With the diversification of the smartphone market, RIM has been forced to expand their offerings to reach out to a more varied type of user base.  The Blackberry Style is an obvious result of that, sporting a clamshell form factor that pairs with the company's all-familiar QWERTY keyboard.

Physically, it's a tad too bulky -- an obvious result of using a chassis design normally reserved for entry-level feature phones.  Aside from the bulk, it's also wider than any clamshell phone I remember (I'm going from memory here, though), a consequence of fitting in a full QWERTY keyboard.  Regardless, it has good construction, with a sturdy hinge and a good feel in hand.

It has two displays, a 2-inch LCD outside and a 2.7-incher inside.   The interior one is very serviceable for regular phone functions, with good brightness and sharpness.  Keyboard is a bit too thin and narrow for comfort.  While good, it’s nowhere near the best keyboard RIM has produced.

As a phone, the Blackberry Style made for topnotch calls, with clean and natural voices going through on both ends.  Speakerphone was lacking, though, and made voices sound a tad too harsh.  Battery life is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time.

The device runs Blackberry OS 6, RIM's new and improved platform.  It actually works well for the device, with the controls handling just as well via the trackpad (as it was by touch on the Torch).  Even though the smartphone only packs a 624 MHz CPU, it performs its features smoothly and runs apps very well.  It also delivered quick EVDO speeds, loading YouTube videos for continuous playback with just a few seconds of buffering.

Despite the unfamiliar form factor, it packs all of Blackberry's familiar capabilities.  All the well-stocked voice and messaging features are onboard, along with WiFi, 3G, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1.  Social networking is also adeptly handled, with preloaded Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter apps, along with a Social Feeds app that aggregates content from all three.  It has support for Blackberry App World, too.

Web browsing is a decent experience on the phone, although the smaller screen might be prohibitive for users spoiled with large slate-type displays.  There's no still no Flash support, either.  We like the built-in media player,  which include Cover Flow-style presentations and zippy playback of supported files.   The 5.0 megapixel camera offers adequate editing options, but only takes average photos (worse, indoor shots were too dim for comfort).

The Blackberry Style can be summed up as a feature-packed smartphone in a practical design.  It's available now for $99 with a new two-year contract from Sprint.

RIM's entry-level Blackberry Curve 3G 9330 doesn't veer too far from its 9530 predecessor.  In fact, most of the changes are cosmetic.  If you're looking for a functional smartphone with Blackberry's excellent messaging capabilities, though, this is easily one of your more affordable options.

Physically, it's all classic Blackberry.  It sports a compact QWERTY candybar form factor, with sturdy construction, a discernible plastic make and a good feel in hand.  Display is a 2.4-inch screen (320 x 240 resolution), with good colors and decent sharpness.  Keyboard s a bit packed together, but comfortable to use.

As a phone, the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 makes for very good call quality.  Audio went through loud and clear on both ends, although those on the other line reported just a hint of static.  Speakerphone sounded a bit hollow, but fairly usable.  Battery life is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time, making for a good day or more of regular use.

Running Blackberry OS 5, it has all the basic phone features, including a variety of calling options, SMS, MMS and some PIM tools.  It continues Blackberry's strong personal and corporate email features, along with a host of instant messaging options.

It has a full range of connectivity options, including 3G, WiFi, aGPS and stereo Bluetooth.  Data speeds were good, loading most heavy websites in under 30 seconds.   Navigation and launching apps went without much hitch, with the 624Mhz CPU proving up to the task (at least, for OS 5).

Media player is basic, but it does come with access to Verizon's range of streaming apps, so you entertainment needs might be met yet.  The 2.0 megapixel camera, unfortunately, wasn't up to snuff, taking decidedly disappointing photos.

Overall, the Blackberry Curve 3G 9330 brings enough as an entry-level smartphone to make it worth the consideration, especially at the $29.99 price with a two-year agreement.

The RIM Blackberry Curve 3G 9300 is the direct successor of the Curve 8520.  Successor might be too strong a word here, since they're identical in many ways, save for a few added capabilities.

Physically, it takes on the classic Blackberry shape - a QWERTY candybar with a nice grip and a good weight in hand.   It's very similar to the 8520, with a few design tweaks, such as an improved optical trackpad, dividers for the navigation buttons and texturized rubber back.  The 2.4-inch display is clear and sharp, while the QWERTY keyboard proved excellent for extended typing.

As a phone, the Curve 3G 9300 makes for very impressive call quality on both ends of the line, coming as close to landline quality as you can ask for.    Speakerphone was also excellent, almost being as good as regular calls.  Battery is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time, which should net you a full day or more of moderate use.

It comes with Blackberry OS 5, although RIM has said it can be upgraded to OS 6.  For now, though, you don't get the notable UI improvements, but expect it somewhere down the line.

RIM threw in the usual phone features, like a variety of calling options, basic messaging, Bluetooth and WiFi.  As an upgrade to the 8520, they also squeezed in both 3G and GPS.  Download speeds were decent, with most heavy sites loading in 30 seconds or less.    It's running a rather underpowered 624MHz CPU, but it performed well (at least, for OS 5).  OS 6, however, may be another matter entirely.

You, naturally, get Blackberry's excellent messaging features here, from support for web-based email services to their Enterprise Server to MS Exchange to IBM Lotus Domino and more. IM options are aplenty too, with BlackBerry Messenger, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Windows Live and others.  Plus, there's access to App World, which should be good for a few useful downloads.

Music playback is great - even the speaker was surprisingly usable.  Videos worked nice too, although the size might be a tad too limiting.  Photo quality from the 2.0 megapixel camera, however, leave a lot to ask for.

Overall, we're a tad underwhelmed that the RIM Blackberry Curve 3G 9300 doesn't offer much improvements over its predecessor.  The addition of 3G and aGPS are appreciated, though, making this a solid contender at its $79.99 price point with a two-year service agreement from T-Mobile.

It's been getting a lot of flak in the press lately, but the RIM Blackberry Torch is actually a really good phone.  Problem is, there's little about it that actually feels original and fresh, making it a tough sell in today's smartphone market.

Physically, it's not particularly attractive, although it does look appropriate for business users.  It's not as big as I imagined, but it is hefty in hand and construction feels sturdy.  Display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 360 resolution) that's bright and responsive, while the bottom-sliding QWERTY keyboard made for comfortable typing (not as good the Bold, though).

As a phone, the Torch delivered great call quality, with little problems (there was occasionally some distortion).  Those on the other end reported very good sound as well.  Speakerphone had too little volume, though, so it was difficult to use in noisier environments.  Battery is rated at 5.8 hours of talk time and should last over a day (might make it to two) with normal use.

One of the phone's biggest features is Blackberry OS 6, which finally updated the platform's interface into one better suited to today's market.  Overall, it delivers on its promise: better UI, faster navigation, a well-executed universal search and an updated, infinitely more functional browser.  If you've handled an iPhone or Android before, though, there's really nothing new that leaves you impressed.  The handset runs a 624MHz processor and is quite sluggish when switching between tasks to the point of freezing for a few seconds.

Being a Blackberry, it's got the solid business capabilities down pat: quad-band world phone, robust connectivity (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS) and impressive messaging services (Blackberry Messenger, Blackberry Enterprise Server and more).  It's up to speed on the social networking end too, with preloaded apps for Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, along with an aggregator called Social Feeds.  There are a number of notable apps, as well, such as Documents To Go and AT&T's variety of services. While it does have access to App World, you can only store apps on the 512MB of built-in memory.

Data speeds are good, but not spectacular.  YouTube requires several seconds of buffering, but it does play continuously after the initial slowdown.  Multimedia playback has been vastly improved, with a sexy presentation and a good collection of supported formats.  The screen could have been better, but it's definitely serviceable for both music and videos.  A 5.0 megapixel camera is also onboard, with some nice editing features and above average shot quality.

Overall, there's nothing bad about the Blackberry Torch.  It's just that RIM is now competing with phones that have leaped ahead of it both in hardware and software.  While it's officially listed at $199.99 from AT&T, Amazon has slashed down the price to $99.99, so it might be worth it to consider.

Things haven't been good for RIM this week.  First, its latest flagship phone, the Blackberry Torch, received lukewarm responses (our review is coming  in the next few days).  As of Friday, Saudi Arabia has made good on a threat to ban some of its most important features too.

Only the largest Arab country in the Middle East has implemented the ban so far,  fining  any wireless provider who doesn't comply a hefty $1.3 million.  Three other countries (UAE, India and Indonesia) have expressed issues with the Blackberry Messenger service, all of which might eventually follow with similar actions.  Email and instant messaging have been disabled on the devices in Saudi Arabia, following security concerns about RIM's procedure, which removes the ability for carriers to monitor user's messages.

Unlike other smartphones, Blackberry emails and IMs don't follow the usual routing path for data.  Instead of transmitting over the internet, they are first encrypted and sent to Blackberry's own secure servers, which even RIM has no access to.  Obviously, this is one of the device's primary selling points - your data is secure.  However, this same foolproof measure has earned the ire of governments wanting to keep a tab on their citizens' messaging habits.

Amid the mounting pressures, however, RIM is staying firm.  In a statement released last Wednesday, the Canadian phone manufacturer said, "The BlackBerry enterprise solution was designed to preclude RIM or any third party from reading encrypted information under any circumstances, since RIM does not store or have access to the encrypted data."  They added, "Any claims that we provide, or have ever provided, something unique to the government of one country that we have not offered to the governments of all countries are unfounded."

Obviously, this is far from resolved.  RIM's stock has already taken a beating during the week, so it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

[via Engadget]

An unannounced phone from RIM just showed up for sale over at Canadian carrier Rogers' site.  Called the Blackberry Curve 3G 9300, the handset appears eerily similar to the Curve 8520, with 3G connectivity appearing to be the biggest difference.

Unlike the Torch, this one isn't likely to be running the Blackberry OS 6 (at least, there's no mention of that potential selling point), so none of the fancy new UI experience.   It takes the familiar QWERTY candybar form factor, with 109 x 60 x 13.88 mm dimensions and 106 grams of weight.

Details of the Curve 3G 9300 include a 2.4-inch TFT LCD (320 x 240 resolution), a 2.0 megapixel camera module, aGPS (with Telenav), Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, 3G (3.6Mbps HSPA), 256MB internal storage and 2GB microSD card preloaded (expandable up to 32GB).  Battery is rated at four hours of talk time and 17 days of standby.  As with RIM's other newer releases, it comes with Blackberry's usual robust messaging and business features, along with world phone capabilities, access to the Blackberry App World and pre-installed social networking apps.

The Blackberry Curve 3G 9300 is now available from the Rogers website.  Price is $79.99 (Canadian) with a three-year agreement and $399.99 without a contract.

[Rogers via Unwired View]

Research In Motion has announced the first phone running the all-new Blackberry OS 6.  Called the Blackberry Torch (model 9800), it's the company's first handset to feature a sliding QWERTY keyboard, which it pairs with a full touchscreen display.

Sporting a vertical slider form factor, the new phone measures a respectable 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.57 inches and weighs 5.68 ounces.  A world phone, it supports quad-band GSM, quad-band UMTS and tri-band HSPA, with voice service in over 220 countries, data service in more than 195 and 3G connectivity in 125.

Details of the Torch include a 3.2-inch touchscreen (480 x 360 pixels), a 5.0 megapixel camera module with flash, aGPS, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, a 3.5mm audio jack, 4GB built-in storage and 4GB preloaded memory card (expandable up to 32GB).  Core hardware consists of a 624 Mhz processor and 512MB of RAM. It comes with a 1,300 mAh battery, providing 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 13 days of standby.

Possibly bigger news than the new phone is the new OS, which upgrades the old Blackberry interface into a modern, finger-friendly platform.   The company claims a "fresh, approachable and engaging experience" for users, coupled with the robust messaging and business talents that have made RIM's devices a household name.  Features include BlackBerry Enterprise Service, BlackBerry Internet Service, a tabbed full HTML browser based on WebKit, social networking integration, universal search and beefed-up multimedia capabilities.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 will be available beginning August 12th.  Price is $199.99 with a two year service agreement and a data plan under AT&T.

[RIM]

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RIM just announced their newest Blackberry and it's the smallest one yet. Called the Blackberry Pearl 3G, the ultra-compact smartphone packs everything in a 1.96-inch wide body, weighing a light 3.3 oz.

Aside from the size, the most notable feature here is the inclusion of 802.11n wireless support, a first for Blackberry phones. It will also come in two models: 1900 (which uses the space-saving, pseudo-QWERTY SureType keys) and 1905 (which uses a surprising T9-style keypad). Yes, Blackberry appears to be finally embracing the lower-end of the market too, with a release that looks to have more in common with Nokia's designs that the ones RIM has popularized.

Core hardware for the handset consist of a 624 Mhz processor, aided by 256MB of RAM. It runs Blackberry OS 5, complete with all of its familiar features, including the Blackberry Messenger, Media Sync and App World. Key details include a 360 x 400 resolution display, a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS (with Blackberry Maps), 3G, WiFi, microSD expansion (up to 32GB) and a 1,150 mAh battery (rated at 4.4 hours of talk time).

Definitely a unique phone for Blackberry, the Pearl 3G packs in a solid slew of features in a pocketable candybar frame. No word on either release date or pricing, though.

[Blackberry via Gizmodo]

The Blackberry Curve 8530 is the CDMA version of the entry-level 8520.  While it comes with the same general design and feature set, it gets a leg up over its close sibling with a few additional talents.

Physically, the 8530 shares the exact design cues as its GSM counterpart.  If you remember our review of the Curve 8520, we praised it for its attractive profile, comfortable 3.4-inch display and handy size.  Our opinion extends to this newer version.

As a phone, it turns up mixed results when it came to call quality.  On our end, conversation sounded loud and clear, with just the slightest hint of interference.  Those on the other end, however, had plenty to complain about, especially once the speakerphone was used.  General handset performance was snappy, thanks to the speedy processor paired with fast 3G.  Battery life is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time, which amounted to a day or two of regular use for us.

Despite the entry-level tag (same as the 8520), this new Curve offers a good amount of options.  There are the usual Blackberry favors, from the souped-up messaging set (BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Exchange Server, threaded views) to the usual basic phone features.  Unlike the GSM version, though, the 8530 adds 3G, Wi-Fi and even aGPS to the mix, making it much more robust in terms of functionality.

It comes with some good productivity tools thrown in, including a good document viewer.  There's no native way to create Office docs, though, so you'll have to pay for a capable editor.  Music playback is surprisingly a strength, with expansive file support and excellent sound quality (even through the onboard speakers).  The camera module (2.0 megapixel) is a notable downside, taking rather disappointing photos.

Overall, the Blackberry Curve 8530 is a pleasant surprise.  While marketed (and priced) as an entry-level smartphone, it comes with all the necessary features that make it a complete handset (heck, many of Blackberry's more expensive phones don't even have Wi-Fi).  It also costs less than its GSM counterpart at only $99 on contract.

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With the previous Bold model about a year past its original release, the Blackberry Bold 9700 came out at a perfect time.  With sleeker looks and more powerful hardware than the previous model, it's just the right device to put RIM firmly in the thick of the business smartphone market.

Physically, the handset looks nothing like its predecessor.  The new body is more svelte and compact, with an aesthetic that should appeal to both genders.  Not only is it more pocketable than the previous Bold, it's also slimmer than this year's popular Tour.  With classy looks, appealing lines and a great feel in the hand, it's an easy winner in the design department.

The downside to the compact frame is that the 9700's screen is smaller at 2.44 inches (compared to its predecessor's 2.75-inch).  Display, at a 480x360 resolution, is brilliant, with crisp lines and vibrant colors.  Navigation array, 35-key QWERTY keypad (crammed, but large and comfortable, buttons) and the rest of the physical controls work admirably.  UI is similar to the previous device's, save for some slight refinements in OS 5.0.

As a phone, the quad-band handset manages excellent call quality on both ends of the conversation.  Voices sounded clear, with nary the sign of any distortion.  The speakerphone mic picked up voices very well on our end, although speaker quality was just average.  Battery life has a rated talk time of 6 hours, which should be good for a couple days of regular use.

With a powerful 624MHz CPU, the smartphone runs very fast.  Coupled with speedy 3G, performance of connected apps is downright snappy.  Browser has received much improvement over RIM's previous versions (faster Javascript, CSS and Google Gears).  Despite their efforts, however, the browser still lags behind other smartphones, marked by very slow-responding navigation.

The Bold 9700 comes with the usual Blackberry smartphone features, including a souped-up messaging and productivity suite, aGPS and Bluetooth.  There's the excellent Blackberry Enterprise Server, of course,  which supports Exchange, Domino and GroupWise.  There's also an attachment viewer, a bevy of pre-installed messaging clients and Documents To Go.

Unlike many of Blackberry's previous releases, the phone comes with both 3G and Wi-Fi, allowing you more chances of staying connected wherever you end up (yep, it's a world phone too).  The Wi-Fi service even comes with UMA, which lets you make unrestricted calls over data lines without running up your minutes.

The media player is decent, with a good range of supported formats.  The 3.2 megapixel camera was a huge step-up from its predecessor, managing excellent photo quality, while providing for a good range of editing options.

Overall, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is an excellent business phone, especially for frequent travelers who could use both the 3G and Wi-Fi support.  The browser, while decent, is the handset's only low point, one that we expect RIM to work on during the next year.

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