Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been bumping into the new BlackBerry Storm 2 for quite a while now on the so-called “information superhighway,” but we’ve finally had a chance to escalate those encounters and spend a few sweet moments with a live unit in the flesh. First off, let’s confirm the huge news: RIM’s abandoned the original Storm’s SurePress click-screen and gone with a traditional fixed capacitive display for the sequel. It’s over, guys. Unfortunately, the Verizon-branded dual-mode GSM / CDMA unit that we played with has a bug preventing us from getting past the license screen so we couldn’t dive deep into the OS (and yeah, we tried scrolling to the bottom of the agreement — no dice), but we can tell you what we do know: the Storm 2’s sleeker style and more heft combined with the newly-stable screen collaborate to make everything feel a wee bit higher end than the original. Follow the break for more impressions!

Gallery: BlackBerry Storm 2: the official unofficial hands-on

Continue reading BlackBerry Storm 2: the official unofficial hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

BlackBerry Storm 2: the official unofficial hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we brought you those exclusive Storm 2 pics and details just a short while ago, we touched upon the “new approach to text entry,” but unfortunately didn’t have any details. However, lightning has struck again, and our source has gotten back to let us know that the Storm 2 does indeed have a stationary screen “just like the iPhone’s,” which lines up with what Boy Genius Report is hearing. That’s right, it looks like RIM is axing its SurePress technology in favor of a more conventional touchscreen, though our tipster says the model he has may allow for some type of haptic feedback to be enabled. This should be great news for all you folks having dust-under-screen issues on your first-gen Storms, but obviously, we’ll have to wait and see until this thing gets, you know, legit.

[Thanks, BBninja1389]

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Storm 2 dropping SurePress screen? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 May 2009 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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 been following Novatel’s MiFi with bated breath since its December announcement, and the totally pocketable 3G / WiFi router has finally graced a US carrier. Though it’ll ultimately come in a variety of physical designs, bands, and radio technologies for different carriers and parts of the world, the MiFi 2200 for Verizon naturally packs CDMA with EV-DO Rev. A, which means uplink speeds should be reasonably speedy to go along with your 1Mbps-plus downloads. Obviously, the concept of a credit card-shaped object connecting up to five WiFi-enabled devices to high-speed internet from wherever the road takes you is an incredibly intoxicating one — but does the MiFi 2200 deliver? Get the whole story over on Engadget Mobile!

Filed under: Wireless

Verizon MiFi 2200 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Electronic ink ain’t just for readers. Samsung’s Alias 2 is here, making use of a cleverly segmented display to make a mighty-morphing, e-ink keypad, which you can now get thumbing at Verizon Wireless — right on time, no less. The price with a two-year contract is $129.99, but another $50 instant discount brings it down to a tick under $80. Go get your text on.

[Via PhoneArena]

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung’s e-ink texting Alias 2 now on sale at Verizon Wireless originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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