Blackberry Torch: Innovative or Disposable?

RIM last week unveiled a new handset: the Torch, alongside with BlackBerry “OS 6”. Will the phone keep RIM in the smartphone race? Or will it fizzle out in a few months, much like the Palm Pre?

Hardware Packs a Punch

161.59 g / 5.7 oz (includes battery)
Operating System	BlackBerry 6
CPU Speed	624 MHz
Memory	– 512 MB internal flash memory – 4GB built-in storage memory
Expandable Memory	– 4GB microSD card included – Supports up to 32GB microSD card
Battery	1270 mAhr removable/rechargeable cryptographic lithium cell
Battery Life	GSM Talk Time: 5.5 hours; GSM Standby Time: 17 days UMTS Talk Time: 5.8 hours; UMTS Standby Time: 13 days Audio Playback: 29.8 hrs Video Playback: 6 hrs
Keyboard	Physical keyboard: 35 key backlit QWERTY Touchscreen keyboards: portrait/landscape full qwerty, condensed portrait
Display	High resolution touch scree Half-VGA+ display (360 x 480 at 188ppi) 3.2″ (diagonally measured)
Navigation	– Capacitive traditional touch screen (no SurePress) – Optical trackpad
Camera	5.0 MP camera, flash, auto focus, face detection, image stabilization, scene modes, 2X zoom, video recording
Video Camera	Normal Mode: 640 x 480 pixels MMS Mode: 176 x 144 pixels
Voice Input/Output	Integrated speaker and microphone, hands-free headset capable, Bluetooth headset capable, integrated hands-free speakerphone
GPS	Integrated GPS with A-GPS (assisted GPS) ready
Media Player	Video format support: MPEG4, H.263, MPEG4 Part 2 Simple Profile H.264, WMV Audio format support: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, FLAC, OGG Ringtone format support: 32 polyphonic – MIDI, SP-MDI, MP3, WAV
WiFi	Wi-Fi Band: 802.11b/g/n, support for UMA (carrier-dependent)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth v2.1; Mono/Stereo Headset, Hands-free, Serial Port Profile, Bluetooth Stereo Audio (A2DP/AVCRP) and Bluetooth SIM Access Profile supported
Headset	3.5mm stereo headset capable
Network	SKU1 UMTS: 2100/1900/850/800 MHz (Bands 1,2,5/6) SKU2 UMTS: 2100/1900/900 MHz (Bands 1,2,8) GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM/GPRS networks

OK, so hardware is good? And a new OS? Great. But here’s the problem:

The Good:

It’s much improved. The Torch brings a sleek hardware design, without sacrificing a keyboard. Also, OS 6 brings tons of new features, like a WebKit based browser, a sleek interface, newer email code, and less bugs.

The Bad:

It’s more of the same. It’s the same BlackBerry, and even if it’s OS is greatly fixed, there’s not much new to look at. The hardware makes no major leaps, and we wonder if RIM has lost it’s grip on the market.

Verdict: If you use Blackberrys, BUY.

BlackBerry Bold 9800 Shows Itself, Totally Flips

While (the new) OS 6 looks a bit more polished, it also looks like it has it’s kinks. Or is that just the capacitive touch screen? Either way, it’s a new BlackBerry! Isn’t this like the 500th model? Ah, enjoy anyway:

UPDATE: To those who didn’t see it, the video has been removed due to legal restrictions. Sorry guys, but you were too late!

RIM Announces OS 6 for Blackberry

Blackberry users should be excited.

RIM, Google, Android Phones Galore (and AT&T Surprise!)

RIM, Google, and AT&T have all made major announcements to the mobile market today.

RIM’s CEO Mike Lazaridis has commented on the new Blackberry Storm, saying “SurePress is here to stay.” The only problem is that sites like Engadget who have been toying with the prototype for the Storm 2 are completely sure that the new Storm has no SurePress built in. (SurePress being the ability to push down on the screen and have it “click”)

Anyway, HTC in works with Google has released private, so to say “beta” versions of it’s new phone the Google Ion.

The Ion features a large touch screen, and the latest version of Android. Engadget has the hands on here.

With that note, Donut has officially been demoed at the first keynote of Google’s I/O. The major updates shown so far include a full phone search similar to the iPhone’s in the 3.0 update, a new set of API’s focusing mainly on text-to-speech API that will let developers use functions similar to the voice search enabled in Google’s search application. Handwriting gestures have also been demoed-that being the user drawing an “e” while in his/her songs list, and having the list skip to all the songs beginning with the letter “e”.

Lastly, AT&T customers should stay where they are. AT&T is expected to be bringing the Pre to it’s network after Sprint’s exclusivity on the phone has ended. But in more important news, AT&T has announced plans to upgrade the current 3G network to 7.2 mbps, doubling it’s current speeds. The new network would allow for 4G phones, which are already being developed.

The upgrade to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology is part of AT&T’s plan for continued investments to deliver the nation’s best mobile broadband experience – the ideal combination of speed, coverage and best device line-up. AT&T today has the nation’s fastest 3G network and has attracted more than twice the number of smartphone users than any other competitor.

With its network built on the 3G UMTS technology that is commonly deployed throughout the world, AT&T can boost the speed of its mobile broadband network and offer a wide variety of devices to take advantage of it well in advance of 2011-2012, when most industry observers expect 4G LTE networks and device availability to scale. AT&T plans to begin LTE trials in 2010, with deployment beginning in 2011.

AT&T has also outlined a specific and detailed plan for the upgrade.

– Near-Doubling Radio Frequency Capacity. In 2008 and 2009 to date, high-quality 850 MHz spectrum has been deployed in more than half of AT&T’s 3G network footprint to improve overall coverage and in-building reception, with additional markets planned for later in the year.
– More Bandwidth to Cell Sites. We are adding fiber-optic connectivity and additional capacity to thousands of cell sites across the country this year, expanding the critical connections that deliver traffic from a cell site into the global IP backbone network. These upgrades will support the higher mobile broadband speeds enabled by both HSPA 7.2 and LTE.
– More Cell Sites. Deployment of about 2,100 new cell sites across the country.
– Wi-Fi Integration. Many AT&T smartphones will be able to switch seamlessly between 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. AT&T customers with qualifying smartphone and 3G LaptopConnect plans have access to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network – more than 20,000 hotspots, including locations in all 50 states – at no additional charge. AT&T’s global Wi-Fi footprint covers more than 90,000 hotspots, and AT&T also can create permanent or temporary extended Wi-Fi zones in areas with high 3G network use, like a grouping of hotels or a festival.
– MicroCells. Customer trials leading toward general availability of AT&T 3G MicroCell offerings, which utilize femtocells to enhance in-building wireless coverage.