| INTRODUCTION → 1. The Planet Goes BlackBerry → 2. The Birth of the BlackBerry → 3. Lawsuits in Motion → → 4. From Brand to Icon → 5. BlackBerry Jam → 6. The Rise of the TeleBrain → |
| WELCOME / INDEX - SAMPLE CHAPTER → DEVICES → Image Gallery → Audio/Video → Texts & Docs → Web Links → Appendix → |
BlackBerry Planet - Device History
From BlackBerry Planet Web Support
*For definitions, please consult the BlackBerry Planet Glossary.
Pre 2001 - Inter@ctive Pagers and First BlackBerrys
Research in Motion's first devices that were designed as 2-way pagers with a built-in thumb keyboard. These models did not support Java without the use of a JVM add-on. All of these models used early data-only packet switching networks, including Mobitex and DataTAC, and came out prior to 2001. The earliest models of these were called Inter@ctive Pager before the brand changed to BlackBerry. Users could get limited HTML access using third party software such as WolfeTech's PocketGenie or the GoAmerica browser.
| Generation | Model | Screen | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early models | 850 | small monochrome | DataTAC | e-mail, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) services, limited HTML access. |
| 850 | small monochrome | DataTAC | e-mail, AOL instant messaging, limited HTML access. | |
| 857 | large monochrome | DataTAC | e-mail and WAP services, limited HTML access. | |
| 950 | small monochrome | Mobitex | e-mail and WAP services, limited HTML access. | |
| 957 "Proton" | large monochrome | Mobitex | e-mail and WAP services, limited HTML access. |
It took Mike Lazaridis and his team four years to integrate voice with what was essentially an email device. Early BlackBerrys included the usual PDA applications (address book, calendar, to-do lists, and so on. With its built-in keyboard, now patented and optimized for "thumbing" - the use of only the thumbs to type - and its clickable thumbwheel, the easy to use devices soon became popular with businesses and professionals, primarily for e-mail access to roaming employees.
2001-2003 - Java Models (5000 and 6000 series)
But demand was strong, and most of the new twenty-first century BlackBerry models came with a built-in mobile phone. They were the first models that natively ran Java, and transmitted data over the normal 2G cellular network. RIM began to advertise these devices as email-capable mobile phones rather than as 2-way pagers. At this time, the primary market was still corporate rather than consumer.
The BlackBerry JavaPhone
In 2002, RIM's software team finished rewriting all of their proprietary applications for Sun's Java 2 micro edition platform. The first Java based BlackBerry was the 5810, which came out two years later. It had a 160x160 pixel monochrome screen, and provided the usual email service on the Mobitex network. "The wireless community adopted J2ME as a standard," said Lazaridis, "and we decided to implement it to expand the number of developers who could port apps to our device. Our customers told us they wanted voice in the BlackBerry when they need it, and that is what we did."
On March 4, 2002, RIM released the GSM/GPRS BlackBerry 5810, the first BlackBerry with a cell phone as a standard feature. It was a welcome addition for diehard BlackBerry fans, even though you needed a headset to send and receive calls.
With this device, RIM began to use a simple naming pattern where the last two digits tell you which model of the device it is, such as xx10 for GPS GSM, xx20 for WiFi GSM, and xx30 for CDMA. The first two digits indicate the model family.
The BlackBerry 5810 featured voice, wireless email, SMS text messaging, a primitive Web browser, an organizer, the J2ME operating system and the BlackBerry Web Client. Third-party applications were available to let users view, print and fax email attachments using the handheld.
The 5810 used BlackBerry's "push architecture" to deliver emails automatically, letting users read, compose, forward, reply, file or delete messages while synchronizing their inbox and folders between the device and their PC. It integrated with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), which supported access to Microsoft Exchange and later Lotus Domino email behind the firewall, offering end-to-end encryption, performance monitoring, security and asset tracking tools.
The 5810 weighed in at 4.7 ounces and carried a lofty price tag of $749. It was the first BlackBerry sold outside of North America, using the GSM/GPRS standard.
- (An aberration in this list, the 5790, was released at a much later date as a niche model in 2004 after many color BlackBerry models were out. This non-phone BlackBerry was made available due to the demand for a Java-based model that could run on the Mobitex data-only network.)
Move to the 6710
Not everyone was happy with the BlackBerry 5810. As one RIM veteran told me, "Each successive device I've had was better than the previous one. With the 5810, battery life was terrible, the software was unreliable, and it was horribly slow and really low on memory. It was a decent first effort, though. I hated using my 5810, and enjoyed stepping up to a 6710."
"Unlike the 5810, the 6710 had a cell phone that could be used by holding the device up to the head rather than used through ear buds. It was also faster, more stable, and had far better battery life."
So after an initial stumble, RIM recovered nicely with the BlackBerry 6710, which made its debut on Oct. 17, 2002.
The 6710 was a world band handheld operating on 900/1900 MHz networks in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. It featured a removable and rechargeable Lithium battery with about four hours of talk time, 10 days of standby time and three to four days of voice/data usage time. It offered 1 MB SRAM and 8 MB of flash, a plug-in SIM card, a backlit keyboard and screen and a headset with an answer/hang-up button. The 6710 also came with a cradle and travel charger for synchronization and recharging.
Technology writer George Emerson called the 6710 "without a doubt, the best in its class," and raved about RIM's ability to keep things simple at the same time as it made the technology's tasking capacity more complex. "Functions that are complicated on other phones, like call-forwarding, three-way calling or jumping back and forth between held calls, are intuitive on the BlackBerry."[1]
Old Blue, and the Move to Color
The $299 BlackBerry 6210, launched on March 17, 2003, stood out from the crowd with its cool blue exterior, The colour was actually car enamel, applied by spray painting the cases in a local factory.
RIM's designers shrunk the older pancake form factor into a sleeker 4.45" x 2.91" x 0.83" case weighing 4.8 ounces. RIM marketing noted the device had "a light and comfortable feel, increased memory for greater application and data storage, as well as new support for wireless email synchronization and integrated attachment viewing."
The Java-based 6210 provided the usual push email, phone, SMS, browser and organizer applications, and gave users international roaming with World band 900/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS. It had 16 MB flash memory plus 2 MB SRAM, a rechargeable/removable lithium battery, USB connectivity, a large a backlit screen and keyboard, integrated speaker and microphone and an intuitive interface.
Best of all, users got cradle-free, two-way wireless synchronization of email messages, with support for read/unread status, deletions and filing. They could view attached files in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, Adobe PDF and ASCII text. If they needed an important address from the office, they could wirelessly search their company address lists.
A later version of the "BlueBerry", the RIM 7230, sported one of RIM's first color screens. Early color BlackBerrys, such as the 7230, used a dim electroluminescent backlight, leading to poor image quality. Later color models, such as the 7290, used a LED backlight, which gave better image quality in direct sunlight even with the backlight turned off.
| Generation | Model | Screen | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Java-based | 5790 | large 160x160 pixel monochrome | 900 MHz Mobitex | e-mail services only |
| 5810 | large monochrome screen | 1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | phone but headset required | |
| "Quark" | 6210 | medium 160x100 pixel monochrome | 900/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone |
6230 | medium 160x100 pixel monochrome | 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone (blue case) | |
| 6280 | medium 160x100 pixel monochrome | 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone | |
| 6500 | 6510 | medium monochrome | iDEN | integrated phone, integrated two-way radio |
| 6700 | 6710 | large monochrome | 900/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone |
| 6750 | large monochrome | 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1xRTT | integrated phone |
2003-2004 Adding Color and Bluetooth (7000 series)
In these years, RIM started including a color screen, while retaining the same form factor and casing. Early color models, such as the 7230, typically used a dim electroluminescent backlight, leading to an initial reputation of poor image quality. Later color models, such as the 7290, typically used a LED backlight, yielding much better screen quality. The color LCD screens used in these series were either reflective or transflective, so these screens yielded better image quality in direct sunlight even with the backlight turned off.
Nearly all models in the list below were 16 MB models with no Bluetooth. The first BlackBerry with Bluetooth short-range wireless was the 7250. The 7290 was the last model released in the early BlackBerry form factor. It was also the first quad-band BlackBerry, with 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS.
An aberration in this list is the 7270, the first WiFi BlackBerry, released later. It is built into the old form factor in the same vein as the 7200 series.
A Global Consumer Device
The BlackBerry 7320, launched on Aug. 11, 2003, was RIM's first color display device for the home office and personal market.
With the $399.99 7320, RIM responded to popular demand from people who wanted a home BlackBerry handheld. BlackBerry "prosumers" were those who happily used their 'Berry for work and play, sometimes both at the same time.
At the same time RIM delivered a true world phone to market, one that was capable of sending and receiving calls in more than 100 countries. For the price, users got tri-band functionality on the 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS networks. The 7320, said RIM, was "the perfect solution for simple one number, one email communication for global business travelers."
Armed with the usual suite of organizer applications, and a full QWERTY keyboard, the 7320 supported corporate email and ISP emails, and came with the BlackBerry Web Client.
| Generation | Model | Screen | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7200 | 7210 | medium 240x160 pixel color | 900/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone |
7230 | medium 240x160 pixel color | 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone | |
7250 | medium 240x160 pixel color | 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1x (EVDO-capable w/firmware update) | integrated phone, Bluetooth | |
| 7270 | medium 240x160 pixel color | corporate WLAN 802.11b networks for data and VOIP | ||
| 7280 | medium 240x160 pixel color | 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone | |
| 7290 | medium 240x160 pixel color | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone with Bluetooth | |
| 7500 | 7510 | medium 240x160 pixel color | iDEN | speakerphone, two-way radio |
| 7520 | speakerphone, two-way radio, GPS, Bluetooth | |||
| 7700 | 7730 | large 240x240 pixel color | 900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | integrated phone |
| 7750 | 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1x | |||
| 7780 | 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS |
2004-2006 First SureType models (7100 series)
In 2004, RIM expanded its market by launching the BlackBerry 7100, with a new compacted keyboard featuring its SureType predictive text technology. SureType was an input algorithm that helped devices chose or predict words to be typed based both on the context of the word. Users could press a single key and have the device work out whether they wanted, say, a Q or a W, to appear on the screen.
SureType let RIM squeeze a QWERTY-like layout onto the typical candybar form factor of a cell phone, using two keys per button. With SureType, keyboards only needed to be 5-buttons wide rather than 10-buttons wide, so RIM could dramatically reduce the size of the BlackBerry. The slender 4.7" x 2.3" 7100 easily passed the shirt pocket test. It was also the cheapest BlackBerry to date, selling at a consumer friendly $199.
The 7100's compact form factor did not sacrifice any RIM goodness, with the usual full-featured BlackBerry phone, instant messaging, Web browsing and organizers. Along with RIM's high-res color screen, the device featured talk time of over four hours, a speakerphone, Bluetooth, ring tones and quad-band world phone functionality, usable in 135 countries.
These SureType BlackBerrys were the same size as consumer-market cellphones, and let RIM aggressively compete in the mass market for the first time. RIM continued to manufacture QWERTY models, to give the market a choice between the traditional QWERTY thumb keyboard, and the compressed SureType keyboard.
RESOURCE: In 2005, a New York company called Eatoni Ergonomics took RIM to court over SureType. The two sides settled the case amicably, and RIM made an unspecified equity investment in Eatoni. Details HERE.
| Generation | Model | Screen | Network | Notes | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Charm" | 7100t | large 240x260 color | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS | with integrated phone with speakerphone, Bluetooth | |
| 7105t | |||||
| 7100r | |||||
| 7100v | |||||
| 7100g | |||||
| 7100x | |||||
| 7100i | iDEN | with integrated phone with speakerphone, Bluetooth, Push-to-talk, GPS, 64MB | Nextel and Telus and SouthernLINC | ||
| 7130 | 7130e | large 240x260 color | 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1x and EV-DO | with integrated phone with speakerphone, Bluetooth | Verizon, Sprint, Telus, Alltel, and Bell Mobility |
| 7130c | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE | ||||
| 7130g | |||||
| 7130v | Vodafone |
2005- Present EDGE BlackBerrys (8000 Series)
With the 8000-series BlackBerrys, RIM started to aggressively add consumer features to entice Treo PDA and Motorola Q users to switch. Additions included higher quality screens, more memory, chat software, a RIM camera, a microSD memory card slot and built-in mapping software.
The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 was a much smaller phone than most conventional RIM devices, because of a SureType keyboard that replaced the full QWERTY keyboard, and because of a miniature trackball that replaced the older trackwheel and enabled full 4-way and mouse-style navigation on a BlackBerry.
The 8000 series also marked the arrival of EDGE (2.5G) wireless technology. AT&T serves GSM and EDGE primarily on the 850MHz band. Today's 3G is currently mostly on the 1900MHz band, which requires a different radio in your BlackBerry. AT&T will slowly migrate 3G to their 850MHz band, as there are still plenty of EDGE phones in customers' hands.
The addition of a camera and MP3 player into the pocket friendly Pearl also marked RIM's movement into the consumer space. Neither feature catered to the corporate market. In fact, certain security conscious companies prohibited the use of camera phones.
RIM's First EDGE Phone
"With the dramatically enhanced device platform and integrated EDGE capabilities, [BlackBerry] users will experience noticeably faster Web browsing, application performance and attachment viewing, the ability to store and run more powerful enterprise, and personal productivity applications; as well as comprehensive, smoothly integrated phone features in a light and compact design," RIM said in a release announcing the 8700.
The 8700 offered 64 MB of flash memory and 16 MB SDRAM. It offered a full QWERTY keyboard and a bright, high-resolution, landscape QVGA (320 by 240) LCD screen with support for more than 65,000 colors and intelligent technology that adjusted the LCD and keyboard lighting to optimize the view inside, outside and in dark environments. The 8700 also blended high-end phone features like quad-band GPRS/GSM and EDGE network support along with call management features like smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing and call forwarding.
For corporate users, the 8700 integrated with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for mobile email and other applications. On the SMB (small and medium business) side, it supported BlackBerry Internet Service.
The BlackBerry 8700, which carried a price tag of $299 with a two-year contract, measured 4.3 inches by 2.7 inches by 0.77 inches and weighed 4.7 ounces.
| Generation | Model | Screen | Network | Notes | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Electron" | 8700c | large 320x240 pixels and 65K color depth | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE | integrated phone with speakerphone, Bluetooth | AT&T |
| 8700r | Rogers Wireless | ||||
| 8700f | Orange | ||||
| 8700g | Many GSM providers including T-Mobile and Telefonica Moviles | ||||
8703e | 800/1900 MHz CDMA, CDMA2000 1X and EVDO | Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, Bell Mobility, Telus | |||
| 8707g | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS 2100 MHz UMTS | O2 (UK) | |||
| 8707h | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS 2100 MHz W-CDMA | NTT Docomo (Japan) | |||
| 8707v | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS 2100 MHz UMTS | Vodafone (UK), Vodafone Smartone (Hong Kong), Vodafone (Italy) |
The Pearl in the Oyster
According to RIM VP of Corporate Marketing Mark Guibert, "The BlackBerry Pearl was designed to attract new customers that hadn't considered BlackBerry previously." It was also designed to compete specifically with the Palm Treo.
The introduction of the Suretype Pearl (right) also marked BlackBerry's jump into the world of true multimedia functionality in a handheld device while targeting users looking for a small, smart and stylish handset. The Pearl was the first BlackBerry to include a digital camera, multimedia capabilities and an expandable memory slot. It was also a video game machine - RIM partnered with Gameloft in early 2007 to create a series of games for the Pearl.[3]
The quad-band Pearl operated on GSM/GPRS and EDGE networks to offer fast performance. It had 64 MB of flash memory built in, which could be expanded with a microSD card for more storage for music, pictures, video and data files.
The Pearl also added speaker-independent voice recognition for voice activated dialing and had support for polyphonic, MP3 and MIDI ring tones. Call management features like smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing and call forwarding were also integrated, along with features like a speakerphone and Bluetooth 2.0.
Using a setup wizard, the push-based BlackBerry let users synchronize access to personal and corporate email accounts with attachment viewing. The Pearl was supported by both BlackBerry Internet Service and BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which also included new IT policy controls that let IT departments administer camera and expansion memory settings on corporate devices.
One key feature of the Pearl 8100 was the 1.3 megapixel camera with built-in flash and 5 times zoom, which let users snap photos and share them through email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, while also offering the ability to set photos as caller ID images to be transferred between the device and a PC with a USB cable. The inclusion of BlackBerry Maps was another new capability. Maps delivered step-by-step driving directions.
The BlackBerry Pearl 8100, which sold for $199 on a two-year contract, also integrated a media player with a stereo headset jack that let users listen to music and watch video in various file formats like MP3, ACC, MPEG4 and H.263.
Finally, the Pearl introduced BlackBerry's navigation trackball, which eased vertical and lateral scrolling, with dedicated "menu" and "escape" keys on either side of the track ball for easy navigation on the high-resolution 240 by 260 color display with light-sensing technology.
Later Pearl devices - the 8130 Pearl for CDMA/EVDO networks and the 8120 Pearl for Edge and WiFi networks - boasted new 2-megapixel cameras with a 5X digital zoom and enhanced flash video capture, and an enhanced BlackBerry browser. A new page view option displayed a full webpage on the screen, along with a magnifying glass that let you quickly and accurately point and zoom into a specific area of a webpage.
With 3G RTSP streaming protocol, users could also view video from sites such as YouTube. The Pearl's built-in GPS was developed with the support of Google. Users got out-of-the-box support for location-based applications and services, including BlackBerry Maps. This feature let you find local businesses, such as banks, hotels, and restaurants, within a short driving distance.
The BlackBerry Curve
RIM's lackBerry Curve 8300 took a more grown up approach to the Pearl 8100, which was released a few months prior. The Curve took some of the Pearl's same functionality, but tied in a full QWERTY keyboard; making it the smallest and lightest full QWERTY handset in the history of the BlackBerry, weighing 3.9 ounces and measuring 4.2 inches by 2.4 inches by 0.6 inches.
The Curve was also the first to integrate a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack. Like the Pearl before it, the Curve also included a camera with zoom, bumping it from the Pearl's 1.3 megapixel to 2.0 megapixel with five times zoom.
Introduced May 30, 2007, the Curve also boasted a spell checker for email, an enhanced media player and a new desktop manager. It also offered microSD expandable memory and, like the Pearl, used RIM's trackball navigation system.
The Curve offers an ultrabright 320 by 240 display that supports more than 65,000 colors and light-sensing technology to adjust backlighting. The premium phone features include noise-cancellation technology, speaker independent voice recognition for voice activated dialing, low-distortion speaker phone and dedicated send, end and mute keys. A media manager application included as part of the Curve's BlackBerry Desktop software, the Roxio Media Manager for BlackBerry, lets users search for media files on their computer, view and organize them; create MP3 files from CDs; add audio tags; create playlists; and copy or convert pictures, music and videos for playback on the handset.
And, as with most models, the BlackBerry Curve 8300 is supported by BlackBerry Internet Service support for personal and corporate email accounts, and BlackBerry Enterprise Server for enterprise deployments with IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Windows Exchange and Novell GroupWise.
The Curve was released at a price point of $199 with a two-year contract.
BlackBerry WiFi and Pearl Flip
The first 'Berrys with WiFi 802.11 a/b/g plus GPS were the BlackBerry 8820 from AT&T and a WiFi enabled Pearl from Spanish provider Telefonica. Both devices featured seamless roaming between wide area and WiFi networks, as well as seamless voice handoffs using UMA. UMA (Universal Mobile Access) glued together an Internet-based voice-over-IP system with the more traditional cellular system.
In 2008, RIM released a new BlackBerry form factor, its first consumer clamshell, the Pearl Flip 8220 (code named "Kickstart"), an EDGE phone with WiFI. The success of the Motorola RAZR clearly showed that North Americans had a preference for flip phones, so RIM finally recognized that it needed to compete in that market. T-Mobile, the first carrier, also wanted to go after users switching from a traditional handset to a smartphone.
The handsome Flip featured a narrow 240 x 320 pixel screen with trackball, and a 1.75-inch outer screen that you could customize with items like a clock and message previews. It had a 3.2 MP camera + flash, a speakerphone and Bluetooth 2.0, and sported a SureType QWERTY keyboard that was much larger than the Pearl 8100 series. The Flip was limited to 128MB flash memory, so you had to shell out for a microSD card (to 16GB) if you wanted to store music and videos. BlackBerry Messenger service was standard, but the Flip also came pre-loaded with AOL Instant Messenger and Google Talk.
The Flip lacked true GPS, but you could enter your location in BlackBerry Maps to find local businesses or get driving directions. It also had UMA like the 8820, but with a difference. The Flip, as distributed by T-Mobile, signals the carrier when you move from VoIP to cellular, allowing calls to be traded between them. Your home wireless router, meanwhile, looks like a cell site to T-Mobile's internal systems.[4]
The Flip will help RIM gobble up more of the low end mobile market. RBC analyst Mike Abramsky says 50% of phones sold in the U.S. are still flip-style phones, like the Motorola RAZR. So the Flip is well positioned. Some 13% of participants in RBC's 2008 tech survey said they would buy a BlackBerry flip phone, and over 85% of those were new to RIM. Abramsky estimates RIM could ship 5 million to 7 million Flips the first year, assuming a low subscription price.
| Generation | Model | Screen | Network | Notes | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Pearl" | 8100 | 240x260 @ 65K | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE | new trackball interface, 1.3 MP camera, speakerphone, Bluetooth, MicroSD, polyphonic ringtones, media player | Rogers Wireless, Cincinnati Bell, AT&T, Vodafone, Orange (UK), T-Mobile (UK/US), O2 and Vodafone (Ireland),Telcel (Mexico), Vodafone and TIM (Italy),Vodafone and Essar (India), Airtel (India), Mobily (Saudi Arabia)and MTN (Nigeria). |
| "Gamma Ray" | 8800 | 320x240 pixels @ 65K | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE | trackball interface, GPS receiver, speakerphone, Bluetooth, MicroSD, polyphonic ringtones, media player | AT&T, T-Mobile, Rogers Wireless, T-Mobile (EU), Vodafone (EU), TIM (Italy), O2 |
| 8820 | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WiFi a+b/g +WMM Multiple IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard support (a+b/g, e, h, i) | Orange (EU), AT&T, T-Mobile (USA), Mobistar (Belgium), SFR (France), British Telecom (UK), M1/Vodafone (Singapore), Telcel (Mexico), Vodafone (Netherlands) | |||
| 8830 | 800/1900 MHz CDMA, CDMA2000 1X and EVDO, 900/1800 MHz GSM/GPRS | Bell Mobility, Telus, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Alltel, US Cellular, Iusacell (Mexico) | |||
| "Curve" | 8300 | 320x240 pixels @ 65K | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE | trackball interface, 2.0 MP camera, speakerphone, Bluetooth, internal microSD, polyphonic ringtones, media player | Airtel (India), Vodafone (India), Etisalat (UAE), AT&T, Rogers Wireless, O2 (UK), O2 (Ireland). |
| 8310 | trackball interface, 2.0 MP camera, GPS receiver, speakerphone, Bluetooth, internal microSD, polyphonic ringtones, media player | Vodafone (Germany, The Netherlands), AT&T, SFR (France), Rogers Wireless, M1/Vodafone (Singapore), Bouygues Telecom France, Vodafone (UK), O2 (UK), O2 (Ireland), T-Mobile (Slovakia). | |||
| 8320 | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WiFi | Trackball interface, 2.0 Megapixel camera, Speakerphone, Bluetooth, Internal microSD (to 8Gb), Polyphonic Ringtones, Media Player, WiFi, Hotspot@Home compatible. | T-Mobile (USA), Orange (Slovakia) | ||
| 8330 | Dual-band 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1X Ev-DO networks | Trackball interface, 2.0 Megapixel camera, Speakerphone, Bluetooth, internal microSD (to 8Gb), Polyphonic Ringtones, Media Player, GPS. | Telus Mobility, Bell Mobility, Alltel, Sprint, Verizon Wireless | ||
| 8350i | Dual-band 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1X Ev-DO networks, iDen, WiFi | Trackball interface, 2.0 Megapixel camera, Speakerphone, Bluetooth, internal microSD (to 32Gb), Polyphonic Ringtones, Media Player, GPS, WiFi, next generation OS (4.6) | Sprint Nextel | ||
| "Pearl Flip" (a.k.a. Kickstart) | 8220 | 240x320 pixels @ 65K | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE | Trackball interface, Clamshell design, 3.2 MP camera + flash, speakerphone, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, UMA, GPS, external microSD (to 16GB), 3.5mm stereo audio jack | T-Mobile. |
| "Javelin" | 8900 | 480x320 pixels @ 65K | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE | Trackball interface, 3.2 MP camera + flash + autofocus, speakerphone, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, UMA, GPS, external microSD (to 16GB), 3.5mm stereo audio jack | T-Mobile. |
2008-2009 -The Bold and the Storm (9000 series)
The Birth of the Bold
The Bold also came with Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g), Bluetooth 2.0 (including the stereo headset profile) and integrated GPS for AT&T Navigator to go along with BlackBerry Maps. It featured 128 MB flash memory, with 1 GB on board memory. Bold fans loved the fact they could quickly swap memory cards up to 16 GB in a new side loading slot, moved out from behind the battery case.
Bold's "personal" applications included a music player that could be used with Media Sync, as well as a 2.0 MP digital camera (with 5x digital zoom, flash and video recording functions) and a video player.
RIM loaded the Bold with the new 4.6 version of the BlackBerry OS, which delivered much sleeker menus on its sharper 480 x 320 high-res display. The Boy Genius blog called it "the most vibrant, color-rich, sharp screen we've ever seen on a mobile device."
EE Times reported that RIM's use of the Cypress Semiconductor West Bridge peripheral controller, found in the previous BlackBerry 8120 Pearl, provides "a direct connection of peripherals and creating fast transfer tunnels without loading the main processor. Instead of routing files from the computer through the phone processor to the storage device, it sets up a tunnel directly from the computer to the storage device.
The Touch Screen Storm
EasyTouch Screen Navigation
The full screen Storm came with a huge 360 x 480 3.6 inch display, with fewer colors but 12% more pixels than the iPhone. Storm's pixels were more dense, making details exceptionally clear and crisp. But the Storm's killer feature was its innovative mechanical "Click-Through" touch screen. It was the first one with two ways to use your fingers. It smartly married the swiping convenience of a touch screen with the feedback you get from a real keyboard and mouse.
The Storm has regular capacitive touch technology, much like the iPhone and the HTC G1. You scroll around with your finger lightly touching the screen, and it gives you visual feedback with a blue glow. But there's more - nothing happens until you want to confirm a selection or start an action. Then you use a more forceful press on the screen, which results in a "click" and an action. The Haptics Touchscreen technology lets your fingers feel true tactile feedback, so text messaging is like typing on a laptop. The screen is one big physical button that gives you more of a mouse-like "3D" experience.
- See a selection of Storm video reviews HERE.
The Storm Web browser has a "cursor mode" that simulates a desktop browsing experience. Your fingertip acts like a mouse, moving the visible pointer across the screen. You can click it when you want action, just like using a mouse. This makes for some clever new features. For example, in your email in-box, you can click to open an email, but if you touch-and-hold, the device will search for all emails with the same subject or sender.
Browsing the Web is better than the Bold, and getting closer to the iPhone's WYSIWIG Safari. Reviewers also loved the 3.2-MP video-capable, variable zoom, autofocus camera with a powerful flash that also provides continuous lighting when recording video. The Storm comes with 1 GB of onboard memory storage, but you can also remove the back cover and insert a new microSD card (up to 16 GB) without having to power down the device.
Other features include:
- BlackBerry® Internet Service, BlackBerry® Unite!, BlackBerry® Professional Software and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support
- Preloaded DataViz® Documents to Go® allows users to edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset
- Built-in GPS supports location-based applications and services, as well as geotagging of photos
- Media player that can play movies smoothly in full-screen mode, display pictures and slideshows quickly and manage an entire music collection; playlists can be created directly on the handset and there's an equalizer with 11 preset filters - including "Lounge," "Jazz" and "Hip Hop" - for customized audio ranges when using wired headphones or external speakers
- A 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, support for Bluetooth® stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP) and dedicated volume controls
- An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts backlighting for ideal screen viewing and an accelerometer that allows customers to view applications in either portrait or landscape mode by simply rotating the handset
- Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides approximately six hours of talk time on 3G networks and 15 days of standby.
The Storm is a true world phone, and it packs support for Verizon Wireless's fastest network (EvDO Rev. A), for quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, and for 2100-MHz UMTS/HSPA networks, enabling overseas roaming on any foreign network. The Storm also has a GPS receiver and Bluetooth, but no Wi-Fi.
| Generation | Model | Screen | Network | Notes | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Bold" | 9000 | 480x320 pixels @ 65K | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE + UMTS/HSDPA + WiFi | Trackball interface, 2.0 MP camera, speakerphone, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, GPS, external microSD (to 16GB), 3.5mm stereo audio jack | AT&T, Rogers, Airtel. |
| "Storm" (a.k.a. Thunder) | 9530 | 360x480 pixels @ 65K | CDMA EV-DO 800/1900, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UTMS 2100 | Haptics Touchscreen interface, 3.2 MP camera, microSD | Verizon, Vodafone, Telus (Canada), Bell (Canada). |
SOURCES:
| This article includes information from Wikipedia, which is available
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. |
| Welcome - SAMPLE CHAPTER → DEVICES → Image Gallery → Video Clips → Texts & Docs → Web Links → Appendix → |
