Archive for the ‘research in motion’ Category

Research In Motion Is Testing a Tablet

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is testing a tablet that could act as a “companion” to its BlackBerry phone, says the Wall Street Journal.

The BlackBerry tablet is reportedly in the early stage of development and will tether to the the phone. Last month, the Boy Genius Report web site said the BlackBerry tablet is likely to have an 8.9-inch screen and include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Since Apple introduced the iPad in April, other PC and smartphone makers have announced that they are working on tablets of their own. In less than 60 days since the iPad was launched, Apple said it sold more than 2 million of them.

Earlier this month, Dell announced it will introduce a tablet called ‘Streak’ that will have a 5-inch display and run Google’s Android operating system. The Streak also has a SIM card so users can make calls with it. The device is currently available in the U.K. now and is expected to launch in the U.S. next month for $500.  HP is also working on a tablet computer called the HP Slate.

RIM hopes to introduce its tablet to complement its BlackBerry phones. The move evokes Palm’s failed experiment with the Foleo. In 2007, Palm announced the Foleo as a companion device to its Treo phone. The Foleo priced at $500 would sync wirelessly to Treo phones. But, after much criticism, Palm cancelled the device even before it could make it to retail shelves.

RIM’s tablet might be better received. A tablet could help RIM compete better with the latest generation of smartphones. Except for the BlackBerry Storm, RIM hasn’t released any smartphones with touchscreens. A tablet could help bridge the gap between its keyboard-focused phones and the fast growing market for touchscreen devices.

See Also:

• BlackBerry Maker Overhauls Phone Operating System
• 5 Things RIM Needs to Fix in its BlackBerries
• Gallery: 8 Tablets That Aren’t Made by Apple
• Hands-On With the Apple iPad

Photo: (ichibod/Flickr)

Storm 2 hitting Verizon with ‘MiFi capability?’

We can’t confirm this Verizon Infomanager screen at this point, but if true, when the BlackBerry Storm 2 launches on the network, one of the big touted features will be its MiFi capabilities for sharing 3G internet over WiFi. It’d be smart branding move, sure, but MiFi is also the name Novatel uses for its hardware, so either we’re talking here about an application of some sort or it’s just internal communications short-hand. Also mentioned here is an October 21st launch, although it’s been noted by Crackberry that the date’s apparently been replaced with TBA. Without a doubt, we can confidently say we’ll know for sure in the next, oh, 52 hours or so.

[Thanks, Marc-Anthony S.]

Read – Intranet snapshot
Read – Launch date pulled

Filed under: Cellphones

Storm 2 hitting Verizon with ‘MiFi capability?’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Research In Motion Announces BlackBerry Storm 2

Research In Motion has announced an updated version of its touchscreen phone, the Storm 2. The latest BlackBerry handset promises a better display and wireless connectivity. And like its predecessor, the Storm 2 will be available on the Verizon network.

RIM launched the first Storm phone in November last year. The device met with some very harsh reviews from critics who derided the phone’s poor touchscreen, glitchy software and lack of Wi-Fi connectivity. Yet the Storm sold more than one million devices in just about two months after the launch.

With Storm 2, RIM seems to have taken note some of the criticism. Here are two things that it has improved on in the device.

• Touchscreen: The biggest criticism against the first generation Storm phone was its touchscreen. RIM claimed that the screen would offer the ‘click’  feedback of a physical keyboard but most users found the touchscreen difficult to use.  A Wall Street Journal review of the Storm 2 says the new touchscreens are better. The device now “allows for faster, smoother typing,” says the review.
• Wireless connectivity:  In a rather puzzling move, the original Storm phone didn’t support Wi-Fi. And since the Storm was billed as a smartphone, it seriously crippled the device. RIM seems to have fixed that with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity in the Storm 2.

RIM hasn’t disclosed pricing or availability for the phone. But it is likely to launch it in the U.S. next month for under $200 with a two-year contract. The Storm 2 will be available on the Vodafone network in Europe.

See Also:

• BlackBerry Storm Gets a Price Cut
• Reviled by Reviewers, BlackBerry’s Storm Rages On
• Teardown of BlackBerry Storm Reveals Device Cost
• BlackBerry Ready With a Sequel to Storm?
• RIM BlackBerry Storm

BlackBerry Storm 2 double feature: Vodafone display and Verizon training video sighted

We’re not saying BlackBerry’s Storm successor is due for release just around the corner. We’re not saying that, but we have been seeing a number of telltale signs that piezoelectrified touchscreen device is soon for this world. Herein we present the two latest pieces of evidence, a Vodafone display found at Carphone Warehouse and a leaked, very blurry Verizon Wireless training video that contains a scraps of details. It’ll launch with BBOS 5.0, unsurprisingly, and come packaged with a 16GB microSD card and 2GB internal storage, a Bing search app, and City ID app. See it for yourself after the break — excited yet?

[Via Berryscoop]

Continue reading BlackBerry Storm 2 double feature: Vodafone display and Verizon training video sighted

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Storm 2 double feature: Vodafone display and Verizon training video sighted originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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