It seems that at every year at this time we’re anxiously awaiting a few new BlackBerry devices. Last year it was the Curve 8900, though by this point it was already released, and the Tour, which was still a ways off. This year the Pearl 9100 is like the Curve, and I suppose the 9650 is like the Tour. Ah, but it seems RIM is doing us one better. This week we’ve seen pictures of a new kind of BlackBerry. A touchscreen with a slide-out, portrait keyboard, the device could be the next in the Bold or the Storm lines. Either way, it’s sure to get BlackBerry geeks talking.
BlackBerry takes the Palm Pre route
That there is the first blurry image of the portrait slider touchscreen device. We first heard something about it on Friday at Boy Genius Report. They got some information, though not the picture. They reported the resolution staying the same as the Storm, at 360×480, but would run OS 6.0. It could also be released before a possible Bold touchscreen. The biggest news is that, unlike the first two Storm models, this will be a GSM/HSPA device.
Then, on Tuesday, BBLeaks caught the device on camera. The reaction, from what I’ve read, was not very positive. The device does look a bit clunky, and it could be a bit thicker than normal models. I wish some of the pics we saw, especially from the higher-res, close-up ones, put it up against the Storm.
Anyway, all of this has made BBLeaks wonder if this is indeed the Storm3 after all. It could be the next Bold evolution, complementing or possibly taking the place of the Dakota. Given its place on a GSM network, that might be the right call at this point. Clearly, we’ll be all over this one.
Look for BIS 3.0 on March 21
One of the worst feelings is opening up a BlackBerry blog on Thursday afternoon and seeing a newsworthy item. It’s just after News From The Wire, so it has to wait an entire week. In this case, it was a good thing. BerryReview heard that BIS 3.0 could be coming out next week. Since that was Thursday, that meant this week. Clearly that did not happen, but some good did come of the ordeal.
CrackBerry posted about the matter, but then got their hands on an email from RIM stating the March 21 release date. So it looks like we’re just two weeks away from two-way Gmail syncing and more.
BES Express screenshots and FAQ
After only a few weeks of anticipation, RIM released BES Express this week. It’s not a huge deal for personal BIS users, but or small businesses it can be a boon. The crew at BerryReview grabbed some screen shots and compiled a FAQ, so if you’re interested in learning more about BES Express you can head right over there.
BlackBerry adds 10 days to your work year?
Every few month we get a story of this nature, so I think everyone gets the point by now. But, in case you were wondering how much longer you work with your BlackBerry, it’s about 10 days a year. It’s mostly due to email checking over the weekend, which is more a distraction than work. Much as I tire of these stories, they do always make me remember to separate work from leisure. Blending the two can only lead to trouble.
My favorite story of the week
We’ll close out the proceedings this week with a personal favorite. I do my share of traveling, and the one thing I’d love for my BlackBerry to do is pen my hotel room door. It appears that could be on the way. It “remains a concept” for now, but I imagine this is practical enough to eventually implement. It will save me from having to go down to the front desk and get a new key card because the magnet in my money clip deactivated my original one.
This post originated at BBGeeks.com – home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.
BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 3/1/2010
This post originated at BBGeeks.com – home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.
BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 3/1/2010