Hasta La Gadget!

We knew it was coming, and just like its relatives the Onyx and the Gemini, yet another unreleased model has managed to escape the confines of RIM’s Waterloo headquarters. This time, however, it’s the Storm 2, which we’ve heard has been internally codenamed “Oden.” We’ve also caught wind that this model pictured is of the GSM flavor, and yes, it’s indeed packing WiFi in addition to GPS according to one of our sources. As far as that rumored “new approach to text entry,” it sounds like the keyboard has been tweaked but isn’t a radical departure from the first generation. From the photos, it seems that RIM has advanced in the war on buttons and axed the bottom four in favor of some touch-sensitive controls. The real improvements, however, appear to be under the hood, as the whole device reportedly runs much faster and smoother than the current model. We can’t confirm these specs, but with the Tour coming this summer, and the Storm 2 hopefully making an appearance before the holiday shopping season, looks like you Verizon BlackBerry fans might not have to be that jealous of your GSM brethren after all. One more pic after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry Storm 2 gets pictured early

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Storm 2 gets pictured early originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve obtained pictures of a device that we’re told is the “Onyx,” a 3G-enabled GSM BlackBerry that looks like a slightly sexier, smaller version of the Bold with some Niagara / Tour genes thrown in for good measure. We’d previously heard that this phone is ultimately destined for AT&T (while a UMA-enabled version might come to T-Mobile as the Driftwood), which definitely takes the edge off of the impending 8900 launch over there — but then again, this is a prototype, and it’ll be many moons (at best) before this thing gets launched. Every time we look at the Bold, it looks more out of proportion — and sexy beasts like this one certainly aren’t helping matters. Keep on keepin’ on, RIM.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

BlackBerry “Onyx” in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 May 2009 23:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is my $200 BlackBerry Curve (and its $80 data plan) worth another 25 bucks to me? If that extra cash means I can avoid (more) scuffing to its plastic casing, then sure, I’d happily oblige. It’d also be nice if RIM wasn’t quite so fond of glossy finishes that get so easily mucked up, but that’s another story.

Speck’s $25 SeeThru Hard Shell Case is a god-send for a single reason–It protects your LCD screen–and not-such-a-good-idea for a few others, not least of which it thickens the phone by about half. Still, though, if you’re mean to your phone (as so many of us are), it’s a sound investment.

My problems with the Hard Shell are 100 percent shallow, this I can admit. The glossy, clear plastic scratches easily, but better the case than your phone. It also comes with a detachable holster clip, which was handy for securing the ‘Berry to the inside of my bag; if you’re one of those who confuses phones with fashion accessories, then you can, naturally, secure it to your belt or pants’ pocket.

Speck’s SeeThru lineup includes cases for a variety of phones, portable devices, and laptops. Check out SpeckProducts.com to browse them all.

We’ve been dying to know more about that crazy BlackBerry Curve 8520 with the optical trackball in place of the usual spinner, and the crew over at CrackBerry’s finally posted their pre-release review. Overall, it seems like a nice enough phone, and the optical trackball apparently works well, which is a nice surprise given our experience with them. On the downside, it’s not nearly as nice as the Curve 8900, and while the overall design has been updated, components like the screen, battery, and camera are carryovers from the Curve 8300 — a particular shame considering the raves RIM’s been getting for its amazing screens lately. Of course, we can’t complain too much considering this thing is EDGE-only and potentially destined to be a pay-as-you-go phone, but it sure does look nice, and we’re interested in seeing how this design philosophy translates into higher-end sets… like, say, the Storm 2. Check the full review at the read link.

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Curve 8520 gets pre-reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 17:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T has announced that the next-generation BlackBerry Curve 8900 will be available to subscribers and new customers sometime this “early summer.”

Like the first version that T-Mobile released several months ago, AT&T’s Curve 8900 will include Wi-Fi, GPS, a high-resolution 480-by-360-pixel LCD screen, and a 3.2 megapixel camera. In addition, the AT&T model will work in almost 20,000 company hotspots across the country, although it will most likely lack the ability to make free Wi-Fi calls.

Unfortunately, it also looks as if the Curve 8900 will still be a 2G phone even on AT&T. The carrier said in a statement that the handset will be a quad-band EDGE (850/1900/1700/1800 MHz) world phone, but made no mention of 3G HSDPA data access. That made some sense for T-Mobile, which is still working to get its 3G data network up and running even in major cities. But on AT&T it’s a big disappointment.

On the plus side, the GPS chipset will work with the optional AT&T Navigator service. No word yet on pricing.