BlackBerry Kickstart Pictured and Compared!

Perhaps RIM has just given up with secrets because it looks like the folks hanging around them are quite the shutterbugs. A plethora of blurry photos of the first ever (and unannounced) Blackberry flip phone - the Kickstart - have surfaced over at BlackberryShack.com. The shot above shows it beside the Blackberry Bold.

While it won’t be the sexiest new BlackBerry - the Bold and Javelin are more our type - this device represents an important step for RIM by appealing to the broad consumer market with several new form factors.  The Kickstart looks like it won’t disappoint the clamshell fans. The familiar Blackberry silver and black design graces the Kickstart along with the beloved/hated Suretype keyboard and now ubiquitous trackball.

Seriously though, with this much leakage happening, someone at RIM needs to find the hole in the dike…. and then show it to us so we can have a look!  Hit the link for more photos.

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BlackOutBerry: RIM Service Outage Midnight Friday

Mark your calendars BlackBerry faithful. From midnight on Friday, June 27th to 8AM on the 28th your trusty BlackBerry may not be, “unable to send or receive messages, use the BlackBerry Internet Service web site or perform activities such as creating new accounts, accessing your Internet mailbox, integrating 3rd party email accounts or viewing email attachments.”

Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

In reality, BlackBerry folks should be very happy. The planned “outage” is due to an upgrade from version 2.4 to 2.5 of the BlackBerry Internet Service Pack.

This means no more ridiculously ugly and basic emails! Version 2.5 supports reading of HTML emails complete with images, tables, hyperlinks, paragraph formatting, font formatting and a bunch more. It also improves download and editing of attachments with various file types.

A small sacrifice to make for a pretty cool update!

[Via BlackBerry, DataOutages]

Samsung Instinct: 1 CENT Less than iPhone WITH Service

Originally thought rumored at $199.99 you’ll be pleasantly suprised, and quite frankly we’re amazed, that Sprint has priced the Samsung Instinct at $129.99. After running a HUGE, $100 Million ad campaign based on Instinct vs. iPhone, the $199 cost seemed to fall in line… but that line stands corrected!

The Instinct, which has received incredibly high praises from sources across the board, was already poised to get its fair share of looks. Now, with a MUCH lower pricing point, the Samsung Instinct for Sprint looks like it could be a real powerhouse - offering a high-end phone for a mid-range price.

The Instinct is available ONLY on service plans that come with unlimited data, starting at $69.99/month for 450 minutes and obviously, unlimited data. So lets see…

$129.99 for the Instinct
$ 69.99 for the service (at minimum)
=======================
$199.98

HAHA… Sprint and Samsung FTW!

Just as we predicted, the pricing for the Instinct is 1 penny lower than the iPhone 3G… AND you get unlimited data for that price on the Sprint Network.

This is going to make a LOT of soon to be Instinct owners and Sprint customers very, very happy. And, its going to make those planning on buying the iPhone 3G on July 11th think twice.

Here is the full press release from Sprint:

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 18, 2008–Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing for Instinct, a new wireless device that offers consumers an industry-leading user experience by combining full touch-screen functionality with the fast speeds available on the largest national mobile broadband network. When the device launches on June 20, it will cost just $129.99 with a two-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Customers will be able to purchase Instinct through Sprint retail stores, Web (www.sprint.com) and telesales (1-800-SPRINT1.) Best Buy is Sprint’s exclusive retail partner for Instinct from June 20 - August 28.

In order for customers to experience the full capabilities of the device, Instinct must be activated on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals starting at just $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes or Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1500 voice minutes to share between two lines. Instinct complements Sprint’s signature Simply Everything Plan offering both unlimited nationwide voice and data services for just $99.99 per month. The Simply Everything Plan offers premium services, including GPS navigation, email, web surfing, Sprint Music Premier and Sprint TV Premier, while letting customers easily budget for phone expenses.

Instinct was recently named “Best in Show” in the third annual Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award competition in April at CTIA Wireless 2008. Instinct was also honored as “Most Innovative Product at CTIA Wireless 2008″ by the editors of LAPTOP, a leading mobile technology magazine. CNET also recognized Instinct as the “Best Cell Phone” in its annual Cream of the Crop CTIA 2008 awards.

The innovative device speeds up the user experience like no other touch-screen phone and brings the customer’s most-used applications and contacts within a single finger tap. Instinct has a high-tech look with large, vibrant touch-screen featuring localized tactile feedback, called haptics, which transform the virtual QWERTY keypad and other screen interactions into a sensory experience. The device also offers a Speech to Action button providing many functions using speech activation for calling, texting, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news, weather and search.

As Sprint’s first EV-DO Rev A consumer-centric device, Instinct provides the ability to quickly browse the Web, access business or personal e-mail, share pictures, listen to commercial-free radio and more at broadband speeds. Instinct also provides smooth access to GPS applications including Sprint Navigation, with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions and one-click traffic rerouting as well as Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, providing easy access to directory information on-the-go, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access.

Instinct boasts many advanced features including Visual Voicemail, allowing users to listen to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a simple tap of the screen. This device also provides support for corporate and consumer (POP3 and IMAP) email, multitasking capabilities that allow the user to play music in background mode while surfing the Internet, texting or playing games, a 2.0 megapixel camera with camcorder and expandable microSD memory of up to 8GB. Additional features include advanced stereo Bluetooth(R) 2.0, SMS voice and text messaging with threaded text, picture caller ID and Sprint Mobile Sync.

Instinct comes with everything the user needs to enjoy the device’s full capabilities right out of the box. Contents include a 2GB microSD(TM) card that can hold approximately 2,000 songs from Sprint Music Store, two standard 1,000 mAh batteries offering up to 5.75 hours of continuous talk time each, battery-charging sleeve, travel charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with built-in microphone, and carry case with stylus. Customers can access the latest information on Instinct at www.instinctthephone.com.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 53 million customers at the end of the first quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

[Via Sprint]

BlackBerry Javelin: Less Bold, Still Beautiful

The BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Thunder have been stealing the show as far as new RIM devices go and for good reason. In the past few days, the Seawolf and Aurora have shared in that limelight. Even the Kickstart has gotten its glory. But what about the Javelin?

You wondered… and we… unwondered?

That’d be a good word-that-isn’t-a-word for the Javelin considering its almost an identical twin to the BlackBerry Bold… except the Bold has 3G speeds and the Javelin is stuck on 2.5G EDGE. Its the one second from the right in that pic up there. It will certainly be more affordable, but is it necessary? While we don’t expect it to, its possible the Javelin ends of in the same place speculators believe the Aurora lives: defunct-ville.

Theres nothing wrong with offering your consumers more choices, RIM, so you won’t hear us complaining any time soon.

[Via IntoMobile]

BlackBerry Kickstart, 1st Flip Phone BlackBerry

BlackBerry has some pretty off the beaten path products up and coming. We know the full touchscreen BlackBerry Thunder is just down the pike and the first pictures of the first ever BlackBerry clamshell phone, the Kickstart, have just surfaced:

We know… we know… how can a flip phone be considered “off the beaten path” or “innovative” to any degree. Well, there are plenty of people who enjoy their simpleton flip phones right now… but just want the single added feature of checking their e-mail.

Tada! It’s the power of a Bruce Lee Kick mixed with the a broken down jalopi that needs a jump start. It’s the BlackBerry Kickstart!

Actually, we’re pretty psyched for this phone because it WILL add a new dimension to flip phones that you haven’t seen before. How good it really is will likely be an issue of price. Regardless, this is a TREMENDOUSLY smart move for RIM who can introduce an entirely new category of people their BlackBerry devices and slowly upsell them.

The Kickstart should do a great job at adding new customers to the BlackBerry ranks. Hmmm… I wonder if RIM executives are banking on that rumor that, “Once You Go Black, You Never Go Back!”

[Via CrackBerry]

Rumored: BlackBerry Meteor, Javelin, Kickstart, Thunder, Seawolf, Aurora

We already knew about the BlackBerry Thunder. The Kickstart, Javelin and Meteor have been mentioned/rumored before as upcoming BlackBerry phones. But today, we see the possibility of even more phones making their way to the market:

XML documents have been uncovered that point to the BlackBerry Seawolf and BlackBerry Aurora getting added to the mix. However, a note that tags the Aurora in the 8100 seriers and gives it the same ID as the Thunder/Storm/Whatever… hints that it may have been left in the dust.

If the rumors are true - and they likely are considering they’re coming from the Boy Genius who has been right on almost every BB Rumor in recent memory - you’ll have a much better selection of Blackberries than you ever imagined:

Here are screenshots of the the “tip-off” images:

(coming soon… upload problems)

[Via BGR]

Real Pictures of the BlackBerry Thunder!

Rumors of the BlackBerry Thunder have been spreading like wildfire ever since the BGR dropped news on the upcoming and unannounced device. He created a “mockup” of what HE thought the device would look like, many people confusing it for official pictures.

Now the BGR has the REAL pictures and he wasn’t far off. Emblazoned with a Verizon Wireless logo, the phone is rumored to be a lifetime exclusive on Verizon’s network.

Just when you thought the weekend was slipping away with nothing notable happening… The phone has all the buttons we expected… Send, Menu, Escape and End with a few odds and ends here and there. It looks as beautiful as we thought it would, but a few questions remain. Mainly:

  1. Is BlackBerry capable of putting out a highly competitive product with the BlackBerry Thunder since it is their first ever attempt at creating a touchscreen? Or, can we expect it to have flaws that the BlackBerry brand can’t overcome?
  2. We want one… when does it come out?

It’s amazing how one guy got the scoop on EVERYTHING for this phone… finding the rumors before anyone else, announcing them, making an oh-so-accurate mock-up, disputing claims of others that it didn’t exist and now releasing these.

Big props to the Boy Genius Report!

BlackBerry Bold Video

BlackBerry fans might like to see a little Bold action. Howard Chui from HowardForums got his hands on a device and shows off some of the basic elements of the handset. He’ll wait until he gets a product version for a full review.

Until then:

UPDATE:

BlackBerry Bold vs. iPhone Video

BlackBerry Bold Release Dates Announced

It might just be rumor, but InfoSyncWorld has definitive dates, prices and carrier info for the upcoming BlackBerry Bold. Here’s what you should know:

We’re not sure why T-Mobile is pricing it at $50 more, but apparently neither is anybody else.

[Via InfoSyncWorld]

Blackberry Bold Officially Announced

The rumors have been confirmed by Blackberry with an official announcement and full website feature for their brand new product: The Blackberry Bold 9000! It’s looking like AT&T will roll it out in the summer and T-Mobile will follow.


Their marketing folks took a trip to clicheville with their opening promo copy: “Be Bold. Accept no substitutes. Power the passions you pursue with a smartphone that expresses your style and simplifies your life.”

Here is a look at the down and dirty specs… this story is developing so we’ll keep this updated as the details emerge:

And if you’re curious what RIM has to say about their new Blackberry… we’ve copied/pasted what’s on their Features list. Warning: beginning trip back to clicheville.

[Via Blackberry.com and BGR]

Rumor Mill: Blackberry 9000 Gets a BOLD Name

A couple reliable sources (Crackberry, BGR) are speculating that the name of the much awaited (and awaited, and awaited) Blackberry 9000 could be the Blackberry BOLD. Or is it Bold, Bold or BOLD?

Kevin Michaluk from Crackberry.com initially “broke” the news and is determined that the phone will go by the name BOLD. His evidence?

The BGR is a little more skeptical, saying, “the domain, which was purchased from a shady-looking comnpany in Canada, currently has text link ads on it. Not a good sign.”

Either way, there are two things we ARE sure about.

  1. The Blackberry whatever-ya-wanna-call-it 9000 is almost guaranteed to kick some mobile booty.
  2. Most people seem diabolically opposed to the name Bold.

We kind of like the name… and would you rather have a sweet name for a crappy device or  crap name for a sweet device? That’s what we thought…

Microsoft Launches a… BlackBerry App?

As we all know, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and BlackBerry are fierce competitors in the smart phone OS market. But then why was Microsoft’s best ever application, the recently released “TellMe”, launched for BlackBerry and not Windows Mobile? Because BlackBerry’s are better and even Macrohard knows it…

Just kidding. There is actually a more logical response. Microsoft purchase a company called TellMe which was midway into development of the application already. A Windows Mobile version of the app is surely forthcoming.

Okay, logistics aside, this little application is pretty kickbutt. Use your BlackBerry to navigate to http://m.tellme.com and download the little App. You’ll be able to speak locations into your phone such as, “Coffee” and it will show you the closest coffee shops or “Nordstrom’s” and it will show you the closest Nordstrom’s.

This is a pretty handy tool that we’ll look for Windows Mobile to take full advantage of in their next release… which might not be for ages unfortunately. Hey Mr. CEO Mike McCue… could we get an Android version please? Thank you!