming 16GB microSD/SDHC cards.

*** Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies.

**** Check with service provider for roaming services.

Is the BlackBerry 9000 Really Going to Be Called BOLD?

AddyDugdale — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:15:00 EDT

And Lo, it came to pass that, after the blessed angel RIM announced the arrival of the BlackBerry 9000, pointing its followers to a May 12 launch, there came a tumultous cacophony of sound from the masses, who wanted to know if the smartphone was going to get a catchier name, like its sisters, Pearl, and Curve. And the angel RIM paused for a moment and said, "Verily, I say unto you that, from henceforth it shall be known as Bold." And with wailing and gnashing of teeth, the followers rent their garments and, smiting their breasts, said, "Bloody Norah, that sounds more like a washing detergent." [Crackberry]

Rumor: BlackBerry 9000 To Be Announced on May 12?

Benny Goldman — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:30:00 EDT

The BlackBerry 9000 will be officially announced on May 12 at WES 2008, according to the Boy Genius. The reviews have been glowing so far, so if you've been waiting for the 9000, time to start getting excited. [BGR via Unwired View]

Video: BlackBerry 9000 vs. Curve and Pearl Plus Full OS Tour (Smoothest BlackBerry Ever)

matt buchanan — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:50:00 EDT

Crackberry follows up their rave review of the pre-distro Blackberry 9000 they snagged off eBay with a full video tour that compares it to the Curve and Pearl before diving into the OS for the most in-depth look yet. If you've been staring at BlackBerries for years, it looks like the new UI will feel pretty refreshing, since all of the apps benefit too, not just the home screen. And menus have transparencies! Plus YouTube support (vid opens in BlackBerry media player, but it's there). Must watch if you're at all interested in the 9000. [Crackberry]

BlackBerry Niagara Full Specs Leaked (Has 3G After All)

Mark Wilson — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:50:00 EDT

It looks like The Boy Genius Report has scored some more information on the BlackBerry Niagara. Apparently it's a 3G (EVDO) device after all, planned for Verizon in May 2009. It's said to feature QWERTY, 480×360 LCD, aGPS, 3.2MP camera and OS 4.7. But to make things more confusing, there's a very similar model called the Javelin, featuring quad-band GSM/EDGE. In other words, the Javelin sounds like the what we thought the Niagara was yesterday, a dumbed-down Blackberry 9000 for cheapskates. Boy, isn't this fun! [BGR]

BlackBerry 9000 Final Specs, AT&T Exclusive for US Launch

matt buchanan — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:22:01 EDT

Not much we don't already know in what BGR is calling the final spec list for the BlackBerry 9000—3G HSDPA in the 850/1900/2100MHz bands, Wi-Fi, GPS and 480x320 LCD, etc.. The big nugget is that AT&T will be the first carrier to launch worldwide, as well have it exclusively in the US. So, T-Mo users are gonna have a bit of a wait The sorta good news for you is that one of the HSDPA bands the 9000 supports, 2100MHz, is one of T-Mobile's two 3G bands (1700MHz is the other), so if you're in an area covered by it, you can grab some 3G goodness on an unlocked phone. Otherwise, and they better get cuddly with EDGE if they're thinking about unlocking. Update: Astute commenters have pointed out that the way T-Mobile splits its 3G bands, you're actually still screwed on 3G here. [BGR]

BlackBerry Kickstart Launching on T-Mobile, Less Ugly Than Suspected

matt buchanan — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:40:00 EDT

Boy Genius has a new round of shots and specs for RIM's first BlackBerry clamshell, the Kickstart. Most important, it's launching on T-Mobile, but a close second is that it's not quite as design challenged as it originally appeared. Here, it actually looks good, at least as good as flip phones can look, and seems like it'll come in a full Skittles rainbow. Specs are pretty average (definitely a consumer phone), notably lacking 3G. But it's got Wi-Fi, 2MP cam, internal LCD is 320x240, external is 160x128, and it's running the 4.6 OS—same as as the 9000. BGR's pegging Sept. as release date. [BGR]

Kickstart: First Blackberry Flip Phone Needs a Kick in the Design Pants

matt buchanan — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:48:14 EDT

This fine piece of flip phone is Blackberry's very first clamshell, codenamed Kickstart. It's not very attractive—it's got a smugly RAZR-esque silhouette. The inside is Pearly, with a trackball and SureType keyboard. Boy Genius says that the internal LCD is "decent looking," but the shot of the external has a weird sheen over it, so it's hard to tell there. Sort of an odd choice from RIM, I think—was there an untapped demand for a flip Blackberry? No other specs, but expect it by the end of the year. Profile shot after the jump or hit BGR for the full five. [BGR]

Blackberry 9000 Specs from Leaked RIM Documents

matt buchanan — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:00:22 EDT

Fresh off the auction block, Boy Genius has cribbed some internal RIM documents about the Blackberry 9000, or more specifically its OS 4.6 software. Here are the salient bits: The browser is supposed to be a lot better, with AJAX and CSS 2.1 support, not to mention inline video streaming. The picture library is improved and shows photos from internal and external memory; there's smart playlists for music; and picking up Wi-Fi is supposed to be easier than ever. Not to mention HSDPA all over the place. If you still want more, head over to BGR. [BGR]

Blackberry 9000 Already for Sale, Sorta Kinda

matt buchanan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:45:27 EDT

The Blackberry 9000 isn't due out till July or August, but a pair of distributor pre-release models have already hit eBay and been purchased by two anonymous buyers. Remarkable not only for the legit-looking set of new pics confirming HSDPA and the 4.X OS, but also because this powerseller apparently has a time machine at his disposal, reaching all the way back pre-August 2007 to get 'em. If you're reading this and happen to be one those lucky buyers, hit us up. Course, we're still waiting for the Blackberry that's over 9000. [eBay, Thanks iomatic]

RIM Engineers Call Touchscreen Blackberry "Apple Killer"

matt buchanan — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:09:07 EDT

A New York Times story about the iPhone's assault on Blackberry-maker RIM has a couple of interesting bits in it, notably that RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis isn't a fan of touchscreens ("I couldn't type on it and I still can't type on it, and a lot of my friends can't type on it") but RIM's hard at work on the long-rumored touchscreen Blackberry anyway, which RIM engineers have privately dubbed "the A.K.—for 'Apple Killer.'"

Obviously fighting words, but they still make us more eager than ever to see their efforts on the touchscreen front—especially given how much RIM's CEO dislikes touchscreen keyboards. Can they make a touchscreen phone that'll satisfy hardcore Crackberry addicts weaned on a physical keyboard and swipe some of the iPhone's cachet at the same time?

The other morsel is that one of their major strategies is to stick close to carriers, rather than the odd frenemy relationship Apple and Google have with them, even if it winds up killing RIM. Its other CEO, Jim Balsillie, says that "It may be a better strategy to fight the carrier. We may be wrong. The carrier may get disintermediated, in which case we fade with them." Guess he's not of the "better to burn out" philosophy—though a hot new Blackberry wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for RIM right now. [NYT]

Sprint to Revive Nextel With Wi-Fi BlackBerry and CDMA Phones

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:15:00 EDT

According to a Gearlog report from CTIA, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse is promising an unnamed new iDEN BlackBerry with both push-to-talk and Wi-Fi, a full-featured smartphone to put some juice into the abysmal Nextel network. He also pledged new phones from Sanyo, Samsung, Motorola and LG that run on the CDMA network most Sprint customers use, but will have Nextel's push-to-talk and other "chirp" services. This sounds to me like waffling: if iDEN can't attract handset makers and has no high-bandwidth roadmap, why encourage the format? I'm all for moving in the CDMA direction and easing customers in with familiar services, but hasn't that been the plan all along? And hasn't it been failing? [Gearlog via Electronista]

T-Mobile Confirms BlackBerry 8820 Arrival

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:30:04 EDT

T-Mobile confirmed last Friday's rumor, that it was (finally!) bringing the BlackBerry 8820 to its lineup. AT&T has had the handset since late last year. In case you, too, are confused about the whole BB lineup, this one has GPS and Wi-Fi, but no camera. (T-Mo already carries the Curve, which has Wi-Fi and a camera but no GPS.) TeleNav's GPS navigation software comes bundled with the 8820, and the phone will of course work with Hotspot @Home Wi-Fi calling, provided you pay the $10/month subscription fee. The 8820 will cost $350 with a 2-year commitment. [T-Mobile]

Scheduled Blackberry Outage Tonight from 2-6AM EST

matt buchanan — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:51:20 EDT

Blackberry outages send certain kinds of people into blind, feverish panics, like their arms were cut off, immolated and shoved down a garbage disposal. So that's why RIM is updating their database in the wee hours of the morning over the weekend—tonight from 2-6AM EST, or more precisely, 6-10AM GMT. Expect no email, internets or roaming during that dark, scary period. [CG]

Gartner Says iPhone Now OK for Biz; BlackBerry and Window Mobile Mess Selves

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:56:58 EDT

Today Gartner reversed its opinion on the iPhone: Before, it said the iPhone wasn't business-friendly, but today, the firm grants it "appliance-level" status, meaning that with the upcoming enterprise-friendly iPhone 2.0 update, it'll officially be safe enough—and functional enough—for hardcore suit-wearers.

We journalists tend to think of Gartner as a good place for stats and opinions, but IT honchos look to the company for guidance on how to spend their multimillion-dollar budgets. In this case, Gartner explains its decision in terms that IT buyers will appreciate:

"Appliance-level" status permits the iPhone to be used for PIM, e-mail, telephony and browsing applications. It also permits the device to be used for other dedicated functions where the software is supplied by a third party, functionality is kept to a restricted set, the software supplier offers support for a backup platform and IT development resources are not needed to program custom code locally residing on the device.

But this here's the deathblow, dealt by Gartner vice president and distinguished analyst Ken Dulaney:

"The iPhone will thus match up initially in several segments against its main smartphone competitors—BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60."

[Gartner]

BlackBerry's 8120 Pearl Goes Wi-Fi For AT&T

Jason Chen — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:00:30 EDT

The Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry Pearl, which was previously Europe-only, has finally made its way into the US by way of AT&T. The 8120 had a 2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, and a price of $199 with a two-year contract and rebates. What would you use that Wi-fi for? How about watching TV shows over Slingplayer? [Crave]

Touchscreen Blackberry Patent Suggests RIM has SideKick-Envy

Kit Eaton — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:36:18 EST

A new patent filing by RIM for a "hybrid portrait-landscape handheld device with trackball navigation and Qwerty hide-away keyboard" suggests that future Blackberrys may remind us pretty strongly of a SideKick Slide, or perhaps an HTC Tilt without the tilt. We're guessing that the trackball is a version of their pearl controller, though the patent also makes reference to touchscreen technology. Looking at another image in the filing, you might also wonder if an accelerometer is included for iPhone-style screen orientation.

Of course, RIM has fired out lots of other patents in the past which we've yet to see in reality. So if you're a Blackberry fan who'd love a bigger slide-out keyboard, don't get too excited by this — we suspect you won't be seeing a real product anytime soon. [Reghardware]

Palm Gets Dicky Towards RIM With Full Page Newspaper Ads

Jason Chen — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:30:05 EST

Remember the BlackBerry outage? You know, the one that happened on Monday? Palm sure didn't, and they're betting that you didn't either, which is why they've taken out advertisements in major newspapers across the country to simultaneously kick RIM in the nads and pump up their own service. As you can see above, they're emphasizing "uptime" and "no nationwide blackouts." If you're going to be this transparent, why not just come out and say "Hey BlackBerry customers, we suck less hard than your current provider!" Classy, Palm. Real classy. [Palm via Cool Smart Phone]

BlackBerry Outage: An Upgrade Was to Blame

Sean Fallon — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:15:36 EST

It took longer than expected, but it appears that RIM has finally figured out what went wrong with yesterday's three hour BlackBerry outage. The company is blaming an upgrade failure that was intended to increase capacity. Naturally, RIM was quick to apologize and noted that no email messages were lost during the outage. The question is, will this incident hurt the BlackBerry image? [Yahoo]

Yesterday's BlackBerry Outage is Still Unexplained

Jason Chen — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:05:04 EST

That three hour outage in your BlackBerry email service yesterday may have just been an inconvenience to you, but it's a mystery to RIM, who still can't figure out exactly what went wrong to cause your messages to dribble off into the land of lost dinner invitations instead of shooting off to their proper recipients. [CNN]