BlackBerry Curve 9360

This QWERTY messenger is compact and to the point, with clean and grown up design. The Curve 9360 is sure it can deliver, its confidence unshaken by unknowns and uncertainties. RIM must've enjoyed the safety and comfort of doing what they're best at.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 official pictures
The new Bold flagship and the next Torch generation did the Curve 9360 a favor by taking the pressure of high expectations off it. All it needs to do is focus on the important stuff: giving business users and heavy texters the quality service they deserve. And by the way, it should be the best Curve experience they ever had.
The higher-res screen, robust processor and the new BlackBerry OS 7.0 with NFC support propel the 9360 into an entirely different dimension. Well out of reach for the Curve as we knew it - stuck at QVGA screens and 2 or 3 MP cameras. In fact, it's an option that Bold 9700 and 9780 users would do well to consider. Blasphemy - upgrading from a Bold to a Curve! Well, no more. Just take a closer look at the specs.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA
• 2.46" 16M-color TFT landscape display of HVGA+ resolution (480x360)
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Optical trackpad
• 800MHz processor
• 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
• Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity
• NFC support
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity
• Bluetooth v2.1
• 5 megapixel fixed focus, VGA video recording
• BlackBerry OS 7
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 32GB), 4GB card in the box
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Decent audio quality
• Office document editor
• Smart dialing
• DivX and XviD video support

Main disadvantages

• BlackBerry Internet Service account is a must to enjoy all phone features
• Poor still camera quality
• Bland text-only submenus
• Rigid call and navigation keys
• Fixed focus camera
• No HD video
• Glossy back panel prevents good grip, easily greased up

With the Bold stepping across into touchscreen, the Curve has new found space for growth. And the popular line of BlackBerries didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. The Curve 9360 is a robust upgrade of its predecessor and a huge step forward for the entire lineup.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 live shots
Respectful of rank and tradition, but not constrained by them, the new Curve 9360 is unafraid to push into new territories. And it doesn't need to push too hard to impress a new crowd. There will be plenty of returning customers to attend to. The Curve 9360 does well to make them feel at home.
This is in small part due to the design and feel of the handset, which we're about to explore. Interested? See you right after the break.
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BlackBerry Torch 9860

No QWERTY keyboard, no SurePress clickable screen gimmickry, the BlackBerry Torch 9860 is taking the plunge. Not the first time that RIM are venturing into touchscreen but they're past the point of no return with this one. The BlackBerry Torch 9860 will walk among deadly droids and iPhones - probably the most hostile of environments in smartphone land.
No wonder RIM are extra cautious. They had a couple of scouts in touchscreen territory that didn't return. The Storm phones were exposed despite their SurePress disguise. Now, this time RIM are not beating the drum. Their first real touch-only phone doesn't seem to warrant its own name. It's simply a regular team member. A keyboardless model in the Torch lineup.
We bet any of the Storms would kill to be in its place rather than a footnote in BlackBerry history. A history heading towards tablets, history in which the likes of the Torch 9860 will be playing an increasingly greater role.

BlackBerry Torch 9860
BlackBerry's latest OS 7 and the real-deal touchscreen experience will help the Torch 9860 find a niche of its own. Not that BlackBerry purists will ever get over the lack of a physical keyboard, but the Torch 9860 is not looking at them.
Instead, it has plenty to offer to long-term BlackBerry users with a taste for experiment. The Torch 9860 is part of a new generation of 1.2GHz-powered phones running the latest OS 7. It promises a new touchscreen experience and better specs across the board.
In case you wonder though about QWERTY in the list of cons - it felt right to sound a warning to traditional BlackBerry users. It's too radical a change. So, the Torch 9860 will have a massive point to prove. You can take the QWERTY out of a messenger but never the messenger out of a BlackBerry. Coming up next is our pros and cons list, so let's get down to business.

Key features:

• 3.7" 16M-color TFT touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM support and quad-band 3G with HSDPA
• Single-core 1.2GHz QC8655 processor
• 768MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v7
• BlackBerry’s proprietary email service and data security
• Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity
• GPS receiver and BlackBerry maps preloaded, digital compass
• 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and a LED flash
• HD video recording, 720p@30fps
• 2.5GB of inbuilt storage
• 4GB MicroSD card prebundled
• Optical trackpad
• Four physical buttons at the bottom
• Solid build
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• DivX and Xvid video support
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Smart dialing
• Ultra-fast boot times

Main disadvantages:

• BlackBerry Internet Service account is a must to enjoy all phone features
• No physical QWERTY keyboard
• No videocalling and no front facing camera either
• No NFC
• No Flash support for the web browser
• No FM radio
• No haptic feedback

The Torch 9860 has all the makings of a fine smartphone, down to the very price tag. That last one is no joke. RIM have always charged a premium on their phones. Nowhere to run if you need their service.
It's the latest generation however that's finally becoming relevant in the outside world. More and better features, and refined user experience, RIM are keen to catch up with the standard-setters. It won't happen overnight and the Torch 9860 probably won't live to see it. But it won't be sorry for not trying.


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SPRINT BLACKBERRY BOLD 9930, TORCH 9850 PRICE DROP AHEAD OF RELEASE DATE

Two BlackBerry devices, a Bold 9930 and a Torch 9850 have been approaching to get a cost dump forward of a phones’ recover date. Both a Bold 9930 and a Torch 9850 have been pre-installed with a ultimate handling complement from Research in Motion, and Walmart’s early cost dump suggests which a Canadian-based association could capture some-more customers.

Retail hulk Walmart is right away usurpation pre-orders for Sprint Nextel various of a Bold 9930 starting during an tasteful cost of usually $199.99, a Bold 9930 is RIM’s ultimate flagship device, which is a CDMA chronicle of T-Mobile USA’s Bold 9900, versed with a touchscreen, hardware-accelerated user interface pleasantness of OS 7, 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processor, 8GB of built-in storage, and a vast ‘mono-colored’ keyboard.
Walmart is additionally receiving pre-orders for a even cheaper Blackberry Torch 9850 starting during $99.99, which is $50 reduction costly than a cost tab which Sprint will offer, a full-touch device from RIM is a second OS 7 temperament phone to embrace a cost cut by Walmart, as good as touted to take a bench of a Blackberry Storm.
The keyboard-less device’s front fascia mostly resembles a Samsung-built Android device with usually 5 hardware buttons situated underneath a vast (chemically-strengthened plastic) 3.7″ touchscreen, versed with a same 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processor, 5 megapixel back camera with autofocus (as against to a 9900/9930′s fixed-focus camera) and 4GB of onboard user memory.
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BlackBerry Bold 9780

It’s no surprise that the BlackBerry Bold 9780 is the next logical evolutionary step, rather than a complete makeover that will propel it into the same league as the iPhone and Android. RIM has a loyal core of customers whose bond with the brand goes beyond the obvious business benefits. And devices like the Bold 9780 are certainly part of that bond.
From a geek’s perspective, a new generation of gadgets should emerge to a new generation of users. Radical, rebellious, with no sense of history and no respect for authorities. In the world of business, every new generation of gadgets has to make generations of users feel at home.

BlackBerry Bold 9780 press photos
There’s no moral dilemma for BlackBerry in this. They know trying to introduce new features and UI tweaks with each new generation involves substantial risk for some of the changes to backfire. But they haven’t given up on the Torch and the Storm, have they? Though it’s obviously much easier to stick to a tested recipe and only add stuff that’s been proved to work.

Key features:

• Enhanced email and data security via BlackBerry services
• 2.44" 65K-color TFT landscape display with a resolution of 480 x 360 pixels
• Hardware four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• GPS receiver and BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera, LED flash
• 624 MHz CPU, 512 MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v6
• Touch-sensitive trackpad navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• DivX and XviD video support
• Decent web browser
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Smart dialing
• Compact body and solid build quality

Main disadvantages:

• BlackBerry Internet Service account is a must to enjoy all phone features
• Outdated and unintuitive camera interface
• No FM radio
• No video-call camera
• No built-in accelerometer

The BlackBerry Bold 9780 upgrades the Bold 9700 by a 5 megapixel shooter and the new 6th version of the BlackBerry OS. It doesn’t sound much and when you consider that the 9700 was already updated to BlackBerrry OS 6 there is even less to choose between the two phones.
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BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105

Berries have been changing – in small steps, and big leaps. Sometimes stumbling, other times graceful and assertive. It seems the time was finally right for the Pearls’ makeover too.
It’s been almost three years since the last of the Pearls. But if you wanna know what kept RIM busy all that time you’ll have to look up the Storm and the Torch. Touchscreen or the highway wasn’t a choice RIM wanted to make but had to.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 official photos
To be honest, Pearl is not nearly exciting as the Storm, the Bold or the Torch. Bringing the budget lineup up to date is not the best job RIM have had to offer lately. But whoever got assigned to it did well. Better perhaps than they thought they would. Three years is a long time. Long enough for people to start thinking you’ve given up. Long enough for RIM to know they couldn’t afford to mess this launch up. And luckily, the BlackBerry Pearl 3G is right on the money, reviving a famous messenger family.
The BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 is the upgrader’s dream come true. A bigger and better display: check. Upgraded camera: check. Premium connectivity: check. Faster processor: check. Slim and sexy: check. We wish it were that simple.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM support
• Tri-band UMTS support with HSDPA (3.6Mbps)
• 2.25" 256K-color TFT display of 360x400 pixel resolution
• 624MHz CPU
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support
• 3.15 megapixel auto-focus camera with geotagging, LED flash
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 32GB), 2GB card included
• Dedicated music keys
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Excellent audio quality
• Optical trackpad navigation
• BlackBerry OS v5.0 with an official upgrade roadmap to OS 6
• Nice web browser
• Office document editor
• Smart dialing
• DivX and XviD video support

Main disadvantages

• No email support or BlackBerry maps without a BlackBerry Internet Service account (plan)
• BlackBerry OS v 5.0 offers basic text-only submenus
• No FM radio
• No front facing video-call camera
• Glossy front is a fingerprint magnet

Let’s say it again – it’s the budget lineup. Not the A team. Simple, compact candybars with little to no fancy features and certainly no fancy finish. That’s what used to make a BlackBerry Pearl. But… well… the berries have been changing.
As of late, RIM are trying to shake off their uptight image and the Pearl lineup is obviously part of that transformation too. In the Storm series and the Torch, touchscreen makes a lot more difference of course. The Pearl lineup has its own way of breaking the rules.
Traditionally, BlackBerry Pearl phones come with a hybrid QWERTY keyboard. New Pearl is not afraid to offer a new set of users a choice. It comes in two flavors: a trademark half-QWERTY keyboard on the Pearl 3G 9100 and a regular numpad on the 3G 9105. These are otherwise two identical handsets.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 vs. Pearl 3G 9100
The Pearl 3G overwhelmingly upgrades the original Pearl series. That’s one thing the users will appreciate most. But BlackBerry is looking to reach out to new customers too and the two different keypads do seem to make sense. It’s almost as simple as a hybrid SureType keyboard for the BlackBerry faithful and a regular numpad for the newcomers.
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BlackBerry Torch 9800

The BlackBerry Torch is not the first phone to give you both a full hardware QWERTY keyboard and an ample touchscreen in a smartphone setting. But it’s a debut for BlackBerry and one that will probably shape the future for the next generation of RIM phones. The supplied 6th version of the BlackBerry OS is looking to balance user-friendliness and performance, tradition and creativity in the latest BlackBerry touch products..
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is the usual impressively built gadget, the ultimate email machine.
One would think RIM is among the lucky few phone makers that could’ve for ever pretended the iPhone didn’t exist. When your devices are in a class of their own and you’re a household name in corporate services, it’s easy to believe you’re special.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 official photos
But RIM is not looking for safety in habit. We’ve seen enough proof that complacency is not on the company’s agenda. And they deserve credit for that. RIM still put business users first but the game has changed and they know it. So, a first-ever slider and a new OS are the torchbearer for RIM looking to revise their whole strategy.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• 3G with HSPA support
• 3.2" 16M-color multi-touch capacitive touchscreen of 360 x 480 pixel resolution
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and VGA video recording
• BlackBerry OS 6
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Built-in GPS with BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 4 GB internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD card slot
• Nice design and build quality
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotate
• Bluetooth v2.1 and microUSB v2.0
• Document viewer
• Optical trackpad
• Good audio quality
• DivX and XviD support

Main disadvantages:

• Comes pricey
• No document editing without a paid upgrade
• Interface needs more polishing
• No FM radio
• No web browser Flash support
• No dedicated video-call camera
• No email support or BlackBerry maps without BlackBerry Internet Service account
• Loudspeaker way too quiet

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is meant to appeal to the average Joe while making sure the typical corporate user receives the usual high quality service. Wait a minute. Since when are they even remotely interested in the average Joe? Now, that’s what this whole thing is all about. With touchscreen, app stores and the growing smartphone market share, the typical mobile phone user is not what they used to be.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 at ours
RIM not only makes phones – it’s a service provider. But that has changed too. People are no longer simply offered a piece of hardware – they get online services by others too – Ovi, Google or else.
That’s the new reality RIM know they need to adjust to. Keeping up with an evolving market without losing their identity is not an easy thing to do. At least the Torch 9800 isn’t their first try. The clickable SurePress touchscreen didn’t quite make the splash it was supposed to. But they stood by it and tried to make it better.
It’s now up to the Torch to show to the world that RIM can make touchscreen and QWERTY work together in a BlackBerry set and in BlackBerry fashion.
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BlackBerry Storm2 9520

RIM are a company with style and simply hopping on the touchscreen bandwagon with another iPhone wannabe just wouldn't suit them. They certainly realized the importance of having a full-touch device in their portfolio but wanted a clear and legible BlackBerry imprint on it.

BlackBerry Storm2 official photo
The BlackBerry Storm 9500 was a truly intriguing device but never really managed to find its place in the new market it was built for. Too bold and unusual for the BlackBerry-loyals and yet too conservative for the rest of the world, it didn't quite get the results it was hoping for. But the successor might use the publicity the first Storm generated for its own good.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 2100 MHz 3G with HSPA support
• 3.25" 65K-color capacitive touchscreen of 360 x 480 pixel resolution
• Improved touchscreen experience with piezo-electric touch feedback system
• 3.15 MP autofocus camera, LED flash
• BlackBerry OS 5
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS with BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 2 GB internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD card slot
• Landscape on-screen keyboard is as close to hardware keys as we have seen on a touch phone
• Nice looks and great build quality
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotate
• Bluetooth v2.1 and USB v2.0
• Document editor
• Good audio quality

Main disadvantages:

• No email support without BlackBerry Internet Service account
• Interface not as quick as competitors'
• Chubbier than most touchscreen phones with similarly-sized displays
• Mediocre camera
• No FM radio
• No web browser Flash support
• No dedicated video-call camera

The good news is RIM decided to honor the Storm2 with a few upgrades over the original. However, none of them seems to be absolutely crucial so the greatest responsibility falls on the brand new piezo-electric touchscreen. The missing link between touchscreen and a hardware keypad is what many keen texters must have been waiting for. Or at least that's what RIM believe.

The BlackBerry Storm2 9520 views
Now, the SurePress screen didn't work out particularly well on the first Storm and a second failure might herald the demise of the entire series. So the BlackBerry Storm2 knows it needs to impress the audience or it might take a spot in history for all the wrong reasons.
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BlackBerry Curve 8520

With the Bold almost reaching perfection in the BlackBerry arts, new horizons need to be explored to keep the spark alive. The tall task to pioneer new territories (in BlackBerry terms anyway) falls on to the Curve 8520.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 official photo
The new Curve has a price tag that's easier on the wallet and - coming from a BlackBerry - that's a welcome change of game plan already. But what makes this here Berry a shocker is… wait for it… music keys. Last time we checked features like that were teen geek stuff and we don't know many teens are walking around with a BlackBerry in their pocket. Well, it's certainly going to be interesting to see how BlackBerry's attempt to woo this new demographic will turn out.

Key features

• 2.46" 65K-color TFT landscape display of QVGA resolution
• Comfortable four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support, Wi-Fi connectivity
• 2 megapixel camera with fixed focus
• 512MHz CPU
• BlackBerry OS v4.6 with responsive trackpad navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Decent audio quality
• Nice web browser
• Office document editor
• Smart dialing
• Dedicated music keys
• DivX and XviD video support

Main disadvantages

• Many features are unusable without a BlackBerry Internet Service account (plan)
• BlackBerry OS offers basic text-only submenus
• Mediocre camera performance and features
• No FM radio
• No 3G support
• No TV-out functionality
• Music keys are stiff and unresponsive
• No built-in GPS receiver
• Back panel is a fingerprint magnet

Most of the software-related shortfalls in the list above are shared by all other BlackBerries out there. The hardware disadvantages boil down to features that the 8520 needed to skip to fit budget. After all, the fancy stuff is in the more expensive 8900 Curve and 9700 Bold. So if you're already ok with the 8520 Curve specs and you want to go for a BlackBerry device and service, you won't find anything substantial to complain about here.
Obviously it took a few sacrifices for the Curve 8520 to keep that price tag within limits. The magnificent screen was ruthlessly trimmed down to the run-of-the-mill QVGA resolution. On a second thought though, that only puts it on a par with the screens on the Nokia E71 and E72 and we don't see anyone complaining about them.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 studio shots
But how Blackberry and other makers define cheap are completely different things, so a commitment-free 8520 Curve fetches nearly the same as a Nokia E71. Now, that can't be too good for the BlackBerry, right - especially now that Nokia are offering their paid Push Messaging service in quite a lot of countries.
As we see it, the only way for the Curve 8520 to escape constant comparisons to its Nokia counterparts is to find some way to appeal to a wider market.
But frankly, we're a little skeptical whether one handset can convince the masses that BlackBerries are now as much about pleasure as they are about business. RIM have built a reputation on churning out no-nonsense corporate phones and it will take several more generations (and frankly, optimizations) for people to start seeing the company differently.
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BlackBerry Bold 9700

Some handsets will work their socks off to have their fifteen minutes of fame, others are simply born into stardom. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is certainly fortunate to carry a name that stands for popularity and excellence in the RIM family of phones. But this kind of fame can be less a blessing and more of a curse if the successor fails to live up to the standards set by its illustrious namesake.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 official photo
These high expectations have quite often turned otherwise decent handsets into a byword for failure. It's simply not enough to provide incremental improvements when upgrading an iconic handset. The iPhone somehow gets away with that, but Apple usually does. But for regular mobile phone manufacturers it takes something new and it certainly takes something better for the successor to achieve the same kind of success.

Key features:

• 2.44" 65K-color TFT landscape display with a resolution of 480 x 360 pixels
• Comfortable four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS and BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 3.15 autofocus megapixel camera, LED flash
• 624 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v5
• Responsive trackpad navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• DivX and XviD video support
• Good web browser
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Decent audio quality
• Smart dialing
• Great battery life
• More compact body and lighter weight compared to the Bold 9000
• Good build quality

Main disadvantages:

• Many features are locked without a BlackBerry Internet Service account (plan)
• Mediocre camera performance and features
• No FM radio
• No video-call camera
• No TV-out functionality
• No built-in accelerometer
• No built-in compass

It's pretty obvious where the RIM R&D team is heading with the BlackBerry Bold 9700. It's hard to really overhaul a handset that was considered almost perfect by most of its users without testing their loyalty, so they embarked on optimization instead. It's not a bad formula for success to just keep the same functionality, stick it in a smaller, fitter body and improve the performance wherever possible.

Will the BlackBerry Bold 9700 have the span and impact of its predecessor?
One glitch or an important feature sacrificed to fit the compact package and the plan goes down the tubes. The smartphone market is increasingly competitive and smaller companies like RIM know they have little room for error. The new Bold 9700 looks fit and hot, no doubt about that. Let's see if it performs to our expectations, and yours.
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BlackBerry Bold 9000

There we go folks, it's a BlackBerry grand slam at the arena and we're set for another ride with RIM's finest. We guess this here Berry is neither Curve-hot nor Storm-inventive but it's Bold enough to say little and do much. Even without being the latest or greatest of RIM devices, the Bold 9000 is clearly the pinnacle of what BlackBerry stands for.

BlackBerry Bold 9000 official photos
Moreover, the Bold 9000 is hardly a groundbreaking device outside the BlackBerry world but to Berry buffs it may be about as good as a mobile phone gets. Sporting flawless connectivity, a magnificent screen and one of the most comfortable QWERTY keyboards we have seen, the Bold 9000 is at the very least a great business gadget. Well then, it's business as usual on our end too so the BlackBerry Bold better get ready for one of our out-and-out reviews.

Key features:

• 2.6" 65K-color TFT landscape display with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels
• Comfortable four-row full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM support and tri-band 3G with HSDPA
• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS and BlackBerry maps preloaded
• 2 megapixel camera, LED flash
• 624 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM
• BlackBerry OS v4.6
• Responsive trackball navigation
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 8GB)
• Excellent build quality
• DivX and XviD video support
• Good web browser
• Office document editor
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Nice audio quality
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages:

• No email support without BlackBerry Internet Service account
• Mediocre camera
• No FM radio
• The web browser is unstable when browsing through Wi-Fi
• No video-call camera

As we mentioned, the BlackBerry Bold 9000 doesn't pack ridiculously high-end multimedia or other fancy gimmicks to make a big splash outside the BlackBerry realm. Yet it does combine all the features that the brand loyals were dreaming to see on a RIM handset for quite a while.

The BlackBerry Bold 9000 at ours
GPS and Wi-Fi rarely coexist on BlackBerry handsets but the Bold is not the first ever anyway. The screen is not the greatest feat in terms of resolution either but it sure is a sight to savor. That Berries have always been among the standard-setters in QWERTY keyboards goes without saying. So, is it all about having both 3G and WLAN on a single BlackBerry phone?
Could be, but there must be more to it. So, starting on the next page we'll unbox and spin the BlackBerry Bold 9000 for you. We'll press them buttons and flip that trackball and hope the handset lives up to its name.
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