Lets Clear Up The BlackBerry Niagara BlackBerry Javelin Confusion

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Just yesterday we wrote a post about the 3G-less BlackBerry 9000 code named the BlackBerry Niagara. At least we thought it was code named the BlackBerry Niagara. The non 3G bearing BlackBerry 9000 is actually code named the BlackBerry Javelin and, believe it or not, the BlackBerry Niagara is a EV-DO variant of the device.

Rumor has it that the EV-DO bearing BlackBerry Niagara is supposed to debut sometime in May of 2009. BGR, nor do we, feel that a May 2009 release date sounds quite right. That being said we didn’t think that it would take a year when we asked how long would it take for Verizon to come out with the BlackBerry Curve.

That particular post was written May 6th, 2007. 365 days and 1219 comments later it is still going strong.

  • Thought

    Of course it will take about a year for VZW to get the BB 9xxx series. They are just releasing the Curve; it would make no sense for them to release this model so soon after the Curve.

    Which brings up another point: even if RIM had the 9xxx series developed for CDMA carrier like VZW and ready to go, the early release would still not happen. The release schedule is locked in.

    The only way to go to the CDMA 9xxx series sometime this year around when the GSM carriers are doing it would have been to have skipped the Curve in the release cycle. But that wasn’t going to happen.

    So in other words there’s one more reason why CDMA carriers like VZW will lag behind in their new model releases, and it simply is that it is locked into the schedule.

  • bluehorseshoe

    I can’t recall off the top, but didn’t the 8800 series come out relatively early for the CDMA carriers compared to the GSM version? If so, I really wouldn’t read too much into the particular time lines regarding release on these. RIM didn’t push this many various models in one sitting in the past. We’ve got the 8120, 8130, Javelin, Niagara, Kickstart, 8820, etc. coming out and rumored within a 6 month period. I think that’s the most BB has pumped out there at any one point in time. I’m sure the GSM models will hit first, but I personally think it may be a shorter period in between the release of GSM and CDMA. If RIM waited a year to release a CDMA version vs. a GSM version, many corporate users won’t buy with LTE not too far away. The lifecycle on these has to last at least 2 years.

  • Thought

    bhs: thanks again for your intelligent comments. I like your point about the lifecycle.

    You are correct about the CDMA 88xx release; it was only about 6 months after the release on GSM. However, I attribute this to the fact that this model wasn’t really replacing a previous one on VZW; it was new direction for the BB.

    Before the 88xx, the top of the line BB on VZW was the 87xx model, and so the 88xx represented a distinct leap forward in terms of design.

    But it seems to me that the 9xxx model is kind of a replacement for the 83xx Curve series, and so RIM and VZW will just milk the sales of the Curve for a while before bringing out the 9xxx.

    As for LTE or 4G, I don’t see corporate users caring that much about that it; they don’t seem to care that much about 3G or EVDO now. Every company I know that is on VZW is not on there for EVDO, they are there for the reliability of the network.

  • bluehorseshoe

    Regarding LTE/4G data services, I’d say companies do care. Data and available phone applications make remote usage possible for sales teams, etc. I agree the reliability of the service is first and foremost, but solid data service and speed will enhance mobility for corporate users and even consumers while adding to the bottom line to the telcos. I for one rely on the 3G offerings.

  • Bryan

    Well, I have VZW and i like their service, really don’t want to switch to anyone else. I have seen that AT&T is supposed to be the first one and have exclusive rights to the 9000 this summer but really don’t want to switch to them. My fiance’s father has AT&T and last night he had 1 bar for signal on his regular cell phone while my 8830 with VZW had 5 bars and was EVDO.

    I just don’t understand why VZW doesn’t like to come into the world of phones like every other carrier? They lock everything out of their phones which is what is going to really piss me off since theirs probably won’t support WiFi like AT&T and everyone elses! That’s the ONLY reason why I’d switch but if AT&T is the company that’s going to have it, I don’t really want to switch. Especially since I’d have to buy the fiance an Curve and our daughter a phone too, which means starting up three new contracts!

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  • Tim

    Bryan,

    The only thing VZW locks out in their BB’s is GPS (this will change with the Storm), WiFi simply isn’t AVAILABLE for CDMA Blackberries (not that Altel and Sprint don’t have it either); there is something in the chip sets they use for CDMA that causes problems supposedly.

  • abcyesn

    It’s definitely a nice looking phone. From the front it looks like a smaller Bold, and from the side it looks like the 8900 Curve. And with all of the pictures that have been surfacing I would say it shouldn’t be too long before it’s in stores. Any sure dates yet? can’t even it on http://www.Niagara-BlackBerry.com I hope it will come out sooner or later.