BlackBerry Bold 9900 delayed until September, IT admins everywhere weep

BlackBerry fans itching to get your touch on: don't reach for your wallets just yet. BGR is reporting that RIM's upcoming Bold 9900 has been delayed until September, which is a bit later than the expected "Summer" release quoted back at BlackBerry World.

BlackBerry PlayBook headed to Sprint on June 5th for $500?

We're still waiting for some completely official word on the matter, but it looks like a Sprint exec has let slip the carrier's launch details for the BlackBerry PlayBook. While the post has since been removed, Sprint Marketing Director Gerald Evans revealed on his personal blog earlier today that the WiFi-only, 16GB version of the tablet will be hitting Sprint stores on Sunday, June 5th for the usual $499.99. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the carrier's 4G version which, last we heard, was still on track for a summer release.

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK REVIEW

Heres a review of RIMs first tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook.

RIM recalls at least 900 faulty BlackBerry PlayBooks

We found the BlackBerry PlayBook to be a pretty solid piece of hardware, but it seems there was a problem batch -- an inside source tells us that nearly 1,000 faulty tablets were shipped to Staples, and now they're being recalled. We're hoping that Staples (and any other affected retailers) will reach out to customers and inform them of the problem right away.

BlackBerry to integrate Bing services at the OS level

Steve Ballmer made an appearance today at BlackBerry World 2011 and after briefly pimping Windows Phone live on stage, announced a partnership between Microsoft and RIM to integrate Bing into BlackBerry products. In addition to making Bing the default search and map provider for all BlackBerry devices going forward, the services will be added at the OS level instead of being bundled as a series of apps. This will provide features ranging from voice and location-aware search to panorama stitching. It also suggests that we'll likely see another iteration of the BlackBerry OS beyond version 7 -- based on QNX, perhaps? -- sometime before the holidays.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 hands-on

So we finally got our dirty little hands on RIM's new BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone here at BlackBerry World 2011. It's basically the old Bold but with a capacitive touchscreen and updated innards including a 1.2 GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM, a GPU , HSPA+, and NFC support. From a design perspective it mixes BlackBerry's traditional formula with iPhone 4-like materials (that familiar stainless steel rim). It certainly looks premium and feels lovely in the hand, and the keyboard is typical BlackBerry -- which is to say fantastic. The screen is beautiful too, perfect to showcase that new BlackBerry 7 OS. Still, we can't help but think that we're looking at the device RIM should have shipped last summer instead of the Torch.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 (Bold Touch) official

We've seen it photographed, videotaped, and even, briefly, up on RIM's own website. Now it's up there to stay, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 (aka the Bold Touch) have been made official as RIM kicks off BlackBerry World in Orlando. As expected, the phone packs a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor that has only a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen with a 287dpi pixel density to worry about. On the back is a five megapixel camera and inside is 8GB of internal storage (with microSD expansion) and NFC circuitry. At 10.5mm it's RIM's thinnest handset yet, featuring a stainless steel circumference and a fiberglass back, while up front of course it makes room for a full QWERTY keyboard. The 9900 supports HSPA+ connectivity to get its 4G on, while the 9930 is the world variant, adding dual-band CDMA and quad-band GSM to the mix, and both do 802.11a/b/g/n along with Bluetooth 2.1. Both, quite naturally, include the new BlackBerry 7 OS, including a faster browser and voice-activated search. Another picture and full specs are listed after the break, which will have to do you until this handset releases sometime in the summer, meaning this could be your next great beach accessory for those working vacations.Pics & specs after the break...

RIM announces BlackBerry 7 OS with better browser and BlackBerry Balance, but no legacy support

The BB OS 6.1 update that grew too big for its name has just been made official by RIM as BlackBerry 7. Its ambassador into the wide world of smartphones will be the newly minted BlackBerry Bold Touch, which is expected to arrive "this summer." What can you look forward to? The user experience is promised to be both easier and faster, voice-activated searches are available for content both on your phone and the web, and the browser has been "significantly enhanced" with new features like a JIT (just-in-time) JavaScript compiler and HTML5 Video support. BlackBerry Balance is also part of the new OS, allowing you to compartmentalize your personal and professional lives into neat and separate piles of content. Update after the break...

BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM's website

As you may have have been able to discern from the multitude of leaks that have surfaced over the past few months, RIM is apparently getting set to debut a new touchscreen-equipped BlackBerry Bold at BlackBerry World next week. While still not completely official, that's now been all but confirmed by RIM itself, which briefly featured the teaser pictured above on its website before pulling it for reasons unknown. As you can see, RIM apparently couldn't help itself and promised that it will be a "bold step ahead," and it appears that the phone is unsurprisingly running BlackBerry 7, which until recently was better known as OS 6.1.

BlackBerry PlayBook now on sale in the US and Canada, starting at $500 with 16GB of storage

Today is the day in BlackBerry land. The wait for a dual-core device with an up-to-date operating system and that stylized BB logo is now over, and a vast array of stores in the US and Canada are now ready to sell you your PlayBook. Whether you'll actually want to buy one is less clear-cut, however, as basic productivity apps like native email and calendar aren't yet available, Android app compatibility hasn't yet been rolled out, and the PlayBook has an unfavorable dependency on having a BlackBerry smartphone nearby in order to be the best tablet it can be. Still, if you believe in RIM's ability to overcome those early software hurdles, the PlayBook's ready for ownership in exchange for $500 for the 16GB model, $600 for the 32GB version, or $700 for the 64GB-equipped top option (prices are the same in both US and Canadian dollars).

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK APPS AND GAMES DEMO

PhoneArena presents to you a video demonstration of certain apps with the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet.

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK REVIEW

The folks at Engadget reviews the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet. RIM BlackBerry PlayBook is introduced as the first “professional tablet” keeping with the BlackBerry’s heavy usage in the business world. The specs are hot enough to interest both consumers and business users. The PlayBook features a 7 inch capacitive LCD display with resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Instead of the new BlackBerry 6 OS, a new tablet version of the BlackBerry software devised by the recently acquired QNX is running the show. The tablet will have some power under the hood with a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM on board. There are two cameras. The front facing shooter is 3MP with a 5MP on back. The WebKit browser will allow for HTML-5 and Adobe Flash Player 10.1.Review after the break...

HANDS ON WITH BLACKBERRY STORM 3

RIM BlackBerry Storm 3 is the third generation BlackBerry Storm model. It will be flaunting the highest resolution found on any Berry device thus far, with its 3.7” WVGA (480 x 800) capacitive touchscreen. Moreover, the inclusion of a 1.2GHz processor will undoubtedly make it an alluring phone amongst RIM’s lineup. Aside from those two major pointers, we also find it featuring things like a 5-megapixel camera, 720p video recoding, 8GB internal memory, microSD card slot, digital compass, 1230 mAh battery, 3G mobile hotspot functionality, Wi-Fi with UMA, accelerometer, and all this powered by BlackBerry OS 6.1.

HANDS ON WITH BLACKBERRY TORCH 2

RIM BlackBerry Torch 2 happens to have a clear cut design similarity with the original handset. However, looking past the surface and deeper into its hardware, there’s something beating much faster under the hood that’s going to supply the handset some much needed processing power. It will be packing on a serious 1.2GHz processor with hardware acceleration to really make it tangle with the other big guns in the industry. Moreover, the leak on the handset provides a treasure trove of hardware specs it’ll be flaunting – like a 3.2” VGA touchscreen, 8GB of internal storage, 512MB RAM, NFC, GPS, 5-megapixel camera with flash, Bluetooth 2.1, 1300 mAh battery, magnetometer, and an accelerometer.

Full specs leak for BlackBerry Bold Touch, 1.2GHz Snapdragon can't overcome ugly

We understand that it's hard to take two steps rather than one, but a solid list of specifications isn't going to make the BlackBerry Bold Touch (Dakota) look any less last-decade. For whatever reason, RIM's design department seems to be stuck in an era where last-generation is the new next-generation, while it's internals team has seemingly managed to escape. For those who couldn't disagree more regarding the exterior, you'll likely be elated to know that the impending handset will boast a blisteringly fast 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, 8GB of internal storage, 768MB of RAM, a microSD expansion slot, 5 megapixel camera and a 35-key backlit keyboard. You'll also get a microscopic 2.8-inch LCD with a woeful 640 x 480 resolution, Bluetooth 2.1, a 3.5mm headphone jack, A-GPS, dual-band 802.11b/g/n WiFi and a 720p movie mode. So, one down, one to go -- time for a reread, is it RIM?  Update after the break...

BlackBerry Orlando leaks out: say hello to the touchscreen Curve

As if we needed any more signs of where Research in Motion was heading in terms of its 2011 device line, we've just caught wind of yet another touchscreen-equipped Berry. The BlackBerry "Orlando" is purported to be a variation of the Curve with touch capabilities, already being described as a mini Bold Touch. This yet again begs the question of why exactly RIM has so many different devices planned, especially when the spec differences are so minor. We wish the company would deviate from this approach it has relied on for years, but it seems to be more focused on its tablet strategy than it is on pushing the envelope with phones. Additionally, it could just mean that BB6 might be sticking around for a while and that RIM wants its users to get acclimated, or perhaps that it might take a little longer than we think for QNX to trickle down from the PlayBook.

BlackBerry Torch 2 gets an early hands-on

We'd already heard that the BlackBerry Torch 2 would basically be a Torch with some significantly bumped specs, and that's now been all but confirmed by BGR, which managed to spend a bit of time with the device itself. As you can see, it's nearly identical to the original Torch in terms of appearance, but BGR says the device's 1.2GHz processor could "light a fire" when paired with BlackBerry OS 6.1, and that its 640 x 480 display "looks absolutely great." As with the Bold Touch it got its hands on yesterday, BGR says the Torch 2 will be making its official debut at BlackBerry World next month, with a launch on AT&T to follow in July.

RIM adds Android app support to BlackBerry PlayBook via 'optional app player'

You read that right -- RIM just announced that its forthcoming BlackBerry PlayBook will support both BlackBerry Java and Android apps. That includes native C/C++ development support, HTML5, Flash and AIR support, not to mention game engines from Ideaworks Labs (AirPlay) and Unity Technologies (Unity 3). That means that you'll have access to to over 200,000 Android apps should you choose to procure one on April 19th, but you'll need to dive into one of two optional "app players" in order to do so. It's also worth noting that RIM's presser only focuses on Android "2.3 apps," and while we're assuming Honeycomb apps will eventually be supported, there's no mention of Android 3.0 just yet. Furthermore, devs can look forward to an imminent release of the native PlayBook SDK, which will specifically enable C/C++ application development on the BlackBerry Tablet OS. We're told that folks who are already building for the BlackBerry or Android platform can "quickly and easily" port their apps to run on the BlackBerry Tablet OS, with the two app players available to download from the BlackBerry App World at launch. So, now that you can look forward to digging into the near-limitless Android Market, are you actually considering the PlayBook?

iPad 2 vs. Motorola Xoom vs. HP TouchPad vs. BlackBerry PlayBook: the tale of the tape

Apple iPad 2

Motorola Xoom

HP TouchPad

BlackBerry PlayBook

Platform	iOS 4.3	Android 3.0	webOS 3.0	BB Tablet OS (QNX)
Display	9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD	10.1-inch	9.7-inch	7-inch LCD
Resolution	1024 x 768	1280 x 800	1024 x 768	1024 x 600
Processor	1GHz dual-core Apple A5	1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2	1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon	1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4430
Memory	?	1GB RAM	1GB RAM	1GB RAM
Storage	16GB / 32GB / 64GB	32GB	16GB / 32GB	16GB / 32GB / 64GB
Front camera	VGA	2 megapixel	1.3 megapixel	3 megapixel
Rear camera	720 / 30p video	5 megapixel AF with dual-LED flash, 720 / 30p video	none	5 megapixel, 1080p video
Cellular radio	Quadband HSPA or CDMA / EV-DO Rev. A	3G with free upgrade to 4G LTE	3G and 4G	3G and 4G
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n	802.11a/b/g/n	802.11b/g/n	802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth	2.1 + EDR	2.1 + EDR	2.1 + EDR	2.1 + EDR
Accelerometer	3-axis	3-axis	Yes	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes	Yes	Yes	--
Battery	25Wh	6,500mAh	6,300 mAh	5,300 mAh
Thickness	8.8mm	12.7mm	13.7mm	10mm
Weight	601g (WiFi), 607g (Verizon), 613g (AT&T)	725g	740g	425g

BLACKBERRY STORM 3 CAUGHT ON VIDEO

Heres a higher resolution copy of the first real BlackBerry Storm 3 to be caught on video. The RIM BlackBerry Storm 3 is the third generation BlackBerry Storm model. It will be flaunting the highest resolution found on any Berry device thus far, with its 3.7” WVGA (480 x 800) capacitive touchscreen. Moreover, the inclusion of a 1.2GHz processor will undoubtedly make it an alluring phone amongst RIM’s lineup. Aside from those two major pointers, we also find it featuring things like a 5-megapixel camera, 720p video recoding, 8GB internal memory, microSD card slot, digital compass, 1230 mAh battery, 3G mobile hotspot functionality, Wi-Fi with UMA, accelerometer, and all this powered by BlackBerry OS 6.1.Video after the break...