Category Archives: BlackBerry Slider 9800

Use your BlackBerry to exercise with TreadIt

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Nike+ was a sort of pioneering on Apple’s part that combined the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Nano with a pedometer that tracked your runs (or walks).  Now, BlackBerry has an app for that, no special adapters or special shoes necessary.  TreadIt, which sells for $4.99 regularly (currently on sale for $2.99 here) uses the accelerometer in your BlackBerry Storm or Torch as a pedometer in this program.  It has several cool features, some of which include results being emailed to you, automatic shut-off, and working in and out of holster.

Be warned, this app is not a GPS logger.  It is your basic pedometer (meaning it should use less battery than a GPS logger).  If you have used or plan on using this software, tell us why you think it’s right for you!  Also, if you find any caveats, make sure to list them below.

via: BerryReview

O2 next in line for a BlackBerry Torch release?

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O2UKTorchRelease

With the release of a inside document, it seems that Vodafone will not be the only UK mobile service provider with the BlackBerry Torch 9800 on their line up. If rumors are true, O2 has a slated release date of October 4th for the device. As far as pricing goes, there hasn’t been any word on that yet, but I’m sure it will just about match whatever Vodafone’s is. I doubt O2 would pass up the opportunity to feature the handset, even more than that, let Vodafone be one up on them. With that being said, the Euroheads across the pond should have something promising to look forward to this fall.

via: BBLeaks

AT&T releases the BlackBerry Torch’s TV debut

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BlackBerryTorch

If there is one thing RIM really needs now, it’s a carrier to support them and provide their products with some brilliant marketing. AT&T have finally released a flashy commercial for the BlackBerry smartphone of the season, and it’s a start.  It’s a nice ad, but it just doesn’t POP. RIM is in dire need of some POP beyond what the device does itself. This will be the first BlackBerry with BlackBerry 6, as well as the first to integrate the BlackBerry keyboard will a full-on touchscreen.  Let us know what you think of the 9800′s star performance in the comments below!

via: RIMarkable

AT&T and RIM officially announce BlackBerry Torch 9800

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torchphoto

After dozens of leaks and months of speculation, the BlackBerry Torch 9800 slider has been officially announced by AT&T and RIM. To say this is a happy day for BlackBerry lovers would be quite the understatement, and RIM needs this launch to go off without a hitch if they plan to stay relevant in the consumer market.  Check out the full press release below:

BlackBerry Torch Smartphone First to Feature New BlackBerry 6 Combines New Touch Screen Experience with Easy-To-Use Keyboard and Rich WebKit Browser First Smartphone to Support AT&T’s Next Generation Messaging Experience, and First to Offer Locations Feature New BlackBerry App World Pre-installed with Carrier Billing Support

Dallas and Waterloo, ON – Joining forces to offer the first smartphone to feature the highly anticipated BlackBerry® 6 exclusively on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T* and Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced the new BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone. Adept for socially connected consumers and packed with the tools business customers love, the new handset is the world’s first smartphone to combine a BlackBerry® keyboard with a full touch screen experience. Whether users choose to type out messages on the capacitive touch screen or easy-to-use BlackBerry keyboard, browse the Internet using pinch to zoom or fluidly navigate with the optical trackpad, the BlackBerry Torch allows them to communicate any way they want.

“We were the first to launch the BlackBerry solution in 1999 and have a rich history of innovation and collaboration with Research In Motion,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “The two companies that brought the first BlackBerry smartphones to market have teamed up again with the new BlackBerry Torch, creating a true generational shift in hardware and operating system for this enormously popular service.”

“This is one of the most significant launches in RIM’s history and we are proud to introduce the new BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 together with AT&T,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-ceo, Research In Motion. “With a new user interface, new browser and new handset design, the highly anticipated BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry 6 deliver integrated and uncompromising capabilities for consumers and business professionals that preserve the industry-leading strengths of the BlackBerry platform while adding exciting new dimensions.”

BlackBerry 6
The BlackBerry Torch is the first BlackBerry smartphone to launch with BlackBerry 6, a new operating system that retains the familiar and trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh, approachable and engaging experience that’s powerful and easy to use.

BlackBerry 6 features a redesigned interface that seamlessly works with the touch screen and trackpad, includes expanded messaging capabilities with intuitive features to simplify the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and provides integrated access to the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), Facebook®, Twitter™, MySpace™ and various instant messaging applications available on the BlackBerry Torch smartphone. Its enhanced multimedia experience rivals the best in the industry and includes a dedicated YouTube app and Podcasts app.

BlackBerry 6 also integrates a new and rich WebKit-based browser on BlackBerry Torch that renders HTML web pages (as well as HTML email) quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience. It features tabs for accessing multiple sites simultaneously, pinch to zoom for easy navigation and an auto-wrap text zoom feature that can intelligently wrap text in a column while maintaining the placement of a page’s key elements (simply double-tap on the BlackBerry Torch).

Universal search, always accessible from the Home Screen, allows users to search through email, messages, contacts, music, videos and more on the smartphone, as well as extend search to the Internet or to discover applications on BlackBerry App World™.

Advanced Messaging
Messaging has always been a core element of the BlackBerry smartphone experience and the BlackBerry Torch smartphone expands on RIM’s popular messaging solutions with the support of AT&T’s advanced messaging features for SMS and MMS. RIM’s new Text Messages application is especially exciting for users who communicate most via SMS and MMS, providing support for AT&T’s next-generation messaging experience, which includes group messaging with “reply all” functionality for up to 10 contacts. And for the first time, AT&T’s platform includes a new Locations feature.

Locations lets users easily search for points of interest, businesses,  and even the user’s own location, and insert this information directly into a message, all without leaving the messaging application. Using group messaging and locations together, users can arrange to meet a group of friends easily by sending one message to all of them, discussing together where to meet and then sending a map – all in one threaded conversation. AT&T designed the service based on research that revealed customers want features that help facilitate social planning, improved message organization and location sharing.

Apps At Your Fingertips
After powering up the BlackBerry Torch smartphone for the first time, users will notice a set of pre-loaded icons which allow them to download and immediately begin using a variety of rich entertainment and social networking applications to access Bloomberg, ESPN, The Weather Channel and Slacker Radio content in addition to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and more. Also available is AT&T’s Web Video Search, a unique new app that searches video content from over 70 major Internet video websites.

In addition to searching the Internet for video, the BlackBerry Torch smartphone also features more multimedia apps that let users download TV shows and watch live TV, as well as create video content and upload it to YouTube. The new Podcasts application makes it easy for users to find and manage audio and video podcasts.

Another application that puts a key function of a phone at your fingertips is Visual Voicemail, which benefits customers by allowing them to select the voicemails they want to hear first.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to include BlackBerry App World™ pre-installed, supporting carrier billing through AT&T, making it easier for customers to discover and purchase applications.


BlackBerry Torch Smartphone Features
• Elegant styling, measuring approx. 4.4″ (5.8″ open) x 2.4″ x .57″ and weighing 5.68 ounces 
• 3.2″ 360×480 capacitive touch screen display 
• 35 key full QWERTY backlit slide-out keyboard, designed to feel optimally balanced when opened for typing
• Optical trackpad that makes navigation fast and smooth 
• Powerful 624 Mhz processor with 512 MB Flash memory 
• 4 GB built-in memory storage plus a microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB cards; a 4 GB card is included giving users 8 GB of storage out-of-the-box
• 5 MP camera with flash, continuous auto focus, image stabilization, scene modes, geo-tagging and zoom, as well as video recording at up to 640×480 resolution 
• Built-in GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging
• Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g/n); qualifying smartphone customers can enjoy seamless connectivity to over 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional cost 
• 3.5mm stereo headset jack
• Premium phone features, including voice activated dialing, speakerphone and Bluetooth® (2.1) with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including systems that support the Bluetooth Message Access Profile standard) and other Bluetooth accessories 
• New BlackBerry® Desktop Software 6 with integrated media sync for easily syncing music, photos and videos**. It also includes Wi-Fi Music Sync, a unique feature that allows users to view their entire iTunes® or Windows Media® Player music libraries from their BlackBerry smartphone, create and edit playlists as well as select music for download. When in range of their home Wi-Fi network (or via USB), the changes are synced with iTunes or Windows Media Player and the songs are automatically downloaded to the smartphone
• Tri-band HSDPA (3G) and quad-band EDGE support for the option of voice service in more than 220 countries, data service in more than 195 countries and 3G connectivity in more than 125 countries, including Japan and South Korea 
• Removable, rechargeable 1300 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.8 hours of talk time on 3G networks or 30 hours of audio playback or 6 hours of video playback

Pricing and Availability
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone will be available only for AT&T customers on August 12 in AT&T company owned retail stores and online at www.att.com/blackberrytorch, as well as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and RadioShack stores.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 will be available for $199.99 with 2-year service agreement on a qualifying rate plan and smartphone data plan required.  New smartphone customers may choose from two AT&T monthly data plan options, $15 for 200 MB of wireless data or $25 for 2 GB.  Enterprise and small business customers should contact their account representative for pricing details.


*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

AT&T imposes: a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge of up to $1.25 to help defray costs incurred in complying with obligations and charges imposed by State and Federal telecom regulations; State and Federal Universal Service charges; and surcharges for government assessments on AT&T. These fees are not taxes or government-required charges.

**Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies. Photo and video syncing is currently only available for Windows-based PCs.

Limited-time offer. Other conditions & restrictions apply. See contract & rate plan brochure for details. Subscriber must live & have a mailing addr. within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area.  Up to $36 activ. fee applies.   Equipment price & avail may vary by mrk & may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to equipment returns; thereafter up to $325.   Some agents impose add’l fees.  Unlimited voice services: Unltd voice svcs are provided primarily for live dialog between two individuals.  No additional discounts are available with unlimited plan. Smartphone Data Plan Requirement: Smartphones require a DataPlus (200MB) or DataPro (2GB) plan. If you exceed your initial data allowance, you will automatically be charged an additional $10 for each additional 1GB provided on DataPro or an additional $15 for each additional 200MB provided on DataPlus.  All data allowances, including overages, must be used in the billing period in which the allowance is provided or they will be forfeited. An Enterprise Data Plan is required for corporate email, company intranet sites and business applications. For more details on Data Plans, go to att.com/dataplans. Offnet Usage:  If your mins of use (including unltd svcs) on other carrier’s networks (“offnet usage”) during any two consecutive months or your data use during any month exceeds your offnet usage allowance, AT&T may at its option terminate your svc, deny your contd use of other carriers’ coverage, or change your plan to one imposing usage charges for offnet usage.  Your offnet usage allowance is equal to the lesser of 750 mins or 40% of the Anytime mins incl’d with your plan (data offnet usage allowance is the lesser of 24 MB or 20% of the KB incl’d with your plan). Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment. AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots- Based on non-municipal company owned and operated hotspots. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. Seewww.attwifi.com for additional services, restrictions and locations.  Visual Voicemail -   Data plan required for AT&T Visual Voicemail. Data used in replying to and forwarding voicemail messages via SMS, MMS or email is counted against your data plan. Applicable data charges apply if data plan limits have been exceeded. International data charges apply to receiving, replying to and forwarding voicemail messages while roaming internationally.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 goes live on AT&T’s site a tad early

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Torch

We have all anticipated the official announcement of the 9800, and we were all still unsure of the official name of the device. Rumors had circled around that Torch was the official name, and this morning has alleviated all doubt. It has popped up in Google Ads and now AT&T’s page for the Torch has launched and made it to the party a little early. On the site you can video some videos, an image gallery, and subscribe for email information on the Torch. Who else is as excited as I am? Stay tuned for more coverage of the AT&T/BlackBerry event, and tell us your thoughts on the Torch below. To see AT&T’s page, click here.

via: BGR | AT&T

Friday News Roundup!

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lasso

As many of you have probably noticed, we’ve been pretty inactive for the past two days, and for that I offer our sincerest apologies. I won’t rehash details, but needless to say we experienced something of a “perfect storm” of non-work issues that left several of us indisposed. As a way of apologizing, here is a roundup of all the major news we missed!

- BlackBerry 6 Home Screen Evolution: The official BlackBerry blog, Inside BlackBerry, posted an excellent piece on the evolution of the Home Screen in BlackBerry 6. Our favorite excerpt:

If there was one thing you want our readers to know about the Home Screen redesign, what would it be?

I’d say that the redesign of the Home Screen in BlackBerry 6 is fresh, but familiar. When you look at it, it still looks like a BlackBerry Home Screen (for example, wallpaper selection continues to be a key attribute of the visual design), but it’s been updated – much like a home renovation still ‘feels’ like home, but is actually new.

With BlackBerry 6, we are introducing a host of new features in the design, evolving the look and feel and enabling the user to really customize the Home Screen. Overall, the visuals are cleaner and sleeker, and movement between and within the applications is more fluid, allowing users to navigate their BlackBerry smartphone in a much more intuitive and interactive way.

-Bold 9800 slider and BlackBerry 6 now supported in App World: This one doesn’t come as a huge shock, but this means developers can begin submitting BlackBerry 6 applications to the App World!

-Analyst claims 4G BlackBerry Triton coming to Verizon in December: For the time being, we’re going to be pretty skeptical on this one. Analysts have a tendency to be…inaccurate, and until we see some hard evidence for the devices existence we’re going to file this one away in the “Baseless Rumor” drawer. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see a 4G BlackBerry (Storm 3?) help launch Verizon’s LTE network, and it would certainly go a long way toward helping RIM regain some ground in the Android-dominated Verizon lineup; we just prefer more facts before espousing the epicness of vaporware.

-The Bold 9780, a refresh of a refresh: The most underwhelming device to come out of Waterloo since the Curve 9300…oh wait. Continuing a disturbingly bad habit, the 9780 is a token refresh of the 9700, itself a refinement of the Bold 9000. To say we’re disappointed would be a massive understatement. RIM is competing against the likes of the Droid X, Galaxy S, iPhone 4, Evo 4G, and soon to be Windows Phone 7 running on super-solid hardware. If they want to stay relevant, we need to see some radically different hardware (like the 9800) that makes us say “Wow, I really want that”.

-Photos of  Bold 9650 running BlackBerry 6: Thank goodness! Now we know at least one current BlackBerry device will see an official update to the BlackBerry 6 OS. With the Storm 2 and Bold 9700 all but written off for OS upgrades (at least official ones), we’re glad recent 9650 owners won’t be burned three months after buying their device. Of course this continues to highlight RIM’s need to upgrade the application memory to something in the gigabyte range.

-RIM purchases “BlackPad.com”: This is the best evidence yet for the existence of the fabled BlackBerry tablet. Awful name aside, we’re not very big fans of the tablet idea here at BBerryDog (or at least this editor isn’t). The BlackBerry OS has never exactly been known as a multimedia or creative powerhouse, which happens to be the primary function of most tablets to-date. We’re not entirely opposed to the concept, but we need to see a concept before we’ll think about believing.

-The case of the mysterious AT&T monoliths: There is a lot of speculation about what these mystery monoliths contain within their glowing bowels, and so far nobody has any real idea. Most speculation points to one of three options: the Bold 9800 (which would coincide with the upcoming AT&T and BlackBerry event), an unknown Android device, or a Windows Phone 7 device (if it turns out to be some silly messaging phone, we’re quitting AT&T). We’d love for it to be the Bold 9800, but given the number of leaks, we’re wondering if it might be a Windows Phone 7 propaganda tool.

That’s all we have for now! Again, we offer our sincere apologies for the news gap and we’ll be back in action next week at full strength. For now, let us know what you think of these news developments in the comments!

RIM holding an event on August 3rd, BlackBerry 6 and 9800 to be announced?

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BlackBerryEvent

Oh, how we have all been waiting on this! For RIM to hold an impromptu event on August 3rd tells me that they probably have something big to announce. With all of the leaks, photos, and videos we’ve seen in the previous weeks and the estimated release dates, we can only expect RIM to finally announce BlackBerry 6 and the highly anticipated BlackBerry Torch 9800. One thing that really makes this prediction a little more reliable is the fact that the event is sponsored by AT&T. We all know by now that the 9800 will be arriving on AT&T in the near future, hopefully on the 3rd they will give us an actual date! The invitation has little to no details about the event and was sent out on very short notice. What say you guys? Do you think they’ll drop an actual date?

Bold 9800 housing components in AT&T branding, multiple colors

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You shouldn’t have any remaining doubts over the Bold 9800′s AT&T-branded future, but if you were getting nauseous with nervousness,  you can breath a sigh of relief. TrueSupplier, a Chinese-based OEM parts manufacturer, is selling black 9800 housings with AT&T branding, along with silver and red non-branded housings. With the flow of 9800 leaks and news starting to make Niagara Falls look like a garden hose, we feel pretty confident in saying the Slider’s release date is trending toward sooner, rather than later. Additional shot of the colored housings below:

9800red_thumb9800white

via BerryReview

Is the BlackBerry 9800 headed towards Vodafone UK as well?

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When I first skimmed over this, I brushed it off as just another rumor, no big deal. But as I came back to it and fully read through it, LouiV has some really good points. This rumor is bigger than I originally thought. Everyone knows the 9800 is slated for AT&T in the coming months. That’s no surprise. It’s been rumored that T-Mobile, Sprint, and Rogers of Canada were all getting it as well. But the big player here is Vodafone. If Vodafone gets it, the Verizon could possibly get it. I know CDMA isn’t the most popular thing, but in my neck of the woods, GSM just doesn’t cut it. (Ask Aaron the same, and you’ll get the opposite answer, we’ve agreed to disagree.)

Remember, these are all rumors and you should take them with a grain of salt, but just the thought! I love what Samsung is doing with their Galaxy S series, and it would be perfect if RIM did that with their “Torch.” That’s my take, what say you guys and gals?

via: BBLeaks

Rumor: BlackBerry Torch 9800 coming to AT&T August 15th?

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Now, I will start this off by saying that these people who leak rumors need to quit playing with my emotions. They’re delicate, and they get my hopes up mainly to watch them crash and burn when they push back release dates by two, three, and four months. With that being said, I’m definitely taking this rumor with a grain of salt, as you should too.

According to John Albright of BlackBerry Partners Funds, AT&T will be releasing a new touchscreen BlackBerry device on August 15th. If that’s the case, it is a very good chance that the 9800 is that very device. I know originally when RIM started talking about BlackBerry 6, they had mentioned a late summer release, and this would be right on que. The problem I see is that Salomondrin, a man known for getting devices early, and fairly reputable for his release date claims, says we probably wouldn’t see BlackBerry 6 of the 9800 before October or November, mainly due to the product not being ready for the public just yet. There was also a RIM employee was spotted in the wild last week claiming that release wouldn’t be until November. None of this adds up.

If we know anything at all, RIM really needs to make the initial release of BlackBerry 6 absolutely perfect. If they botch this, it could spell the end of an era, the era of the BlackBerry, and RIM could begin to walk down the same path Palm did. No fear, though, I have complete and total faith in RIM. Release dates for devices have always been hard to judge, especially coming from companies like Apple or RIM. AT&T typically doesn’t make it any easier on us either. Verizon tends to build hype before the release of a device. This time around, RIM has been giving us tidbits of information the entire time, with nothing to go on. August 15th would be a great release date for this device. I’ve been dying to get my hands on BlackBerry 6 since the very first peep of it. Come on RIM, don’t let us down.

What do you guys think? Is this date legit? It’s coming from a fairly reliable source and the piece fits the puzzle. I’m just not sure whether I believe it or not (mainly because I don’t want to get my hopes up). Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. Also, if you haven’t done so yet, you should participate in our poll from yesterday and tell us how you feel about BlackBerry 6.

via: VentureBeat