BlackBerry Tour announced by Sprint, too: $199.99 later this summer

New BlackBerry models are few and far between -- particularly of the CDMA variety -- so when one is announced, the usual carrier suspects typically fall in line within a few weeks of each other and announce their branded versions in rapid succession. This one was particularly tight, though: Sprint has announced its plans for carrying the Tour 9630 just minutes after Verizon. It'll launch "later this summer" for $199.99 after $150 worth of rebates and a a two-year contract, which makes the Pre comparison virtually inevitable. Keep the comments civil, though, alright?

Verizon gets official with 3G BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230: $129.99 on June 19th

After months of leaks, Verizon Wireless is finally coming clean with its intent to carry the 3G-enabled BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230. Said phone will arrive in silver on June 19th, bringing with it a 2 megapixel camera (with flash and video recording), a SureType QWERTY keyboard, microSD / SDHC slot and support for VZ Navigator. The pain? $129.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate and a new two-year agreement.

Blackberry Magnum, Onyx, Pearl 3G, and Gemini to harmonize on AT&T

BlackBerry lovers, AT&T beckons. Looks like the just-reviewed Onyx is heading to AT&T and, as rumored before, so is the Magnum. We've got no pics of the latter device, but it's being touted here as the "BlackBerry Bold portfolio evolution" and uses the same processor as the Bold. It's also got a HVGA touchscreen, QWERTY pad, quad-band GSM / GRS / EDGE, GPS, and WiFi. Want more? How about an apparently non-flip Pearl 3G with 3.6 Mbps of HSDPA goodness, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, trackball, SureType, and aGPS. Rounding out this quartet is the Gemini, with a 512MHz processor, 256MB flash memory, 128MB RAM, Bluetooth, QVGA LCD, 2 megapixel sans flash, trackball, QWERTY keyboard, 3.5mm headset jack, a microSD slot, possibly GPS, and sadly, no 3G. There's no release date in sight, but hey, knowing they're on the way is half the battle, right?

BlackBerry Onyx reviewed way before RIM intended it to be

We don't know exactly what they're feeding the engineers up in Waterloo, but we're guessing it's a combination of Red Bull, NoDoz, and speed, because they appear to be working on about ten devices at once -- awesome news for anyone looking to pick up a new BlackBerry in the next 6 to 12 months. We've already seen the Onyx in the wild, but as a refresher, this puppy does UMTS (and we'd assume HSDPA as well), a 3.2 megapixel AF cam, an undoubtedly gorgeous 480 x 360 display, GPS, and WiFi in a body more svelte than the Bold's; now, CrackBerry's managed to score a unit and give it a quick once-over. All told the impression seems very positive, with the takeaway being that RIM has taken the best personality traits of the 8900 and 9000 series and stuffed it all into a single device. We're not necessarily expecting this one on the market any time soon -- AT&T just launched the 8900 a couple days ago, after all, and CrackBerry believes RIM could replace the trackball with a Gemini-style optical pad prior to launch -- but it's something to look forward to.

BlackBerry Aries spotted: a Gemini with CDMA in its heart

If you had your eye the BlackBerry Curve 8520 / Gemini, somehow above all the other number of RIM devices that have surfaced as of late, it looks like the stars have aligned (har har) for you. The gang at Crackberry have gotten a first peep at the Aries, which they say is essentially a CDMA-equipped Gemini that's likely to go by the eventual name Curve 8530. Not much else to note here, here's hoping we got some more concrete details -- and maybe a committed carrier or two -- in the not too distant. As for the naming conventions, we now anxiously await for alliterative darlings like a touchscreen Taurus, slide-out Sagittarius, and 18 megapixel Pisces.

BlackBerry Curve 8900 comes to AT&T this Friday for $199

AT&T has just announced that the Curve 8900 -- which it had quoted for an "early summer" release -- will be made available both online and in stores starting this Friday. Interested parties who are adding a line or are eligible for a fully discounted upgrade should come equipped with a money clip bearing approximately $200 worth of dead presidents (not including tax) or a credit card with enough cap space to get the job done -- just don't expect any 3G out of the deal. Bold or Curve -- tough choice, isn't it?

BlackBerry Storm 2 gets pictured early

We knew it was coming, and just like its relatives the Onyx and the Gemini, yet another unreleased model has managed to escape the confines of RIM's Waterloo headquarters. This time, however, it's the Storm 2, which we've heard has been internally codenamed "Oden." We've also caught wind that this model pictured is of the GSM flavor, and yes, it's indeed packing WiFi in addition to GPS according to one of our sources. As far as that rumored "new approach to text entry," it sounds like the keyboard has been tweaked but isn't a radical departure from the first generation. From the photos, it seems that RIM has advanced in the war on buttons and axed the bottom four in favor of some touch-sensitive controls. The real improvements, however, appear to be under the hood, as the whole device reportedly runs much faster and smoother than the current model. We can't confirm these specs, but with the Tour coming this summer, and the Storm 2 hopefully making an appearance before the holiday shopping season, looks like you Verizon BlackBerry fans might not have to be that jealous of your GSM brethren after all.

BlackBerry "Onyx" in the wild

We've obtained pictures of a device that we're told is the "Onyx," a 3G-enabled GSM BlackBerry that looks like a slightly sexier, smaller version of the Bold with some Niagara / Tour genes thrown in for good measure. We'd previously heard that this phone is ultimately destined for AT&T (while a UMA-enabled version might come to T-Mobile as the Driftwood), which definitely takes the edge off of the impending 8900 launch over there -- but then again, this is a prototype, and it'll be many moons (at best) before this thing gets launched. Every time we look at the Bold, it looks more out of proportion -- and sexy beasts like this one certainly aren't helping matters. Keep on keepin' on, RIM.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 gets pre-reviewed

We've been dying to know more about that crazy BlackBerry Curve 8520 with the optical trackball in place of the usual spinner, and the crew over at CrackBerry's finally posted their pre-release review. Overall, it seems like a nice enough phone, and the optical trackball apparently works well, which is a nice surprise given our experience with them. On the downside, it's not nearly as nice as the Curve 8900, and while the overall design has been updated, components like the screen, battery, and camera are carryovers from the Curve 8300 -- a particular shame considering the raves RIM's been getting for its amazing screens lately. Of course, we can't complain too much considering this thing is EDGE-only and potentially destined to be a pay-as-you-go phone, but it sure does look nice, and we're interested in seeing how this design philosophy translates into higher-end sets... like, say, the Storm 2.

BlackBerry Curve 83XX overtakes iPhone 3G in US smartphone rankings

The handset might've been surpassed in functionality and looks by its Curve 8900 successor, but nothing's got an edge on the BlackBerry Curve 83XX series in smartphone sales. According to NPD, the handset overtook the erstwhile champ iPhone 3G in the category for the first quarter of 2009, while BlackBerry's own Storm and Pearl handsets took the third and fourth slots, with the T-Mobile G1 rounding out the ranks in fifth place. Overall the smartphone market has grown from 17 percent of handset sales in Q1 2008 to 23 percent in Q1 2009. Compared to the previous quarter, RIM's gained a whopping 15 percent share of the US market -- owning nearly half of the entire scene -- while Apple and Palm both dropped 10 percent as they prep for their heroic mid-year launches.

RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 officially hitting AT&T in "early summer"

Ah, ha! So the rumors were true. Just a day after we heard that RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 would be making its way from T-Mobile over to AT&T comes this -- official confirmation from the carrier itself. Loaded with WiFi, GPS and a 480 x 360 resolution display, this 'Berry includes free AT&T WiFi at over 20,000 hotspots (with an unlimited data plan, ironically enough) and a 3.2 megapixel camera. There's also a microSD / SDHC slot that supports cards up to 16GB in size, and while AT&T's not being very forthcoming with pricing (as in, there's no word given at all), loyal customers can expect it to land sometime in "early summer." In other words, all this release has done is extinguish the rumor fires -- 'preciate it, Ma Bell.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 "Gemini" image surfaces

Well, what do we have here? The folks at Crackberry seem to have gotten their hands on a pic of the BlackBerry Curve 8520, a.k.a. "Gemini." From what we can see and from what they tell us, there's an optical trackball, dedicated media player buttons, and a "rubberized" body. Lack of 3G is a big bummer, and we're sure the non-classic trackball is gonna ruffle some feathers, but the hardware's enticing enough for us to give it a look over. Intrigued?

RIM CEO on BlackBerry Storm: "nobody gets it perfect out the door"

If there's one two things we love, it's hearing RIM's own Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis open their gaping traps. While the former was sufficiently panned back in January for exclaiming that buggy smartphone software was simply the "new reality," his partner in crime may have just done him one better. In a recent sit-down with Laptop Mag, Mike was specifically asked to address that aforementioned quote. His response? "That's our first touch product, and you know nobody gets it perfect out the door. You know other companies were having problems with their first releases." If you're struggling to translate that into layman speak, allow us: "Tough luck, early adopters!"

As the interview progressed, the co-CEO took the opportunity to snub Apple on its inability to get Push Email out early on, noting that BlackBerry OS has "constantly been underestimated" and was "designed to multitask from day one." He also stumbled all over himself when it came to speaking about the BlackBerry's web browser, stating that "by writing our browser in Java, that provides our CIOs and wireless managers the assurances they need, to allow the browser to access internal information at the same time it accesses external information." We've literally meditated on that for a solid half-hour, and we still have absolutely zero idea what it means in English.

BlackBerry App World now live

As expected, the BlackBerry App World has just launched for US, Canada and the UK. If your software's updated to 4.2 and you've got a trackball / touch screen and PayPal account, head on over to RIM's website to download.

BlackBerry Niagara 9630 reviewed in all its prerelease glory

Most of us are going to have to wait until at least May to get our hands on a 9630, but for well-connected individuals whose blogs rhyme with "Soy Beanius Report," patience isn't in the vocabulary. BGR's gone and landed a 9630 and put it through its hybrid CDMA / GSM paces, and in short, it sounds like it's a phone worth waiting for (not to say you've got many other options if you're tied to Sprint or Verizon anyhow). Voice quality is described as "the best phone we've ever used," battery life seems to be enough to get through a full day of use (and we wouldn't be surprised to see this get better as the firmware continues to get tweaked ahead of launch), the screen is as good as the Bold's amazing example, and the keyboard is "just right." What's amazing is that RIM's managed to package all of this action into a device considerably smaller than the Bold -- and if only they'd manage to throw in WiFi, it seems like we might be looking at the closest thing to BlackBerry perfection here. Verizon, Sprint, your move.

Mobile Visor, for BlackBerry Curves on the pro tour

Looks as if the blackberry curves are on the move to play golf....anyways a cool visor for the curves.....!

BLACKBERRY Javelin 8900

The Javelin 8900 has a smaller screen but higher, 480 x 360 pixel resolution.Improved camera over the Bold. A 3.2 MPx camera, with a class cover protecting the lens and flash Makes the Javelin perfect for shutterbugs. The navigation buttons are also smaller than the Bold’s and you may be able to change the trackball color to gray or black. Very different side layout. The right side of the BlackBerry Javelin features a headphone jack and Micro-USB controls in addition to volume controls and convenience key.

Specifications

Form Factor	Bar
Size	109 x 60 x 13.5 mm
Weight	109.9 g
Display Size	480 x 360 pixel
Display Colors	65k colour
Ring tones	Polyphonic, MP3
Media Player	Yes
Games	Yes
Ports	Yes,up to 16GB
Total Memory	256 MB (flash memory)
Talk Time	Up to 5 h 30 min
Standby Time	Up to 356 h
Operating Frequency	GSM 850/900/1800/1900

BLACKBERRY Storm 9500

The BlackBerry Storm is a beast of a phone in more ways than one. Fronted by a meaty, high-resolution touchscreen with an innovative clicking mechanism, the phone is easily the prettiest by RIM to date. There's a brushed metal back, a beautiful new OS interface, and enough radios to give your grandkids cancer (EV-DO Rev. A, quad-band GSM, Europe-friendly HSPA, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP).

Specifications

Form Factor	Bar
Size	112.5 x 62.2 x 14 mm
Weight	155 g
Display Size	360 x 480 pixels
Display Colors	TFT touchscreen, 65K colors
Ring tones	Polyphonic (32 channels), MP3
Media Player	Yes
Games	Yes
Ports	Yes, Up to 8 GB
Total Memory	1 GB storage memory
Talk Time	Up to 5 h 30 min
Standby Time	Up to 360 h
Operating Frequency	GSM 850/900/1800/1900

BlackBerry "Niagara" 9630 given yet another pre-release shakedown

Man, RIM's just full of leaks when it comes to the purported next CDMA BlackBerry, and as long as they're not memory leaks, we don't think we'll be complaining. CrackBerry has somehow managed to secure yet another pre-release device, and this time it's none other than the CDMA Bold / Curve 8900 / Storm hybrid. Like we saw with the latest Mr. Blurrycam video review (and all those other leaked pics) the keyboard sure looks to be a real winner and to quote CB, it's "the optimal solution." The form factor is also described as "awesome" and its narrower size made it even nicer to hold than the Bold. Unfortunately, this particular device was running -- or trying to run -- OS 4.7.1.10, which is basically a dummy phone equivalent at this point, while .17 is purportedly available somewhere in the Great White North. We've heard that the hardware has indeed been finalized, and that RIM is mass producing these like crazy -- and if they can get the software to match what we've seen of the hardware, it looks like they're going to have another winner on their hands.

BlackBerry 9630 Niagara pops up in more glamorous spy shots

Ladies and gentlemen, we now present even more shots of the CDMA-equipped BlackBerry 9630 Niagara that was caught strutting its stuff earlier this month. Not only is the phone turned on this time, but we've also caught it lying across some shagadelic leopard print. Additionally, the fine folks over at the Crackberry forums have a couple of less stylish pics, allegedly uploaded by someone trying to hawk the phone on craigslist for a cool $800. Those images show off what appears to be a battery slot on the back that's slimmer than current models. Until RIM decides to give us some official visuals, we remain ever-hopeful that someone with the leaked phone manages a sexier photo shoot.