Category: Blackberry

Whoops! BlackBerry Creative Director Alicia Keys Tweets From iPhone!

After being announced as BlackBerry’s Global Creative Director less than two weeks ago, pop diva Alicia Keys claims her Twitter account was hacked after a specious tweet from an iPhone was sent under her name.

[quote]”What the h*ll?!!!! Looks like I’ve been hacked… I like@Drake but that wasn’t my tweet :-(” she posted shortly after the offending missive.[/quote]

As the Verge reports, Alicia Keys today offered the profound thought: “Started from the bottom now were here,” to all of her Twitter followers. This obvious spontaneity seems to have been sent from a Twitter for iPhone app.

It was removed shortly afterward.

Keys is the latest celebrity to experience problems with social media as tech companies look to cultural icons to push their products in mainstream markets. In 2012, Oprah used an iPad to send out a number of tweets endorsing Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet. However, this particular situation is a bit more interesting considering Keys has a paid position on the actual BlackBerry team; not just a promoter.

Pocket-Lint offers a tantalizing glimpse of her dressing room at the Grammys. There, not one, but two iPhones are to be seen on her dressing table.

An iPhone 4S is positioned so close to Keys’ fingers that all she would have to do is lift her arm up and her extremities would naturally meet its keyboard and want to communicate.

[TechRadar, CNET]

February 12, 2013
Blackberry Z10 Teardown Reveals Similarities To Samsung Galaxy S III
The BlackBerry Z10 has already arrived in a few markets and while we are still waiting for it to arrive in the India bringing the new BlackBerry 10 platform in March, UBM Tech Insights has torn the whole device down revealing its hardware. Somewhat surprisingly, it is very similar to the LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S III in that it runs on an identical Qualcomm chip. BlackBerry has obviously ditched its previous partner Texas Instruments and opted for Qualcomm’s chips.

Other interesting additions to the Blackberry Z10 include 2GB of low-power Samsung DDR2 memory, and 16GB of Samsung NAND flash memory, also similar to the Galaxy S III. The 1280×768 pixel screen relies on a Synaptics touchscreen controller, which brings the four-point multitouch capabilities to the device.

Scroll down for the full specs breakdown. Looks like a win for both Qualcomm and Samsung, especially if the BlackBerry Z10 continues to sell well.
- Samsung K3PE0E000A – Multichip Memory – 2 GB Mobile DDR2 SDRAM
- Samsung KLMAG2GE4A – Multichip Memory – 16 GB MLC NAND Flash, Controller
- Qualcomm MSM8960 – Snapdragon S4 Baseband / Applications Processor
- Qualcomm WCD9310 – Audio Codec
- Qualcomm PM8921 – Power Management IC
- Qualcomm RTR8600 – GSM / CDMA / W-CDMA / LTE RxD Transceiver + GPS
- Texas Instruments WL1273L – Single-Chip 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth, and FM
- TriQuint TQP6M9017 – Dual-Band WLAN Module
- RF Micro Devices RF7252 – CDMA/WCDMA BAND 2 Linear Power Amplifier Module
- RF Micro Devices RF7303 – LTE/UMTS/CDMA BAND 3 Linear Power Amplifier Module
- Inside Secure SECUREAD IC5C633I4- NFC Solution Module
- Avago ACPM-5017 – LTE Band XVII Power Amplifier
- Avago ACPM-7051 – Quad-Band GSM / W-CDMA Bands I & V Power Amplifier
- Sony CXM3582UR – SP10T Antenna Switch
- ST Microelectronics LIS3DH – MEMS Accelerometer
- STMicroelectronics LSM330DLC – 3D Accelerometer & 3D Gyroscope
- Synaptics Clearpad 3203 – Capacitive Touchscreen Controller
Source: TechInsights
February 12, 2013
BlackBerry Z10 Sales ‘Exceeding Expectations’ So Far

BlackBerry, the company formerly known as RIM, has said that demand for the BlackBerry Z10 has exceeded expectations since the full touchscreen device went on sale in the UK last week.

Whilst BlackBerry did not release any details on how many of their Z10 smartphone they have sold since launch, the company’s UK MD Stephen Bates had the following to say about the device.

[quote]

“The response we’ve seen exceeded all of our launch partners’ expectations. Customers are choosing to buy the BlackBerry Z10 in large numbers,” said Bates. “In fact some of our partners have told us that they sold out over the weekend in some of their key retail locations.

“The partners’ call centres are also flooded with calls, as people phone to ask for more information about the device, and also where and how to buy it.”

[/quote]

The Blackberry Z10 will launch in Canada today and also in a number of European countries this week which include France, Germany, Spain and more. We expect it to land in India sometime around 25th February.

Alongside giving its first indication on sales for the Z10, BlackBerry has also today (February 5) announced a partnership with Unity to bring more games to the BlackBerry 10 platform.

February 5, 2013
BlackBerry Rewards App Developers With A Limited Edition Red Z10

Image Courtesy : CrackBerry

In order to thank the developers who had supported BlackBerry 10 platform before it went live last month, BlackBerry decided to offer them limited edition BlackBerry Z10 devices.

According to CrackBerry, there will be only 12,000 limited edition BlackBerry Z10 devices specially manufactured for developers. They will be red and will be etched with special serial numbers.

The BlackBerry Z10 is an all-touch device with a 4.2-inch display, a dual-core Qualcomm S4 Processor, 2GB of RAM, and multi-band LTE-support.

Announcing the move at the BlackBerry Jam developer conference in Amsterdam today, BlackBerry’s VP of developer relations Alec Saunders said that early developers will be “the only ones that will have these devices because they’re the ones that earned them”.

He did however, say the phone will also be made available to new developers, provided they get their apps accepted by 28 February, so there’s still a chance you can get your hands on one if you act quickly.

Image Courtesy : N4BB

Media is also getting a hands-on with the new Dev Alpha C device, which will become available in the coming months as developers adjust their apps to work on the 1:1 ratio 720×720 screen of the BlackBerry Q10. The Dev Alpha C may not be pretty — it’s boxy in the same way as the Alpha and Alpha B devices were — but it’s meant to do a job, and it comes with that excellent fretted QWERTY keyboard.

[CrackBerry, N4BB]

February 5, 2013
Finally! Your Normal Data Plans Will Work With Blackberry 10 Devices, No Need For BIS

The BlackBerry Z10 is coming out soon — so close! — and just in case you were wondering, no, you won’t have to change your current plan.

Unlike older BlackBerries, the Z10 does not require an explicit BIS plan; in fact, it requires a regular data plan. BlackBerry-only plans such as Blackberry Personal E-mail Plans, BlackBerry Social Plans and BBM only will not work with the new Z10. The same is true of all other carriers as well.

This means that if you’re transitioning over from an iPhone or an Android with a data plan, just stick your SIM card in the Z10 and everything from the browser to BBM will work without issue. Of course, you’ll need a microSIM in order to connect to the network, so older devices (or iPhone 5 users) will need a new one.

When it comes to enterprise users who will be running their BlackBerry 10 phones via a BES10 server, a special BlackBerry BES plan will be required – so nothing has changed there. Being on BES10 is what enables features like BlackBerry Balance to function. However, if you’re in a business where you’re going to be running your BlackBerry 10 phones alongside iOS and Android devices with no BES in place, then no BlackBerry data plan is required – you’re in the same situation as a consumer.

[Mobile Syrup]

February 3, 2013
Nokia : Blackberries Make a Great Snack, But For The World’s Best Business Smartphone Try a Lumia

The big news today comes from the company-formerly-known-as-RIM and their new OS and flagship smartphone. Blackberry has always been loved by businesses for it’s many business features, but in the past few years the competition, such as Windows Phone, has made big strides to be business ready. This has lead a lot of businesses to adopt “bring your own phone,” which lets employees use many different popular smartphones, not just Blackberry devices.

Nokia has taken to Facebook to point out that Lumia devices are just as business-ready, if not more, than Blackberry devices.

[quote]Nokia Canada’s Facebook page stated that “Blackberries make a great snack, but for the world’s best business smartphone try a Lumia.” This is of course part of the new “Make the Switch” marketing campaign that encourages people to use the Lumia.[/quote]

Windows Phone has native Skype support along with Office applications, plus SkyDrive for backup. BlackBerry is known in the industry for having the best, probably most secure, email support for businesses, but Windows Phone 8 also added many modern security protocols. In addition, BlackBerry has SAP support, Box and Dropbox for cloud storage and will soon be adding Skype to their list of apps.

It’ll be very interesting to see who wins the battle for 3rd place.

January 31, 2013
White Blackberry Q10 spotted

While Blackberry was busy renaming their parent company and launching the new OS along with black variants of the Z10 and Q10 a white version of the BOLD series replacement the Blackberry Q10 has been spotted at the event.

The Blackberry Q10 is packed with a 720 x 720 Super AMOLED 3.1-inch display, the Blackberry Q10’s screen is slightly larger than its touch-hybrid predecessor, the Bold 9930, and has a pixel density of 328ppi. Other specs include the 1.5GHz dual-core CPU and 2GB of RAM, 10.3mm-thick body and a 139g weight.

January 31, 2013
Blackberry Announces Blackberry Q10, With Physical QWERTY Keyboard

The BlackBerry Q10 is the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone with a physical keyboard, it features a glass laminated back which is reportedly lighter and stronger than plastic. The handset features a stainless steel build, “edge-to-edge glass”, and what it’s calling a three-dimensional weave on the back.

The Blackberry Q10 sports a 1.5GHz processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, which is expandable with a microSD slot. The 3,1-inch touchscreen has 330ppi, 720 x 720 display.

[quote]”We have the aspiration to be the best keyboard experience period,” Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said during an event in New York.[/quote]

BlackBerry 10 will also launch with applications and games such as Foursquare, Skype, Twitter, Facebok, Angry Birds Star Wars, Where’s My Water, Cisco WebEx and many more. The BlackBerry Z10 will be available in the UK starting tomorrow, in Canada February 5th, the UAE February 10th and in the US in late March.

Heins, meanwhile, discussed other features of the new products and operating system, including BlackBerry Flow, which allows users to move between apps. The technology allows users to open and minimize apps through swipes, and everything keeps working. BlackBerry Peek allows users to play a video and check notifications at once.

BlackBerry has confirmed that it will be getting some big name apps including Amazon Kindle, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

It was also announced earlier in the week that BlackBerry had signed a deal with the major TV studios and film networks confirming that big titles such as Prometheus, American Dad and Friends would all be available on BlackBerry 10.

January 30, 2013
Blackberry Launches New Flagship Z10

In a move that shocked precisely nobody, the new BlackBerry Z10 has been launched.

[quote]When introducing the BlackBerry Z10, Thorsten Heins said, “This is the most beautiful BlackBerry we have ever launched. I can’t wait for you to try it out. We knew a large beautiful display was important. This is the window into the BlackBerry 10 experience.”[/quote]

The new handset features BlackBerry 10 OS as the obvious talking point. The Blackberry Z10 also has a 4.2-inch HD screen, dual core processor and 16GB of onboard storage.

The BlackBerry Z10 contains a 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 8960 SoC with an Adreno 225 GPU, the same part found in the Lumia 920.

The 356ppi pixel density is sharper than the iPhone 5, though it doesn’t match the ridiculous 440+ found on recently-announced Android products like the Sony Xperia Z.

The BlackBerry Z10 has two cameras, a 8MP back shooter and a 2MP front-facing lens. They offer a few nifty features, such as the ability rewind and get the picture you wanted, rather than the one you actually took, called TimeShift.

[quote]”We have been on a journey of transformation, to transform our business and our brand, but also one that will transform mobile communications to true mobile computing,” Heins said on stage. “Saying we have reinvented this company is simply not enough. Today is a new day in the history of BlackBerry.”[/quote]

BlackBerry also discussed a feature called BlackBerry Balance, which allows you to create different areas of the phone for work and your personal life. Additionally, it’s new BlackBerry Messenger will have voice and video chatting functionality, allowing users a way around using their minutes.

The BlackBerry Z10 is has a specially designed screen for precise touch input, so typing on the BlackBerry keyboard can be faster and more accurate. The BlackBerry Z10 screen uses the latest technology to ensure images are sharp, clear and incredibly vivid.

[quote]”We will be the platform launching with the highest number of apps on day one,” Boulben said. The company has worked with software developers to stock its BlackBerry World store, which includes apps and music and movies, to have 70,000 apps out of the gate. RIM announced that popular apps like Facebook, Twitter, Angry Birds, Evernote, Rdio, ESPN Scorecenter, Flixter and Cut the Rope will be in the store for consumers.[/quote]

Like all previous BlackBerry smartphone and, with clear sights on its utilitarian roots, the Z10 has a removable battery cover with a replaceable battery cell. The new battery, LS1, is taller and narrower than in previous RIM products and, at 1800mAh, is slightly larger.

RIM also includes a Siri-like Voice Assistant that is activated by holding down the play/pause button on the side of the phone. It can perform many of the same tasks as its iOS counterpart: send texts and emails, search the web, schedule an appointment or make a Remember note.

The Blackberry Q10 has also been announced. We’re still awaiting the magic of things like prices or a release date, but we’ll update the story as soon as we hear.

Specs

– BlackBerry 10 OS
– 4.2-inch 1280×768 pixel TFT display
– 1.5Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC
– 2GB RAM / 16GB internal storage (w/ microSD)
– 8MP BSI back camera / 2MP front-facing camera
– 1080p video capture @ 30fps
– WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS/GLONASS, NFC
– 1800mAh removable battery
– 130mm x 65.6mm x 9mm
– 135.4 grams
– 3G (850/1900) / LTE (700/AWS)

January 30, 2013
Carphone Warehouse Internal Database Leak Shows BlackBerry Z10 Priced At INR 40,000!

As we await for the arrival of the rumoured BlackBerry Z10 at the end of January, not much has been shared about pricing. However according to a new leak, it will be £30 less than an unlocked iPhone 5. Engadget has received a photo, claiming to be a shot of Carphone Warehouse’s internal listings, showing a BlackBerry Z10 in white for the SIM-free price of £479.95 or roughly Rs 40,000.

We know what RIM’s flagship BlackBerry Z10 smartphone will look like, what it’s capable of and when it’ll be launched. Now we’ve got the first indication of how much it will cost.

RIM is set to officially unveil its BlackBerry 10 operating system and the first two devices that will first carry it on 30 January in several countries around the globe. One has to wonder whether RIM will have anything left to surprise us with when its global launch events kick off on Wednesday.

BlackBerry 10 and the BlackBerry Z10 have already been completely exposed by several leaks online. The touchscreen Z10 – with the BlackBerry X10 being the Qwerty keyboard-touting phone of the launch duo – has a 4.2-inch display. It’s not Full HD, being only 1280 x 768, but is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz OMAP 4470 processor with 2GB of RAM.

So BlackBerry fans should prepare their wallets as this one won’t come cheap.

Via Engadget

January 27, 2013
Leaked : Blackberry Z10 Press Shots

Courtesy of @evleaks, we get to see a pair or high-quality press pics of the yet unannounced BlackBerry Z10, a device which some consider to be the company’s Hail Mary Pass as their financial situation has been on a steady decline for months. While these aren’t the first images we’ve seen of BlackBerry’s upcoming Z10 smartphone, they do appear to be the first official press images of the device which might be released as early as February 5th. The beleaguered RIM is pinning its hopes on its new BlackBerry 10 OS so it’s possible that the future of the company is riding on the success of the Z10.

The BlackBerry Z10, the very first one, has already leaked out countless times in images and video and judging by all we’ve seen so far we have no reason to doubt its veracity.

The BlackBerry Z10 is rumored to feature a 4.2 inch HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, it will also come with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built in storage, plus a 1,800 mAh battery.

RIM will officially launch Blackberry Z10 on the 30th of January along with two BlackBerry 10 devices, the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry X10, we should have full details on both handsets after the official announcement.

Overall, we definitely like the design. It’s nothing too special by any means, but it’s sleek and stealthy, and it definitely has that BlackBerry feel to it. Since BlackBerry 10 seems to be a competent platform, we can’t see a reason why the Z10 wouldn’t be a success for RIM, but we’ll ultimately have to wait and see later this month.

January 26, 2013
Lenovo Interested In Buying RIM’s Hardware Division

RIM is about to release its latest BlackBerry 10 platform by next week. But even with this new development, the Canadian company is not off the hook when it comes to its market predicament. BlackBerry is a platform on the decline, and apart from BB10, RIM is thinking of ways to revitalize its business. Among the possibilities is licensing is operating system or even selling off its hardware division.

Lenovo is reportedly mulling over a purchase of RIM’s traditionally-unprofitable hardware division as it determines how best to move into the international smartphone and tablet market.

Lenovo is the world’s number two PC manufacturer, and although sales have been strong over the last few quarters, rocketing past Dell in market share, desktop and laptop sales are slowing in the wake of smartphones and tablet proliferation. Lenovo rose to be the number two smartphone maker in China in 2012, but it has a lot of work to do if it ever wants to be an international player.

Analysts speculate that even if BlackBerry 10 proves a success for the company — which, if early indications are a bellwether, it likely will — RIM may choose to sell its hardware business anyway, focusing on its network and software assets. A partnership with a company like Lenovo or even Samsung, which was also rumoured to be interested in acquiring RIM at one point, could push the Waterloo-based outfit back into the black.

On related news, RIM’s shares rose with the reports of Lenovo’s interest. The Toronto Stock Exchange-listed shares rose 3%. Still analysts say RIM is likely to wait until it launches BlackBerry 10 before seriously considering partnerships or asset sales.

[Mobile Syrup]

January 25, 2013
BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 Officially Released And Available For Download

RIM can cross another action off the list. Today they’ve announced that BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10) is available for download. This mobile device management solution has been one of RIM’s prize possessions for more than a decade and has been revamped/reworked for the launch of BlackBerry 10. Company IT departments will be able to securely manage devices running BlackBerry 10 and the PlayBook, plus competing platforms such as iOS and Android (BlackBerry Fusion is being rolled into BES 10).

[quote]According to the press release BES 10 has received some positive feedback from both corporate clients and industry analysts. Peter E. Lesser, Director of Global Technology, from a big law firm with too many names called “Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom” stated “We’ve been testing BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 in our environment and we’re pleased with the manageability, security and reliability that the solution offers, along with expanded management capabilities to other devices within our network.”[/quote]

In addition to bringing device and application management capabilities for the BlackBerry 10 handsets, the release of BES 10 also marks the retirement of RIM’s standalone mobile device management product and brand, Mobile Fusion. In future, Mobile Fusion functionality will be a part of BlackBerry Enterprise Service, available to BES customers.

[Mobile Syrup]

January 23, 2013
RIM’s Rebranded BlackBerry World Web Store Launched

RIM officially put the naming of the BlackBerry App World to sleep this morning. In its place is the new branding of “BlackBerry World.” This change was noted at BlackBerry Jam Americas back in November and will play a big part in the launch of BlackBerry 10. According to their company blog, BlackBerry World “reflects a shift in the type of things you can purchase from the store,” such as apps, with music (powered by 7Digital) and movies coming later. RIM promises that the new BlackBerry World will be your “one-stop shop for all of your mobile entertainment needs.”

The beleaguered manufacturer made the change in preparation for the launch of its new OS, BB 10, later this month. It recently announced that it had amassed 15,000 BB 10 app submissionsin just two days, and calls BlackBerry World “the one-stop shop for all of your mobile entertainment needs.”

Their website and mobile store have been redesigned. BlackBerry smartphone or PlayBook owners will see the new BlackBerry World changes arrive on their device “in the coming weeks.” RIM also notes that we can easily share links to the content via BBM, Facebook, Twitter, or you can use your NFC-enabled device and “simply tap smartphones together and invite your friends to download it.”

The change to RIM’s online store is rolling out now, and should be available to everyone in the next 24 hours. It will be rolled out to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and BB smartphones in the coming weeks.

January 21, 2013
New Hands-On Video Of RIM’s BlackBerry Z10 Shows Up On YouTube, Shows Rear Camera Footage

RIM is set to officially unveil its BlackBerry 10 operating system and the devices that will first carry it on 30 January in several countries around the globe.

We’ve had more leaks than a woolen canoe when it comes to the new BlackBerry devices, but there has always been an air of mystique around certain aspects. Until now.

Austrian website Telekom-presse.at has completely blown the lid on the phone formerly known as the BlackBerry London or L-Series. It is now simply the BlackBerry Z10 (as rumoured a while back), and the site professes to have had one in its grasp long enough to give it a full review.

The specs for the phone are solid but not cutting-edge: a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 SoC and 2GB of RAM drive a 4.2-inch 1280×768 display, and the phone has 16GB of storage that is expandable via a microSD card slot. The phone also has a USB and good-sized 2100mAh battery, weighs 4.4 ounces (125 grams), and measures roughly 5.07 by 2.56 by 0.31 inches (129 x 65 x 8mm), slightly larger in every dimension than an iPhone 5. The back of the device is covered by a lightly textured removable plastic cover.

A video from Telekom-Presse has been uploaded to YouTube today, this time showing off the camera quality. According to their report, the Z10 “camera takes very excellent images even in low light” and will sport “a resolution of 8MP and 3264 x 1836 pixels in 16:9 mode or 3264 x 2448 pixels in 4:3 mode. The front camera has 1.9 MPx and triggers with 1600 x 1200 or 1600 x 900 pixels on.”

The video is quick, only 34 seconds, but the quality is solid and so is the sound.

January 16, 2013