When RIM launched the BlackBerry Storm in 2008 it was greeted with a mixed reception. Some loved it, others (like Stephen Fry) hated it. So can the second attempt fix the problems and give BlackBerry users a viable touchscreen experience? We've been using one for a couple of weeks to find out.

At a quick glance you'll think it's the same phone as last year. The design is similar, the form factor is virtually the same and the operating system doesn't look too different either.

Of course it isn't the same and RIM has worked hard to address all the minor and major issues associated with the first version of the handset. The software is faster and more responsive, the bottom buttons are now a part of the screen rather than separate, and overall it's a far better experience than before. Say what you want, but this is how the original Storm should have performed.

So does that make it another contender for phone of the year? In short, no. While the Storm users we tracked down were impressed - noting it was much improved in performance levels - the world has moved on from the innovative, if not controversial, approach of the first handset.

If you are moving over from a Bold or Curve, with its hard QWERTY keyboard, then the notion of having to jab the screen to accept your commands (SurePress as RIM calls it) won't be that annoying, but moving from a capacitive touchscreen device you will find it a shock.

The system works by floating the entire high-resolution 480 x 360 pixel 3.25-inch screen so you have to physically press it down to accept your command. It's not as bad as it sounds, but if you're looking to type a long email you will really feel like you have gone 10 rounds in a thumb fight: it's hard work.?

Upgraded from a single hidden button underneath to four actuators in the corners of the screen you get a more responsive press and therefore feedback to your actions. It also means it doesn't shift around as much as the first screen did in its cradle as it's held in place at the four corners rather than the centre. It will allow for two finger pressing, but not pinching to zoom for example.

Hardware-wise it's the usual story, following the "we don't need Wi-Fi" stance on the Storm, the Storm 2 now has Wi-Fi. Personally it's not that big a deal as Verizon and Vodafone's 3G coverage is very good, but if you were upset by the lack of Wi-Fi you now don't have to be. Wi-Fi joins 3G, CDMA (for Verizon) Bluetooth and GPS on the connectivity front. Multimedia wise, you get a 16GB microSD card inside to store your stuff on, a 3.5mm headphones socket, a 3.2-megapixel camera with flash, auto focus, image stabilization, and a 2x digital zoom as well as that very crisp screen ideal for watching movies and BlackBerry OS 5.0.

There's also a bump in Flash memory (double in fact from 128MB to 256MB) and on-board memory for storing Apps goes up to 2GB from 1GB.

The Operating system is the same, obviously adapted for the touchscreen, as you'll find on the latest BlackBerry handsets like the Bold 9700.?Those who have used a BlackBerry before know what they are getting here and the Storm on that front doesn't throw up any surprises.

We tested a Verizon handset in the US, although it is available on Vodafone in the UK. Verizon pre-install their VCast Sony ID, VCast Videos and VZ Navigator as standard on the unit. You can choose to remove them if you want, and there isn't any further customisation. It's not as violent as carriers used to be with dedicated skins for example.

There are tweaks to the software over the original making it a better experience all around, but ones to note are the Inertial Scrolling w/Snap Back that means you can swipe down with your finger and watch the page carry on scrolling (just like the wheel of fortune) and we especially like the ability to now press on the network coverage logo and get direct access to the connections. It's the same for the clock (i.e., alarms) and the volume, although you do get a physical volume button to mute it for when you hit that important "do not disturb" meeting.

Email is fantastic, giving you real power to search. Add that to Xobni's BlackBerry app when it comes out and this, for communicating on the go, will be hard to beat. It's what RIM do best after all, but that's true of the BlackBerry family, not just the Storm 2.

However get into web browsing and the browser is incredibly slow on Wi-Fi and 3G, a shame as Verizon's and Vodafone's 3G coverage is very good. Pages seem to take forever to load and while you can opt for the nippier Opera browser you can't set it as the default, which means you'll soon forget about it when you go to open a link in an email or tweet.

Verdict:

The BlackBerry Storm 2 is a vast improvement on the Storm. It's a better hardware design and better software build that gives you a better experience all around.

In the year since the Storm launched however, we've seen plenty of high-end smartphones hit the market in the UK and the US. The iPhone 3GS, the Palm Pre, the HTC Hero, even the Motorola DEXT show us what can be done with touchscreen and slider devices. In a segment of the market offering great possibilities from a large touchscreen, the Storm 2 just can't keep pace.

So the final result? It's a condescending "well done" to RIM for making it better, but unfortunately it's just not good enough when you compare it to the competition that's now available.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones RIM BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2

BlackBerry Storm 2 9550 mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:10 +0000

A new version of BlackBerry Media Sync has been made available by RIM updating the software to version 3.0.

Media Sync 3.0 allows BlackBerry users to sync their desktop iTunes or Windows Media Player music with via USB "simply and quickly".

In addition to an improved interface, Media Sync 3.0 adds the ability to sync images to and from a device as well as add folders for syncing from a PC to a handset.

As far as pictures go, the software includes an option to optimise pictures for the phone with a "smart memory management" tool that shrinks down files to around 2% of the original size.

BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 is available for PC and Mac via BlackBerry Desktop Manager for OS 4.6 and over but supports OS 4.2 and over, it's available for free via www.blackberry.com/mediasync.

Tags: Phones BlackBerry RIM Software updates BlackBerry Media Sync iTunes Windows Media Player

BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:11:59 +0000

While BlackBerry maker RIM has launched a variety of its consumer-aimed 8000 series Pearls, a next-gen version has yet to emerge - until now.

There images, leaked by CrackBerry, show the new handset in all its angular glory, and from the finished state of the phone, suggest an imminent launch.

The 3G BlackBerry Pearl 9100 follows previous models by offering a smaller BlackBerry form factor with a SureType keypad.

Specs are yet to be revealed, but we'll keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry BlackBerry Pearl 9100 RIM Rumours

BlackBerry Pearl 9100 revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:39:05 +0000

Seesmic, the Twitter client for the Mac, and recently PC, has announced that it is going mobile with BlackBerry and Android apps.

Leaving out the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android users will be able to get their Twitter feeds on their phone from Friday.

"Seesmic for BlackBerry groups all your Twitter timelines into a simple and clean interface", says Seesmic, with features for both apps including the ability to create and view saved searches, view Twitter lists that you've created on twitter.com, shorten urls and send photos, and configure notification alerts for Direct Messages and @Replies.

The news follows an earlier announcement this week that the company was launching a Windows 7 version.

The preview version, which is free, of Seesmic for Windows supposedly "combines the best features from our ever-popular social application and provides it to you in a native Windows environment".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Android BlackBerry Seesmic Desktop

Seesmic BlackBerry and Android apps released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:10:00 +0000

It's fair to say the BlackBerry Bold took the QWERTY market by storm. It was a badge that said you'd made it in business, as commuter trains packed full of suits flashing RIM's flagship device. The last Bold hit as the world economy slumped, so it's perhaps fitting that the new Bold trims off the fat, tightens up and is a meaner machine.

The design is the biggest change you'll notice, as it steps closer to the form factor of the Curve 8900, a handset that's been incredibly popular both in business and among consumers. Touches of the old Bold are still here, not only on the tech spec side of things, but also around the back, with the leather insert meaning your fingertips get to enjoy that textured premium feel.

From the front the BlackBerry Bold 9700 looks like a slightly more mature Curve 8900, with a flash of angle applied to the edge of the screen to make it more Audi than VW. Around the sides you now have the tactile rubberised finish so the 9700 is secure in your hand, with the side buttons getting the rubber finish we saw on the 8520.

The top is slightly more pronounced than previous BlackBerrys, with the key lock and mute "buttons" having a positive and substantial feel to them, where the 8900 is rather unsubstantial. The left-hand side of the 9700 gives you the 3.5mm headphone jack and Micro-USB with a user-defined shortcut button, which we like to assign to launch Twitter. The right-hand side sees the camera shortcut and volume.

The optical trackpad has now moved into the 9700, ousting the "Pearl" trackball that now seems destined to the recycle bin. This is one of the primary interfaces you'll use for menu navigation and browsing on the device, but fortunately the switch is a seamless one and you'll barely notice the difference. We took the sensitivity down a touch to reflect the trackball response we used previously, but it's easy to set it to your preference.

The trackpad sits on a middle belt giving you your calling, back and BlackBerry menu buttons. Above is the 2.44-inch, 480 x 360 pixel resolution display which is beautifully crisp and bright. It might not be the largest screen or pack in touch technology, but it does have the brightness to be visible in bright sunlight, something that we really like.

But the BlackBerry Bold is all about the keyboard and here in the new 9700 it keeps the ridges of the previous Bold and an action that is possibly the best QWERTY keyboard of any mobile phone. With the keys flush together, they are larger than those of the 8900. There is a silky feel to the keyboard. Not only is the choice of materials perfect, but the action is tight and responsive too.

The backlighting shines through so you can happily bash out those midnight emails and there is enough space for some serious two-thumbed action, whilst still letting you reach all the keys with a single thumb for those moments when you have your hands full. Converts from the 8900 will find that that keyboard has less of a click, but it has a softness that is reassuringly premium.

Packed into the BlackBerry Bold 9700 you get all the connectivity you expect. You get HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You get the assisted GPS and the 3.2-megapixel camera with an LED flash. RIM has a habit of differentiating between their devices by omitting some critical piece of hardware and fortunately the Bold 9700 gets the full bunch.

Dive into the interface and the 9700 comes with BlackBerry OS 5, the latest version of their software, carrying the look and feel that was introduced with version 4.6. In essence little has changed here: it is functional and relatively easy to use, but occasionally you'll find yourself digging around in some minor menu looking for an obscure setting.

If there is a criticism of the BlackBerry family of devices, it is that the user interface is tired and doesn't bring with it the wow factor that many of the new touch devices have. Sure, a bigger screen and touch interaction gives you greater visual scope, but you get the feeling that some of the core interaction with social networks or existing online services needs to be deeper ingrained in the BlackBerry ethos in the future.

Yes, BlackBerry App World is bringing together many applications for you to download for free or at a price, but it doesn't compete with Apple's App Store or to a certain extent the Android Marketplace.

But one area that BlackBerry still reigns supreme is email. The optimised push email service is RIMs knockout punch. Setup is incredibly easy and the way it handles attachments just makes your life so easy if you are a heavy email user. It might lack some of the visuals of its rivals, but it is dependable, and this is a key point for those who rely on email.

The 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera doesn't bring any surprises with it and performance is very similar to the 8900. It might not reach the vaulted 5- or 8-megapixel levels, but we feel that 3.2 is enough. It gives you an image that is great for sharing and using online and is better than many other phones in the 3MP range. Video, captured as 3GP is restricted to 480 x 352 pixels, so it can't compete with other devices, except in offering solid 30fps capture, so performance isn't too bad.

The BlackBerry Media Player is reasonable, giving you support for the usual video and music formats. There is only 256MB of memory however, which you'll need to keep aside for your applications that you download. Under the back cover you'll find a microSD card slot to handle expansion, and our review model came with 1GB in the box, although this may vary by carrier.

The BlackBerry browser is pretty good. It does at least let you open most pages in full and the optical trackpad makes navigation easier than previously. If browsing the Internet is the most important thing for you, then this probably isn't the right device. At least you know that when you need to look something up, you'll be able to dive in and quickly jump in to page columns to read the details and so on, with minimal fuss.

The battery in the 9700 is the same as the original Bold. It stands up well against touchscreen smartphone rivals, but the constant data consumption does leave its mark on the phone. In normal use it will get you through a couple of days, but on intensive days you'll find it needs charging every night. But it will also happily sit around for several weeks, picking up emails and still keep charge.

Verdict:

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 feels like the last step in an evolution of devices, bringing together the form factor from the Curve 8900 with the tech specs of the original Bold. It brings with it the two key elements that BlackBerry users love: an excellent keyboard with which to abuse BlackBerry's excellent email service.

This is a device with communication at its core. It is a comfortable handset to use for voice calls, with good quality audio for both the caller and the receiver. It provides an excellent messaging platform for those who use email day-in-day-out with SMS and MMS not ignored. Instant messaging via BlackBerry's own service, or via a more popular download like Windows Live Messenger will keep you in touch with your most important people. Diving in and out of calendar, browser, instant messaging, copy and pasting information is what the BlackBerry is really good at.

But step outside this communication-heavy business-friendly core and the BlackBerry seems to give a nonchalant shrug. Social networking? Well, sort of. By this stage of the game, Apple and Android have a big lead. For business users this might not be a concern, but as the divide between business and social lives narrows, it's becoming much more important.

RIM will certainly evolve their BlackBerry offering and as it stands the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the best BlackBerry yet: a very comfortable device to use, delivering its core functions with aplomb.

Thank you to T-Mobile for the loan of this handset.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700

BlackBerry Bold 9700 mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:22:12 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Mobile Phone in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best phones on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

HTC Hero

iPhone 3GS

Palm Pre

BlackBerry Bold 9700

HTC HD2

A notable commendation should also go to the Sony Ericsson W995 and the Nokia N900.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Apple Palm BlackBerry Sony Ericsson Nokia

Best Mobile Phone 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

A new BlackBerry-flavoured rumour has emerged suggesting RIM is not planning on putting all its future eggs solely in the touchscreen basket.

While RIM's first touchscreen handset, the Storm, got mixed reviews for its click-touch screen, the second gen version, the Storm 2 (available now) is said to have a greatly improved touchscreen interface.

However, this maybe a step too far for many BlackBerry-using diehards who favour RIM's smartphones for their QWERTY keyboards.

If the rumours are to be believed, RIM is busy prepping a touchscreen slider that will offer consumers "the best of both worlds".

The rumour has gained pace with a recent research note from Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu who says the new handset, "resembles a cross between the Storm 2 and one of RIM's non-touch QWERTY devices".

"It's currently in the prototype stage and is likely to ship sometime in 2010", reports Electronista quoting Wu's research.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Rumours BlackBerry 9900 Mr T

New sliding touchscreen BlackBerry rumoured originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:40:01 +0000

As most BlackBerry users will know, BlackBerry themes are available to change the range of smartphone's homescreen looks including options to select different designs for the background image, as well as the icon and cursor style.

Now RIM has announced that BlackBerry owners can make their own BlackBerry theme with the release of BlackBerry Theme Studio 5.0 making it "pretty easy" to customise a BlackBerry with a unique theme.

"All you need", says RIM in a blog post, "is a bit of creativity and some skills with graphics software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects or BlackBerry Composer".

The blog is offering a comprehensive walkthrough of the main interface of BlackBerry Theme Studio 5.0 with a step-by-step how-to on DIY themes promised soon.

In the meantime BlackBerry users can download BlackBerry Theme Studio (a Windows app) for free from www.blackberry.com/themestudio.

UPDATE: The step-by-step guide is now live.

Tags: Phones BlackBerry RIM Mobile phone apps

BlackBerry users offered the option to create their own themes originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:39:31 +0000

Hungry? Restaurant-recommendation company Urbanspoon has rolled out a BlackBerry application. It joins the company's iPhone application, which has proved rather popular on Apple's handsets.

The app detects your location and allows users to select a type of food and a price range, before giving a one-armed bandit "spin" to pick a suitable restaurant that matches your selections. BlackBerry handsets equipped with an accelerometer can be shaken to spin the wheels.

Ethan Lowry, co-founder of the company, told TechCrunch that Urbanspoon worked with Xtreme Labs to create its app, adding: "It's one of the snazziest BlackBerry apps there is". Android is apparently the next target for the company, and Windows Mobile and webOS were mentioned as on the horizon but still some way away.

The app is free, and available to download now.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone applications Restaurants Urbanspoon BlackBerry RIM

Urbanspoon comes to BlackBerry originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:13:46 +0000

RIM, the maker of the BlackBerry handsets, is hoping to appeal to gamers in the future with an announcement that it will be supporting the OpenGL ES technology in its handsets.

The news, which was announced at the company's developer conference in San Francisco, means that games developers will be able to bring the latest 3D mobile games they've been making for the iPhone to the BlackBerry platform.

"With OpenGL ES support, Java developers will have the ability to build 3D games and graphics for BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 5.0 and higher", RIM said in a statement.

EA?Mobile, has already started developing games for the platform, which is expected to be enabled on the new?BlackBerry Storm 2?first.

However more interesting to non-gamers, the average BlackBerry user, is that it should open up other applications like Google's newly announced Google Maps Navigation. At the recent Droid launch event in NYC, Google told Pocket-lint that it could be possible to port the GPS app to the iPhone because of the OpenGL support.

This announcement would mean that Google could add BlackBerry to that same list.

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Tags: Phones Gaming RIM BlackBerry iPhone EA Mobile phone games BlackBerry Storm 2 Google Google Maps Navigation

3D gaming coming to a BlackBerry near you originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:48:01 +0000

Xobni?has offered further details of what the mobile version of its Outlook plug-in will offer and suggested a launch date to delegates at the BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco on Monday.

"Xobni for mobile will be more like your automatic address book made up of all the thousands of people you may have communicated with over the years", the company has said.

According to the firm, who already offers a way for?Outlook?users to sieve through their contacts, the typical user "has 5-10x the number of contacts in their email inbox versus their Outlook address book".

Features outlined at the conference include Xobni Rank, which lists contacts in ranked order depending on the freshness and depth of your relationship, says the company.

According to Xobni (inbox spelt backwards by the way) the app will quickly find anyone you’ve ever communicated with, along with the context of your relationship, in ranked order.

"Most people know more than one Mike. Xobni Rank delivers every Mike you know in ranked order based on how often and how recently you communicated with him. So, the Mike Zander, whom you just spoke with yesterday and email one time per week will be listed above the Mike Andler, who was CC’d in an email once by your coworker".

Although originally slated for a summer 09 launch date, the company has said that it looks more likely to be early 2010 before the app will be available.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Xobni BlackBerry BlackBerry App World

Xobni mobile details teased at BlackBerry Developer Conference originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:41:19 +0000

Vodafone has announced the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is now available to buy. If you want to get the handset for free, then you'll need to sign up to a ?35 per month, 2-year contract or a ?40 per month, 18-month contract. Business customers can purchase business price plans from ?30 per month.

T-Mobile has also announced it will be offering the new RIM handset, but its pricing comes in a wee bit higher at free from ?45 per month.
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The Bold follow-up is a slimline QWERTY handset with HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, BlackBerry's push email service, a 3.2-megapixel camera, on-board GPS, media player, 3.5mm headset jack, plus 32GB of memory storage via an interchangeable microSD card.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones RIM BlackBerry Vodafone BlackBerry Bold 9700 Video

VIDEO: BlackBerry Bold 9700 now available from Vodafone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:11:51 +0000

T-Mobile has announced it will be offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 online and via telesales from 6 November and in T-Mobile stores across the UK from 10 November.

The Bold follow-up is a slimline QWERTY handset with HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, BlackBerry's push email service, a 3.2-megapixel camera, on-board GPS, media player, 3.5mm headset jack, plus 32GB of memory storage via an interchangeable microSD card.

T-Mobile is offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 from free on ?35 per month contracts with BlackBerry email charged at an extra ?5 and unlimited internet yet another ?5 per month, bringing the total to ?45.

Vodafone is also offering the new Bold 9700, from free on ?35 per month 2-year contracts or for ?40 a month on 18-month contracts.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry T-Mobile RIM Tariffs BlackBerry Bold 9700

T-Mobile to offer BlackBerry Bold 9700 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:45:03 +0000

RIM is advertising for a Canadian-based WebKit developer, following its acquisition of Torch Mobile (a company that developed the WebKit-based Iris Browser). Both bits of evidence irrefutably point to the fact that RIM knows the BlackBerry browser is a bit rubbish and is trying to fix it.

WebKit is a rendering engine that's used, most notably, in Apple's Safari (both on desktop and in the iPhone) and Google's Chrome browsers. It's also used in Symbian's S60 browser which can be found on Nokia, Samsung and LG handsets. Android's browser is based on WebKit, too, as is the Palm Pre's.

It's essentially the industry standard, and should help to make the BlackBerry browser more of a joy to use than its predecessor. For now, though, there's no official acknowledgement of the switch, let alone any kind of release date for a newer version of the browser, so sit tight for now and we'll let you know when we hear anything more concrete.

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Tags: Phones Software BlackBerry RIM Webkit Browsers Safari Chrome Symbian Palm Pre

RIM advertises for "WebKit Developer" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:24:36 +0000

The BBC has announced it has made a deal with Stitcher.com to make its BBC World Service content available to users of the mobile phone-based application across the globe.

As many of you will know, Stitcher is a free mobile phone "Smart Radio" app, available on a number of handsets, including the iPhone, the Palm Pre and BlackBerrys.

The BBC World Service programming joins a wide range of audio content available including news, sport, talk and entertainment which is streamed on-demand.

BBC World Service will "provide a selection of English language podcasts, with programming such as Global News, Digital Planet, Global Arts & Entertainment and Africa Today", says the corporation.

Tags: Audio Media streaming Internet radio Stitcher BBC BBC World Service Mobile phone apps BlackBerry iPhone Podcasts iPhone apps Phones

BBC World Service content available on Stitcher app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:58:50 +0000

It may have been all about the thunder before it became the Storm series, but that hasn't stopped RIM looking to the lightening for its new Storm 2 advertising campaign.

Focusing on the addition of Wi-Fi, the more responsive screen and hundreds of apps, the advert promises "the perfect Storm" this time round for the revamped model.

The Storm 2 is available on Vodafone in the UK and Verizon in the US - hit play to see the new advert now.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Advertising Video Storm 2

VIDEO: BlackBerry Storm 2 ad promises "the perfect Storm" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:47:32 +0000

The Wildcharge comes in the form of a slim black pad with silver conductive strips running along its surface and can either be picked up by itself or bundled with an optional adaptor depending on which device you’re primarily looking to use with it.

Skins are available for the Apple iPhone/touch and Blackberry Curve/Pearl and a range of additional adaptors are available for various other devices, along with a "PowerDisc" multi-adaptor solution that includes Mini- and Micro-USB along with attachments for most popular mobile phones.

You’ll need one of these skins/adaptors before you can use the Wildcharge, since there still needs to be a bridge between the power supplied by the pad and the power port on a handheld. In essence then, this is not so much a truly "wireless" charger as a way to bypass a simple cable.

With this in mind we can see the compartmentalised solutions on offer to Apple and BlackBerry owners as being far more appealing than connecting using a multi-adapter, and even though you can charge multiple devices at once using the pad we wonder how eager people will be to shell out for the necessary hardware in order to avoid plugging a phone in at the wall.

Setup and operation is very straightforward however, and a phone or other gadget is charged in the same way as it would be conventionally, and in about the same time. It really is as easy as placing a device down on the mat if you’re using a skin-solution, though the PowerDisc does involve fishing out the right adaptor and plugging this in manually.

The Wildcharge pad itself comes in at just under ?50, a multi-charger will set you back ?14.99 and dedicated "skins" start at ?22.99, though bundles are available for a significant saving. Still, it’ll be a simple assessment of cost versus benefit for most consumers and while gadget aficionados will no doubt laud the convenience of the WildCharge we’d question its appeal to the mass-market in its current guise.

Verdict:

The Wildcharge works well in an optimum environment and to an extent does what it says on the tin. There are conditions however, such as the fact that you have to employ a dedicated skin for Apple and BlackBerry devices or plugging a gadget in manually using a multi-charger, which kind of defeats the point. Those willing to shell out for what is ultimately a mild convenience should enjoy the benefits, but we can’t see it taking off quite yet.

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Tags: Gadgets Wildcharge Chargers Wireless Phones BlackBerry iPhone Phone chargers

Wildcharge wireless charger originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:34:40 +0000

Google has said that it has no plans at present to offer?Google Maps Navigation?on other platforms like the iPhone?or BlackBerry?handsets for the time being, but hinted that might not always be the case.

"It's currently only available for the Android 2.0 OS," Michael Siliski, product manger for Google Maps?told Pocket-lint, however when pushed further did confirm that the iPhone 3GS would have the graphics power and OpenGL support to offer the software, perhaps suggesting an updated app could be in the works.

The new offering, called Google Maps Navigation, aims to take on GPS offerings from TomTom and Garmin by offering a fully functional GPS device in your phone. Users will be able to speak their directions to the handset rather than having to type them in and access maps and Points of Interest via the "cloud", suggesting mapping updates and new features needed to be downloaded will be a thing of the past.

With an Android 2.0 requirement, that currently limits the new service to the Verizon Droid handset, launching on 6 November in the US, is perhaps another reason why the Google Maps Navigation is US only for the time being.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Car And GPS Phones Google Google Maps Navigation GPS GPS software iPhone iPhone 3GS BlackBerry Motorola Droid

Google Maps Navigation "could" run on iPhone 3GS originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:37:06 +0000

Verizon?has finally confirmed that it will be offering the?BlackBerry Storm 2?handset from Wednesday 28 October in the US.

The handset, which is the follow on from the original BlackBerry Storm that launched in 2008, will cost $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new 2-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan.

It will come with the latest BB 5.0 OS, feature Wi-Fi, an improved 3.25-inch touchscreen display as well as 3G, EV-DO Revision A, UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz), and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM connectivity.

There will be 256MB of flash memory, 2GB of onboard memory and a microSD/SDHD memory card slot to expand things further.

Elsewhere users will get a 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, and a 3.5mm stereo jack for music listening.?

The news comes as RIM and Verizon announced that it would be offering a software update to the original Storm.?

The new OS, version 5.0, will offer improved typing and selecting, stability and user interface enhancements and the promise of a faster browser with gears support for use with offline applications. The software update isn't expected on the Vodafone network in the UK until 2010 according to reports on Electricpig.co.uk.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2 RIM Verizon BlackBerry Storm

Verizon confirms BlackBerry Storm 2 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:26:37 +0000

The inPulse "smartwatch" wristwatch for BlackBerry has been officially launched by Allerta, a Waterloo, Ontario-based company working with RIM on the new hardware.

As with similar wrist-based Bluetooth efforts, the inPulse connects wirelessly to the phone and offers alerts for incoming emails, SMS and calls.

"inPulse extends the functionality of your BlackBerry smartphone, so when you're in a pinch you can check your inPulse instead of fumbling around with your phone", says Allerta.

What's being described as a "limited first edition" (which hopefully doesn't mean "buggy") inPulse watch can be pre-ordered now for $149 over at www.freeupyourhands.com.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones accessories BlackBerry Watches BlackBerry inPulse smartwatch Allerta Bluetooth

BlackBerry inPulse smartwatch unveiled originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:37:09 +0000

Vodafone has announced the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 is now available on a pre-order basis over on its site. The operator has revealed a delivery date of 28 October.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the improved version of the original Bold, launched back in 2008, and offers HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

The cheapest option in terms of monthly cost is a ?35 a month, 2-year contract that offers 600 anytime minutes and unlimited texts and crucially an unlimited BlackBerry Internet Service as well as unlimited Vodafone Mobile Internet.

To get the same deal on an 18-month contract, and the handset for free, customers will have to fork out ?40 a month.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Vodafone BlackBerry Bold 9700

BlackBerry Bold 9700 on Vodafone pre-order originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:17:18 +0100

We've seen white Bolds, pink Bolds and yellow Bolds but now BlackBerry's popular smartphone has been given a serious case of the blues by Katherine Hughes of Republic Fashion.

The Blackberry Royal Blue Edition is all about Everton football club and mixes diamonds with sapphires via some blue python snake-skin.

The "1878" on the handset marks the date that the Liverpudlian club was founded (although fans will know it was then called St. Domingos).?

The handset is on sale now from www.republica-fashion.com to minted Everton fans for ?5995.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry Football Goldstriker Everton

Everton-themed blinged BlackBerry launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:27:01 +0100

RIM picked a hell of a week to release its new flagship smartphone, the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Microsoft and Apple have been fighting for press attention, with the former releasing its most-anticipated operating system for many years and the latter attempting to drown out that announcement with a slew of product updates.

Nevertheless, the new Bold has managed a decent amount of attention from the world's media. Much has been made of its new, slimmer form factor, and the improvements in responsiveness over the occasionally sluggish original. Pocket-lint managed to get hands-on with the smartphone as it was announced today. Does it stack up to its competitors? Read on to find out.

Let's start with the looks. The Bold 9700 doesn't throw any of RIM's established style out of the window - it looks like a BlackBerry and no-one would mistake it for anything else. There's plenty of rhomboid-y shapes and the keyboard is as familiar as ever. But it's certainly more refined than past handsets from RIM.

Performance has improved too. RIM told us that a whole host of bug fixes and little tweaks to get more out of the onboard hardware have been included in the form of BlackBerry OS version 5. The hardware comprises a new 624MHz processor and 256MB of flash memory which definitely seemed, in our short play with the device, to make things more responsive.

In fact, the only time when it behaved slowly was when it had to load a big chunk of text - specifically the subscriber agreement for the App World which is present and correct on the handset - which took a good 30 seconds or so. In terms of the actual operating system, very little has altered from the changes we saw come in with version 4.6 last year.

The keyboard is top-notch, as you'd expect from a handset from RIM, as email and instant messaging is still key to the whole handset, with BlackBerry's exemplary email system underpinning the experience. If you're not the kind of person who spends all their time in their inbox, then given the advances in multimedia on rival devices, you'll probably want to look elsewhere.

That said, the speakers aren't bad. Blaring out Beastie Boys yielded a reasonable level of detail, but a complete lack of bass. You'll want to plug headphones into the included 3.5mm jack if you're serious about listening to music on this handset, but it doesn't get a look-in on the multimedia keys found on the Curve 8520.

The screen, which isn't touch-enabled, is 2.44-inches and slightly smaller than its predecessor (which was 2.6-inches diagonally). It does, however, run at a slightly higher resolution than the original Bold. It's clear and bright and displays colours well. Although we didn't get a chance to take a look in direct sunlight, if it anything like previous screens, it will be happy outdoors. Viewing angles are also impressive.

The camera isn't too bad, either. Although it's only 3.2-megapixels, it captured images acceptably in a well-lit room. We weren't able to test how well that'll stack up in a darker situation, but there is a flash onboard, and we'd imagine the performance to be much like previous BlackBerry handsets.

Verdict:

Overall, in our short time with the device, the Bold 9700 seems like a solid improvement on the old Bold. It doesn't do anything terribly revolutionary - focusing on the communications experience above everything else - but it's a solid smartphone choice for those who prioritise messaging functionality.

It's sure to be widely adopted in business and email-aholics, but we’ll be giving the handset a full rundown when we get a review sample.

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News -?BlackBerry Bold 9700 announced

Photos -?BlackBerry Bold 9700

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700

BlackBerry Bold 9700 - First Look originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:04:36 +0100

UK online retailer eXpansys is offering the just-launched BlackBerry Bold 9700 on pre-order for ?419.99.

This price is for the SIM-free handset-only, so the smartphone can be used on any network. As far as networks go for the Bold 2, Vodafone is due to offer the device from November on ?35 a month contracts.

eXpansys suggests the new BlackBerry - an improved version of the original Bold, launched back in 2008 - has an "expected release date" on 9 November.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 3.2-megapixel camera. As supplied from eXpansys it will come with a mains charger, data cable, stereo headset and carry case.

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eXpansys offers BlackBerry Bold 9700 for £420 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:31 +0100

RIM has a new flagship handset by the name of the BlackBerry Bold 9700. It may have only just launched, but Pocket-lint has already managed to get a few hands-on pictures of the device.

As you can see, it closely resembles its predecessor, the original BlackBerry Bold. It has the same layout,? the same keyboard and the same faux leather battery cover. It differs, though, as it's quite a bit smaller than its older brother.

The screen is 'fractionally' smaller, RIM told us, but most of the size savings have been made by stripping out extraneous plastic from the frame of the device.? There's no longer any Chrome surround, for example.

It runs version 5.0 of the BlackBerry OS, like the Storm 2, but also incorporates a bunch of tweaks and improvements on previous editions of the device. It certainly felt snappy to use, but that was a fresh handset so it'll be interesting to see how well it holds up when there's gigabytes of emails stored on it.

The Bold will be launched in November for ?35 per month on Vodafone. There might be other operators offering the handset too - we'll bring you those finer details when we've got them.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry BlackBerry Bold 9700 Photos

PHOTOS: BlackBerry Bold 9700 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:19:48 +0100

RIM has announced a successor to its original Bold, launched way back in May of 2008, with the news that the Bold 9700 will soon be here. The handset closely resembles its predecessor, complete with fake leather battery cover and full QWERTY. However it's a little smaller and has a trackpad rather than the original's trackball.

There's a 480 x 360 display, 5.0 BlackBerry OS, Marvell Tavor processor, 256MB of memory, A-GPS, Wi-Fi and a 3.2-megapixel camera. RIM reckons the battery life will last 2 days, though, which would be impressive on a smartphone. It also has a microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack.

There's no word on what networks it'll be available on, or how much it'll cost but it'll be available from the start of November. We'll be getting some close-up photos and a first look at the device shortly, so if you have anything you'd particularly like us to check out, feel free to comment below.

UPDATE: Further to a news story on FoneHome, we've been able to independently confirm that Vodafone will be offering the new Bold from November at a ?35 per month price point. Thanks to BobbyG for the comment.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry BlackBerry Bold 9700 RIM

BlackBerry Bold 9700 announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:32:03 +0100

An interesting accessory to work with RIM's range of popular smartphones is being prepped - a wristwatch.

Rather than a fully-fledged watch phone, the likes of which we've seen hit the market from LG, the BlackBerry watch is designed as an accessory to use when your phone is out of reach, similar to Sony Ericsson's Bluetooth watches.

Revealed by CrackBerry's sources, the "inPulse smartwatch" as it's been dubbed, will offer a bright OLED display and is said to have been developed by a new BlackBerry accessory company from the ground up.

Due "soon" it's "designed to show you notifications and previews of messages arriving on your BlackBerry" while there's also talk of BlackBerry apps to work with the watch.

We will keep you posted.

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• Feature - The 7 sexiest watch phones

Tags: Phones Mobile phone accessories BlackBerry RIM Watches Rumours OLED

Coming-soon BlackBerry watch revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:40:05 +0100

It's being reported that Facebook has rolled out an update to its BlackBerry client. Version 1.7 is now available and can be found and downloaded on both on the BlackBerry App World and on blackberry.com/facebook and m.facebook.com.

The new features list isn't very long, and revolves mainly around the news feed. You can now set the news feed as your landing page when you start the app, and the desktop version's "filters" are also present, meaning that you can view just status updates, for example, or photos, or links.

There's a menu option that allows you to view your own profile now, too, as well as a number of caching improves that'll mean your handset's memory won't be battered by the app. Lastly, you'll no longer have to wait while your Facebook feeds are updated - they get pre-fetched.

If you're living in BlackBerry-land then give it a try and let us know what you think of Facebook version 1.7.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry App World BlackBerry Facebook Mobile phone apps

Facebook for BlackBerry gets updated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:24:27 +0100

Xobni is a plugin for Outlook which allows you to make more of your connections with people. Building on the theory that you're likely to email - at some point - almost everyone you know, it builds up an address book for you - tying that address book in with services like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Earlier in the year, news of a BlackBerry edition of the software appeared. The mobile version promised the same functionality and options but on a mobile device. It was originally promised for "the summer", but the release of the mobile app has now slipped to "early next year".

In a chat with Eric Grafstrom, Xobni's VP Sales and Business Development, Pocket-lint learnt that the company will also be bringing apps on more mobile platforms. Some are easier than others, though, said Grafstrom, and not much development has apparently taken place outside of the BlackBerry ecosystem yet.

The team are also working on making it easier for big companies to roll out Xobni on lots of computers at once, but desktop users?shouldn't expect too many changes over the next 6 months or so. "More customization might be offered, more data sources, but no major new features", said Grafstrom.

And what do Xobni make of Wave, Google's attempt to rid the world of email? "It's interesting", said Grafstrom. "We've played with it, but we've not started developing for it yet. We have no near term plans in that area".

Xobni is a free download for Microsoft Outlook, and there's a paid version too which allows you to refine searches, view appointments and get better contact suggestions. The upgrade costs $30, one-off.

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Tags: Software Email Xobni Outlook BlackBerry Phones Mobile phone apps

Xobni coming to more mobile platforms originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:26:09 +0100

RIM today announced the BlackBerry Storm 2, the second iteration of its touchscreen handset. We had our hands on the new device this morning, and this is what we made if it.

In terms of look, little has changed from previously, following those distinct BlackBerry design lines, which now includes rubberised side volume and convenience keys. The backplate is metal, so feels sturdy enough and is comfortable in the hand. Measuring 112.5 x 62 x 13.9mm, its dimensions are average, even if the 160g is surprisingly weighty.

The front sees a 3.25-inch 480 x 360 pixel resolution display, featuring SurePress technology. SurePress, RIM tell us, is designed to differentiate between touching something and actually wanting to trigger that action. So, to select something on the screen, like an icon, you press the screen, it clicks and the phone reacts.

Previously this was enabled by a mechanical system residing behind the screen. The downside was that the screen had to return to its original position before you could select something else. This system has been replaced with an electromechanical system, so you still click it, but the phone can respond to subsequent clicks straight after. If you are typing, you can now use two thumbs to bash out emails without waiting between letters.

It seems to work too and settling down to crack out an email on the landscape keyboard is easy enough, once you remind yourself to press and not just touch. This is a pretty essential point, as BlackBerrys are known and loved for their keyboards (along with the email service, of course).

Various versions of the keyboard ware available, from QWERTY in landscape and portrait, through to RIM's SureType keyboard, which Pearl users will be familiar with, and works really well in portrait mode. Predictive text helps to iron out any mistakes you might make, whilst the key you press glows blue: it doesn't give you pop-up letters like you get on the iPhone and others, but we found it accurate enough in our short play.

Of course, it is difficult to judge the overall performance of the keyboard experience without really getting down to some power email action – something that BlackBerry users know all about. Email is a core component of your BlackBerry experience, and nothing has changed on this front, which is a good thing, but from a visual point of view it doesn’t have the impact that some of the recent alternatives do.

If you are a BlackBerry user, you'll be able to pick-up the Storm 2 and know where everything is. You'll know how to access the menu, you'll know which settings to tweak. The BlackBerry Storm 2 will ship with OS version 5, which has been waiting in the wings for some time and in that regard, nothing much has changed from a cosmetic point of view.

So your home page carries a number of shortcut icons allowing you to dive into your applications. Once you've entered say, emails or contacts, you'll find it the same as other BlackBerry devices. The touch response was pretty fast, but in a device that is free from content, it perhaps isn't a fair test, so we’ll reserve judgement on how it really performs until we've played with it some more.

Searching is pretty smart however, with touch bringing information to your fingertips easily. For example, you can press a contact's name and the Storm 2 will search for that person. Press the subject of an email, and it will search for that. We didn't get the chance to really test out how far you can go with it, but if it saves you opening a search window and typing in a search string, then so much the better.

We had a little play with cut and paste too, which takes advantage of multi-touch. Put two fingers on the screen and – like the iPhone – you get two tabs to select the text you want to copy. We tested it in a number of different places, so it seems like you can copy pretty much anything – unlike the Palm Pre, for example.

But having said that, we did find it being incredibly sensitive to our touch, jumping over lines and sometimes giving us three tabs for selecting text, suggesting that it's either a system that needs some refinement, or it's going to take a little practise to really use well.

Wi-Fi is included on this model, having been omitted from the original Storm, which will please those who like to browse within a home network, or those who want to avoid the burden of data costs whilst roaming.

You get the usual combination of HSPA, GPS and Bluetooth too, to keep you connected, and around the back is the usual autofocus 3.2-megapixel camera, with an LED flash. A 3.5mm headphone jack will let you listen to your music on the move.

Verdict:

Whilst we are fans of BlackBerry and their exemplary email service, you can't help feeling that the BlackBerry Storm 2 doesn't quite wow like the recent crop of touch devices. You don't get that easy OTA syncing out of the box like you do with Android devices and you don't get that super intuitive interface like the iPhone.

We pushed RIM on this point, asking about whether we would see an integrated contacts list or a "people-focused" approach, but it doesn't seem to be coming. Sure, you can install the Facebook app and use Google Sync to bring your contacts in with pictures, but it doesn’t have the buzz of something like Palm's Synergy or Motorola's Motoblur.

It is worth asking who the Storm 2 is aimed at: is it designed to dominate the consumer touchscreen space, or is it supposed to bring a larger screen to enhance the multimedia experience for business users? In today's world of smartphones is there really a difference between the two?

Taken at first glance, the BlackBerry Storm 2 doesn't seem to make inroads into the consumer space with any great pace. It gives you your core BlackBerry functions - that premium email service that BlackBerry users know and love - but you can't help feeling that over the life of your next BlackBerry contract, the Storm 2 and the BlackBerry OS is going to age quite fast.

We will be getting the BlackBerry Storm 2 in for a full review soon, where we'll see if it really keeps pace with the rest of the touchscreen pack.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2 RIM

BlackBerry Storm 2 - First Look originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:46:35 +0100

We all knew there was a Storm coming, not because of the feeling in our bones, but because Carphone Warehouse did such a good job of telling us. We've finally got our hands on the new BlackBerry Storm 2 and grabbed a gallery of photos to show it off.

The SurePress "clicky" touchscreen hasn't been totally obliterated, but is entirely new. Rather than the former mechanical click it is now an electromechanical system. You still have to press to confirm actions, but when there is no current running through the screen – i.e., when the phone is turned off – then it is solid.

This also means that rather than the screen acting as one single button, it can now act as multiple buttons, so typing is faster and more natural. The Storm 2 will ship with version 5 of BlackBerry's OS.

The other specs read-out fairly typical for a modern smartphone, you get a 3.25-inch display, HSPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash around the back.

We'll be getting our hands on the Storm 2 for a full review soon. Until then, sate your lust (or satisfy your curiosity) with this gallery.

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News -?Vodafone and RIM make BlackBerry Storm 2 official

Video -?VIDEO: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets official promo

News -?Blackberry Storm 2 unofficially official

Tags: Phones Mobile phones RIM BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2 Photos

PHOTOS: BlackBerry Storm 2 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:21:41 +0100

After months of rumours, leaked pics and reviews before it even got official, RIM has finally announced the Storm 2, the successor to its first touchscreen phone.

As well as an improved SurePress screen, and BlackBerry OS 5, the 2 benefits from the addition of Wi-Fi.

It will launch in the UK in time for Christmas on Vodafone and will be free for those prepared to sign up to ?35 per month, 2-year contracts.

Hit play on the video above for a quick look at the new handset, in the first official promo vid.

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• News - Vodafone and RIM make BlackBerry Storm 2 official

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Advertising Video Vodafone BlackBerry Storm 2

VIDEO: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets official promo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:19:51 +0100

Vodafone and RIM have finally announced the forthcoming launch of the BlackBerry Storm 2 across seven European countries - and South Africa.

The second-gen touchscreen smartphone is said to "significantly improve the BlackBerry touchscreen platform with new technology and new features". It will run BlackBerry OS 5.

With chrome accents, a glass lens and stainless steel backplate, the HSPA Storm 2 offers a 3.25-inch, 360 x 480 resolution display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording.

The Storm 2 gets a new version of RIM's "SurePress" tech that gives tactile feedback when the touchscreen is pressed, while typing on the virtual keyboards is said to be easier, more comfortable and more accurate.

The new SurePress technology will mean the user can type a letter with one thumb even while their other thumb may still be touching or resting on another letter, which means multi-key actions such as Shift or Alt -key combinations will be possible.

There's 256MB of flash memory, 2GB on-board memory expandable via microSD cards up to 16GB, media player, syncing with iTunes and Windows Media player, as well as Voda's music store pre-installed.

Other specs include a 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, and Wi-Fi, while battery life is said to be 6 hours of talk-time.

In the UK Vodafone's cheapest deal sees the BlackBerry Storm 2 free from ?35 per month on a 24-month contract that includes 600 minutes talk-time, unlimited BlackBerry Internet Service, unlimited text messaging, as well as unlimited access to VMI (Vodafone Mobile Internet) and broadband.

Vodafone's pre-order process is up and running with delivery said to be on 26 October.

As far as the original Storm goes, RIM has informed Pocket-lint it will still be available and it will continue to be supported with software updates.

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Vodafone and RIM make BlackBerry Storm 2 official originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:56:09 +0100

RIM will officially launch the BlackBerry Storm 2 in both America and the UK on Thursday.

The news, broken by?Wall Street Journal tech reporter Walt Mossberg, ahead of an official announcement from RIM, means we get some of the details ahead of an expected official launch on Thursday.

Those details are thin on the ground for the brief review, however the conclusion is that:"Overall, I found the Storm2 worked well in my tests". ?

According to Mossberg "the browser is still inferior to Apple’s, Google’s and Palm’s. And the traditional BlackBerry interface cries out for a major overhaul in a touch device like this, especially when you add a lot of apps".?

Mossberg does confirm that "Battery life was decent, with 5.5 hours of claimed talk time, and typing was much improved, though I doubt it will satisfy lovers of physical keyboards".

Meanwhile in the UK the Guardian is reporting that?"Vodafone will have the handset as an exclusive in the UK, but only for a few weeks. RIM is understood to have demanded that the device be available to other operators after Vodafone joined Orange in successfully ending O2's?exclusive two-year deal with Apple for the iPhone in the UK".

Expect the official details and our thoughts when the phone officially launches.

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• UPDATE! - Vodafone and RIM make BlackBerry Storm 2 official

Tags: Phones Mobile phones RIM BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2

Blackberry Storm 2 unofficially official originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:03:54 +0100

The BlackBerry Storm 2 will launch on Verizon wireless in the States some time this week, reports The New York Times.

This latest news, still as-yet unconfirmed by BlackBerry maker RIM, follows the recent news Pocket-lint brought you that Carphone Warehouse was prepping to offer the touchscreen phone here in the UK.

In the UK it's Vodafone that will offer the new and improved Storm 2, as it did the original, a situation echoed in the US with Verizon confirmed for the sequel handset after it shifted around a million of the first-gen model.

The New York Times' report suggests that the Storm 2 will still offer a SurePress clickable touchscreen, as the Storm did, a feature that has been improved on the next-gen device, rather than dropped, as had been reported. From the NYT:

"This week, Verizon and RIM are trying again with a Storm do-over, the Storm 2. Among its many improvements, the new phone gives the user the sensation of pushing a physical button when pressing a number on the glass touch screen".

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Verizon Storm 2 Rumours

BlackBerry Storm 2 to launch on Verizon this week originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:15:40 +0100

RIM's BlackBerry Storm 2, the follow up to its first ever touchscreen handset the Storm that launched in 2008, appears to be due an imminent UK release with the Carphone Warehouse now promoting the device in store.

Following the news that a promo poster for the device appeared in the window of a Carphone Warehouse store in Cornwall, yet another posted has now revealed a little bit more information - a rough idea of pricing.

From the promotional material in the shop window - this time round in Walton on Thames - it seems the smartphone will be available on Vodafone contracts from ?30 a month, perhaps a little less than might have been expected.

Specs for the new handset are rumoured to include a 3.2-megapixel camera, HSDPA, OS version 5.0 and a completely revamped 360 ? 480 resolution capacitive touchscreen without the original Storm screen's clicky functionality.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry Vodafone BlackBerry Storm 2 Carphone Warehouse RIM

Vodafone to offer BlackBerry Storm 2 from £30 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:55:27 +0100

In the States RIM is to offer two of its popular smartphones in white, Engadget reports with hands-on pics. The BlackBerry Bold and Curve 8520 are to get the pale paint jobs for AT&T and T-Mobile respectively. Here in the UK, we've seen the Bold in yellow and pink, and the Curve 8520 in violet, but there's no news yet on the white models for us.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM

RIM offers white BlackBerry Bold and Curve originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:42:17 +0100

Amosu has released video footage of what it says is the world's most expensive BlackBerry - and with a price point of ?120,000 - it's almost certainly the case.

The limited edition diamond "Curva" gets 4459 brilliant cut diamonds set in 18 carat gold, as well as a global concierge service for the owner.

Apparently only three Curvas will ever be made, which is arguably three more than the world needs.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry Amosu Video

VIDEO: The world's most expensive BlackBerry originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:22:29 +0100

The Carphone Warehouse will be stocking the BlackBerry Storm 2 as powered by Vodafone, an eagle eyed tech fiend has spotted.?

The picture, posted to Twitpic via a friend based in Newquay, shows a placement card for the yet to be officially announced handset in a Carphone Warehouse store with the words:

"I'm not on display, please ask a sales consultant for a demonstration".

RIM, the company behind the BlackBerry range, has yet to confirm when the new Storm 2 will be out although his picture suggests it won't be long.?

Earlier in the Summer, spy pictures of the handset showed up in Germany running on the Vodafone network.

Although not confirmed in this set of images, previous rumours have suggested the phone will get a 3.2-megapixel camera, HSDPA, a 360 ? 480 resolution capacitive touchscreen and OS version 5.0.?

Vodafone announced the BlackBerry Storm at the beginning of October in 2008 giving it plenty of time to sell to would be Christmas shoppers looking to treat themselves.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 Carphone Warehouse Photos

BlackBerry Storm 2 on Vodafone via Carphone Warehouse coming soon originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:49:59 +0100

Following its teaser video the other day, DoubleTwist has announced a new version of its software for Mac that allows users to avoid iTunes and load up music, videos and other media onto their mobile phones. The update brings the addition of the Amazon MP3 store.

It's essentially a desktop front-end to the web store, but the integration - as you can see in the video above - is pretty nifty. Tracks can be purchased with just an Amazon login and will automatically download into your library complete with metadata, ready to be dragged over to your device.

The software works with BlackBerry, Palm Pre, and Android handsets, as well as the Sony PSP and "hundreds of other devices". It's available now, but the version with the Amazon MP3 store won't be out until 13 October. Grab it now, and it'll auto-update then.

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• News - doubleTwist parodies Apple's 1984 ad
• Via - MacRumours

Tags: Audio doubleTwist Mac software Apple BlackBerry Palm Pre Android PSP Video

DoubleTwist builds OS X app for Amazon MP3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:59:36 +0100

It's a little way off yet, due on 20 November this year, but if you want to show your support for the Children in Need appeal, then skins company Wrappz has you covered.

It is currently offering a variety of polka-dot decorated skins for a range of popular gadgetry. There are themed skins on sale for various iPods, the iPhone, Nintendo DS and Wii, PSP and PS3, as well as a fair few other popular mobile phones.

Pricing is ?4.99 for the skins for smaller gadgets and ?12.99 for larger items. Wrappz will donate a not-at-all bad ?3 and ?6 respectively to the cause for each skin sold.

Related links:

• Shop - Wrappz

Tags: Audio Skins Gaming Nintendo Wii Phones iPhone accessories BlackBerry BBC Wrappz Children in Need

Children in Need Wrappz available originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:56:26 +0100

The iPhone has iTunes. Android has Amazon MP3, at least in the States and Nokia has Comes with Music, but until now BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users were sat in the cold.

BlackBerry's now been invited into the warm confines of the party, leaving poor old Windows Mobile still outside. 7digital, alongside announcing that it's launching in the States, has revealed that its previously-planned application for BlackBerry users to download music is now here.

The app is free, and works on the BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Tour in North America. By the end of the week, 7digital tells us, the company will have it working on the BlackBerry Storm and BlackBerry Curve 8520, too.

It's available in the UK, the USA, Germany and Spain, and should launch shortly in Canada. It's been built by DevelopIQ, and works on both Wi-Fi and 3G. In the latter case, when you buy a track it'll download a 64kbps version over 3G, before upgrading it automatically to a 320kbps one when you next connect to a Wi-Fi network.

It can run in the background, unlike an iPhone application, and it can also stream audio over Bluetooth to devices. DevelopIQ is working on push functionality that'll allow any tracks bought on your PC to be pushed automatically to your BlackBerry over Wi-Fi, too.

The app is available now from BlackBerry App World.

Read

Related links:

• News - 7digital launches in USA and Canada

Tags: Audio Phones Mobile phone apps RIM BlackBerry 7digital Music downloads

BlackBerry music app unveiled by 7Digital originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:47:54 +0100

We've been watching the progress of BlackBerry Desktop Manager for the Mac for some time, with RIM always being clear that they would be releasing a solution for Mac users. That fateful day has arrived, but is it the end for third party solutions like PocketMac?

BlackBerry Desktop Manager has been sympathetically designed for Mac users, so you'll find the interface is simple and easily recognisable. Those who have used the PC version will also recognise the look and feel and find that the settings are all very straightforward.

We tested it with a BlackBerry Curve 8900 on a MacBook running OS X 10.6.1. After a quick installation we connected our BlackBerry and it was instantly recognised. You get the option to change the name of your device, as well as use multiple devices if you wish.

Ranging down the left-hand side are your main sync areas, divided into Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Tasks and finally Music. Across the top you have access to Back Up, Restore, Applications and the Sync button.

Back Up and Restore are simply what they sound like, with the backup files saving themselves in your Documents. You get the option of encrypting the data too, which some may opt for, but if you are saving the data on your synced Mac, it might be that the original data isn't encrypted in the first place?

Applications lets you add and remove apps from your BlackBerry, as well as updating native applications. There is no switch devices option like on the PC version.

Most of your interest, however, will be in the left-hand options which is where you will control the movement of information between your handset and your Mac.

Calendar identified available calendars in iCal (or Entourage) and presented them as options for syncing. This was a combination of local and synced calendars from Google Calendars, a typical setup. First up we struggled to get them to sync, as choosing the "All Calendars" option led to repeated syncing errors.

Manually selecting which calendars to sync resolved the problem, probably because it duplicated one of the calendars in iCal, which effectively didn't exist. There is one major option here: you sync both ways, or you don't sync at all.

In the advanced tab you will find the option to replace all the events on your handset - a sort of one time forced overwrite. You can also select whether to sync all events, future events or define a period of days. You are also asked to nominate an iCal calendar for any entries made on your BlackBerry device.

We found that on occasion the Calendar sync would want to remove our entire calendar history from the Mac, accompanied with a warning saying that more than 25% of the calendar would be changed if we proceeded. There is no option here other than choose not to do it, or to do it.

Those calendars syncing to Google through iCal are also flagged as Read-Only, so any syncing is one-way (despite the threats to wipe it all out). You could always opt out of syncing these calendars and use Google Sync on your BlackBerry for your Google calendars and BlackBerry Desktop Manager for any local calendars.

So Calendars is something of a mixed bag and we've found over the time we've been using the software that it is difficult to predict what the outcome will be. It is clear when it doesn't work, and when it did sync perfectly we found all the data was in the right place. Avoiding problems takes a bit of tweaking and experimenting.

Contacts seems to be handled much more smoothly. Desktop Manager recognised the existing groups we had in Address Book, so you could select work contacts only, or whatever you need. Advanced settings again gives you the option of overwriting all your device contacts.

Conflict resolution seems to work fairly well, asking you which is correct when presented with two different versions. You simply click the BlackBerry or Mac version to nominate which is correct. Once you've done the initial sync and cleaned out any anomalies, things should run smoothly.

Notes and Task syncing is also supported, if you use the functions, with Notes collection from Entourage or Apple Mail. Tasks, linked to calendars, again lets you specify which calendar tasks you want to sync.

The final option is music. You might have been content with manually copying music to your device or a microSD card, but BlackBerry Desktop Manager now makes this much simpler to get your music out of iTunes. You get the option to sync all your songs and playlists, or pick a playlist from the list. There is no support for DRM protected tracks.

Unless you have a huge capacity card, or a small music collection, you probably won't take the "sync all" option. Using playlists works very well, with the corresponding music finding its way into your BlackBerry media player once you disconnect it. If you want you podcasts, simply make a podcast playlist and off you go.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager is also mindful of the capacity of your memory card, so will alert you in advance if your selection exceeds capacity. It's simple, but it works. Oh, and you need to make sure that Mass Storage mode is enabled and worth setting this as the default mode on connection to your Mac, otherwise you'll have to try and hit the confirmation on the screen.

Only music is covered and there is no provision for syncing or moving your photos or videos, so these things will still need to be done manually.

There is also no option for wireless syncing. You'd hope that through the magic of modern networking that a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi syncing option would be available, but unfortunately it isn't. We raised this with RIM, who said it was something they were aware of, but wanted to concentrate on getting the basics out first.

Verdict:
The problem that all syncing software faces is the variety of different formats that it is going to be presented with. Each user is going to have a different collection of requirements and as a result, the syncing experience will be different for a great number of users.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager is simple and for the most part it works. However the calendar failures that we experienced marred the process somewhat. It is nice to have a RIM application to sync contacts and the addition of music support is welcomed. It's a shame that you can't just sync one thing as and when you want to without disabling other areas - it would have been simple to include a calendar sync button for example.

This is first generation software and for some we are sure it will work perfectly. For the rest, we have to hope that RIM support and update the software regularly to iron out the inevitable hiccups.

Tags: Software Mac software BlackBerry Apple RIM BlackBerry Desktop Manager BlackBerry Desktop Manager Mac

BlackBerry Desktop Manager - Mac originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0100

The date for the availability of the new, free software for Mac using BlackBerry owners has been confirmed as 2 October.

The free download claims to make it easy to sync data between Mac applications and BlackBerry smartphones.

The solution will syncs contacts, calendar appointments, tasks and notes from Mac applications like iCal, Address Book, Microsoft Entourage and others, as well as add and remove applications, schedule automatic backups, encrypt backup files and install software updates.

In addition BlackBerry Media Sync will mean Mac users can sync their BlackBerrys with iTunes - as long as Apple plays along, that is.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager software is designed to run on Mac computers with Mac OS 10.5.5 and higher and supports BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 4.2 and higher.

The free download will be available from www.blackberry.com/mac from 1.00pm EDT on the 2nd.

Related links:

• PHOTOS - Mac BlackBerry Desktop Software screenshots revealed

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Software BlackBerry Mac software

BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac due 2 October originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:05:39 +0100