The Boy Genius has made a name for himself by getting the inside scoop on up and coming BlackBerry devices before anyone else. It looks like there won’t be any let down when it comes to the rumored BlackBerry 9000 that will be the first BlackBerry device to sport a touch-screen.
According to BGR, the BlackBerry 9000 series devices will have:
- 320×480 screen
- 1 gig of memory
- 624MHz Intel XScale PXA270 processor
- GPS and Wi-Fi
- 3G Support (multi-band HSDPA)
- 2.0 (possibly 3.2) megapixel digital camera
BG is expecting the BlackBerry 9000 series devices to start shipping in the Q1 to Q2 time frame so it will be fun to track all the developments over the next few months.
Are you saying BG didn’t have a name for himself before this? 馃槈
No, but he didn’t have a website 馃檪
That I know of… 馃檪
It’s going to come down to two devices after all is said and done…the iPhone and this. There will be others, but these two brands will dominate the industry. I would believe the blackberry more so on the corporate side, and the iPhone on the consumer side.
While it will undoubtedly be a cool device, I wonder really if this is the way for RIM to go.
First, what’s a BB without the keyboard? That’s one of the nicest features to a BB…drop the keyboard and all of a sudden doing a lot of email becomes less practical.
Second, can they really compete against Apple in this arena? Apple has been developing their touch screen device for years…they have even more years of experience doing multimedia, which is really the advantage of a large touch screen. Just as it’s not so easy for a company to quickly develop a great push email system, it’s not so easy for someone to catch up with Apple in their strengths.
Third, in a somewhat related vein, can RIM develop an OS this quickly to make this all work? Again, Apple spent years perfecting their OS for the iPhone, which is really a version of their desktop OS. In the end, are we just going to have a RIM mobile OS with some additional features bolted on?
In the end, it will be interesting to see this product develop.
Let’s just hope that RIM doesn’t spend so much time developing a touch screen that the forget about new innovations for BlackBerrys with keyboards.
At the end of the day, the tactile response of a keyboard will always be superior to the lack there of on a touch screen.
I agree with you, Robb. I mean, if I want a multimedia gee-whiz type of device, I can go with the iPhone. I just don’t see how RIM can out-Apple Apple.
I too prefer the blackberry keyboard of today, however it’s blackberry that has the advantage over Apple on in some areas that are key for corporate users as well as consumers.
First, it’s email. Nobody comes close to the blackberry. Secondly, it’s security. Apple is running an actual OS on their phone which opens up a few holes that corporate users aren’t going to settle for. Third is control. BES is a nice advantage. Fourth, it’s the battery. It’s another reason why I don’t have an iPhone. Can’t take the chance of going down while on the run. I can swap a battery on my Pearl, but not on the iPhone.
It would be a turn off if the blackberry device didn’t have a physical keyboard. It’s another reason I don’t have an iPhone. But I don’t know if the device will open like the tilt based on the picture to offer a physical keyboard. It would be nice to be a touch screen on the face, and then open to a keyboard and screen like the tilt. Would offer the ease of doing basic functions on the screen until you have to plug away on the keyboard.
But until then…
Seeing this picture reminds me so much of the HTC Touch. A fancy box around the same tired interface. The 9000 is miles away from an i-phone, but IS really, really close the Touch. Same concept. Sleek. I found the Touch to be very nice, but, with the same WM inside. Lack of a keyboard didn’t bother me. I like Grafitti and the WM does that better than Palm. I see the 9000 the same way. Sleek, but the same inside. Once the sleekness wears off the user is going to ask, why?
It seems Rim is going to vary from their core business for awhile.
They’re starting to get a little to big of a rep..and that results in Hollywood ideas…..
Let’s all wish them well, take our places on the sidelines and watch the show. I think its going to be a good one.
Like the poster above wrote…you can’t out Apple, Apple.
Owen: that picture is simply a photoshopped image to serve as kind of a symbol for the device…it is not the real device.
it wont have a camera thats for sure