A Pinstack forums member that goes by the name The Outsider has posted a bit of confidential information about soon to be released BlackBerry 8820, 8310, and 8330. I have to tell you however, that the leaked device information that really caught my eye is for the BlackBerry Pearl 2.
Notice line 13 in the picture above. There will be a GPS CDMA version. This means that the Pearl 2 will be available to Verizon. There is no guarantee that this will come out on Verizon, however, I can’t imagine the Sprint, who has already confirmed that they will carry the Pearl 2, will carry a device that Verizon doesn’t.
I know that some of you are saying that Verizon will probably disable the GPS in the Pearl 2 and, quite honestly, there is really nothing in Verizon’s past that would make you think otherwise, however, I have been paranoid about spy satellites tracking my whereabouts ever since I saw Enemy of the State and Verizon may save me the trouble of disabling GPS myself. I will be happy just to have a SureType CameraBerry that works everywhere that I do.
“I will be happy just to have a SureType CameraBerry that works everywhere that I do.”
If thats all you wanted Robb then all you had to do was upgrade to a GSM provider which has had the Pearl for almost 2 years now. The Pearl 2 is “planned” for cdma who knows if verizon will deem it acceptable for it’s customers, and even then poor cdma customers will get a less capable device than the Pearl 1 has been. The GSM Pearl 2 is a pretty good upgrade and Wifi capabilities will be a BIG draw. GO RIM!
Hellno,
The problem with doing that is that T-Mobile nor AT&T have the coverage necessary for me to do what I do everywhere that I need to do it. Believe it or not, Verizon does.
I am going to let you in on a little secret but you have to promise to keep it between me and you.
I have at my disposal a T-Mobile Dash, a Sidkick, an AT&T Razr v3, a Samsung BlackJack running on AT&T, and a BlackBerry 7100t.
On me at all times I have my Blackberry 7130e (Verizon), my iPhone (AT&T), and my Helio Ocean (MVNO on Sprint). My primary phone number is on my BlackBerry. Why? Because it is the only device that works everywhere.
As I type this post I am doing so from my Verizon broadband access card which is at full strength. I cannot even make a call on my iPhone unless I go upstairs or outside where I get 1, maybe 2 bars if it is overcast.
I am a consumer. CDMA and GSM mean nothing to me and I honestly could and do care less about which network technology I use so long as I can make calls and send and recieve email everywhere that I need to. Verizon is the only network, right now at least, that allows me to do that.
Robb,
This is a bit off topic but why in the world do you have so many mobile devices. Do you have active plans for each of them or do you just swap out SIMs.
Robb,
Amen to that brother! That may be the best damn post as to why hellno should stop spouting his GSM propoganda.
I used to be as big a Verizon fan as hellno is a fan of all things GSM but I simply just got tired of never being able to get a cool BlackBerry. I got a BlackBerry Pearl on T-Mobile a couple of weeks ago because my Verizon plan was up.
I absolutely love the device but I keep hitting dead spots whenever I go on the road. I would try AT&T, but my wife’s BlackBerry 8700 on AT&T that she gets from her job doesn’t get good reception from our house.
My daughter really likes my Pearl so I think that I will give it to her and go back to using my Treo until Verizon comes out with a Pearl.
Nelson,
Sadly, yours is a common tale. Desperation and weariness from having garbage phone choices chases people away from VZ only to find that the networks elsewhere just aren’t up to VZ standards.
This is why VZ getting the Pearl is such great news. It means that those of us who have envied the handsets can now get the best of both worlds. We get to have our cake and eat it too!
Hellno will continue to trumpet the virtues of GSM, but we all know that there are days when he or she is cursing up a storm because he just can’t make or drops an important call.
PS. Has anyone else noticed the irony of ATT’s dropped call commercials? It has been my experience (and I have had all 4 major providers at one point or another) that ATT, and to a lesser degree TMO, are the worst with dropped calls.
Hey,
Robb, do you think the FCC ban on new QUALCOMM chips affects RIM?
RIM does need QUALCOMM chips for their EVDO / UMTS / HSDPA devices.
-or-
Do you think the current technology behind the EVDO / UMTS / HSDPA is lacking in certain areas, like power saving technology, so that RIM doesn’t want to use it inside their devices, because those devices do seem to drain the battery like crazy? Or another reason, regarding the technology of the new 3G chips?
I agree; I can not imagine Sprint carrying this and VZW not carrying it. It is a given though that VZW will cripple the phone in some way. It is just what VZW does. I imagine that it will be a great seller for VZW though. People have been waiting for them to carry a consumer Blackberry for a long time.
Aaron,
I am not really sure how the Qualcom ban will affect RIM. I know that Verizon and Broadcom entered into an agreement that allows them to bypass the ban all together.
The shortcomings of EVDO/UTMS/HSDPA are well known. I doubt however that RIM would shy away from the technology when the majority of consumers in it’s biggest market use it. AT&T may be a bit bigger than Verizon but Sprint is way bigger than T-Mobile and there are more CDMA users in the United States than there are GSM users.
I beleive that RIM shoulders a bit of the blame for the lack of CDMA devices, however, the majority of it goes to the wireless carriers themselves. I am sure that if Verizon and / or Sprint put in a big order for new BlackBerry devices, the folks up in Waterloo would be more than happy to oblige them.
Whats amazing is some know verizon is screwing them but they still continue pining for verizon to pick up and cripple more devices. Its also amazing that here we are at a Blackberry site and verizon crippling blackberry after blackberry isn’t seen for what it is, and excuses are made for something which is inexcusable. Verizon crippling not only screws the customer, they are screwing RIM too. Why? because Blackberry customers are being screwed out of the experience that RIM designed into each blackberry model. verizon also will REFUSE to activate any device not branded by them and bought from them. As a loyal RIM blackberry customer I find verizon’s games unacceptable, as a consumer I find verizon’s anti-consumer behavior unacceptable.
Nelson funny you bring up the Treo, on every Treo sold what is the stock email app? Versamail, funny that app has been removed from verizon Treo’s and replaced with a verizon proprietary mail app which forces the customer into spending more to get what Palm builds into the Treo stock. Much like verizon crippling BB GPS which forces the customer into spending more to get what RIM builds into the device stock.
It’s rather “fanboy” to say verizon is the only provider which provides a acceptable level of service. Provider’s service coverage is very close, overlaps and roams. Using verizon’s fud about “it’s the network” is a rather poor argument for most places.
There are very good reasons why cdma doesn’t get state of the art Blackberry’s.
There are very good reasons why many manufactures along with RIM want little to nothing to do with cdma.
There are very good reasons why service providers are dropping cdma networks and upgrading those networks to GSM.
Smarten up, verizon listens to just one thing and thats the DOLLAR. Since verizon choses to screw its customers, and device manufactures, coupled with the fact that verizon wireless is a Union busting company, verizon is not worthy of my money. Its time for consumers to get a backbone and start making smart purchases.
Robb,
GSM has caught up with cdma in NA. Also “T-Mobile’s next up for quarterly results, and they’ve got a little something to brag about. 857,000 new customers this quarter puts them past double Sprint’s additions, which puts things nicely in contrast.”
RIM is correct in providing first for Global Standard GSM, and then dangling last years scrapes in front of cdma providers and cdma customers with hopes and dreams of state of the art RIM BB’s. Only in reality we realize the cdma RIM devices are few and far between, and what little there are have been available on GSM for almost 2 years already.
“GSM has taken a majority share in North America, according to data released Thursday by industry group 3G Americas. As of the end of the second quarter of 2006, GSM had added 100 million new customers over the past year to end the period with a 51 percent share.”
http://www.betanews.com/article/GSM_Expands_Lead_in_Americas/1157052101
I have a question for you Hellno. If your job requires that you use a BlackBerry and AT&T nor T-Mobile have service in your home and many places that you travel to, would you quit your job and find other work or use a CDMA BlackBerry that has a strong signal and excellent sound quality?
I understand that you don’t like Verizon. GSM, however, whether it be T-Mobile, a company that I would switch back to in a heartbeat if only their network had better coverage, or AT&T if they had the same, simply suck from a coverage stand point where I live.
I agree that Verizon has a huge problem on their hands if AT&T’s network rivals Verizon’s network coverge any time in the near future, however, right now it doesn’t and saying that GSM is”close” means jack squat if it doesn’t work in my house or when I am on the road.
I am not a Verizon fanboy and would suggest getting a T-Mobile BlackBerry to anyone that gets acceptable coverage, but to make a long story short, I would rather use a crippled BlackBerry that works all the time as compared to a feature rich one that works part of it.
My reality is that Verizon’s network in my area is unrivaled by all others and until one of the GSM carriers can offer me the same or better service, not almost as good as service, I will stick with Verizon when it comes to work.
Play is a different story… Look at all the GSM devices that I own. I know who makes the coolest handsets. Too bad they don’t have the coolest network.
Robb: I am disappointed in you: you mean you won’t quit your job just to shove it to Verizon and not have to use their service any longer? 🙂
Robb,
Those are valid points. But if you “have to go upstairs or outside” then the GSM signal is there. Would sure push T-Mo and/or At&t to see what they can do to get you some better coverage. What GSM signal are you getting? From which provider?
I still cannot get past paying a service providing company which makes things tougher and more expensive for customers, then lies about it’s actions. Even more so there shouldn’t be a RIM BB fan which is happy or supports a service providing company which makes our favorite BB devices less than they should be, for greed and control purposes. There is no excuse for verizon’s crippling actions.
I travel quite a bit not once have I been in a location where someone with another providers gear has service and I dont. I also have had a bunch of smartphones over the years. Last time I was without service so was the guy with the sprint phone as was the guy with the verizon phone. We drove into a coverage area and all three phones chimed with voice mail at the same time. When at our destination I also had my E61i at the time, not a great phone but it does have WiFi so I wasn’t completely without coverage and I was still able to make calls with Voip. Looking forward to the Pearl 2 for GSM with WiFi.
Dude,
I don’t know if you are GSM lobbyist or what but do you here the stuff you are saying? Just because you cannot see paying more for a service that allows you to use it downstairs in Rob’s house doesn’t mean that it is a perfectly valid reason for someone else to.
I tried to move to a GSM phone and it drives me nuts that I cannot get a good connection. I absolutely love all the cool features in my Blackberry Pearl that I am about to give to my daughter but those features don’t matter if I can’t make a call when I am on the road.
The MP3 player and the digital camera are cool but I would rather switch back to a 8730 if I can make phone calls from the car. Verizon isn’t forcing me to do this. T-Mobile is when you think about it because it is there network that is failing.
Anyone know why the CDMA doesnt have WiFi??
Nelson, do you mean a BlackBerry 8703e? If you do I would definitely go with that over a Treo.
Matt, I believe that there is only enough room for a GPS receiver or a Wi-Fi radio and GPS appeals to a greater segment of BlackBerry users than Wi-Fi.
Dang,
does the GPS require you to pay an extra monthly fee, or can you just use it to get directions without a fee?
I just looked it up, and yes, they charge extra…. dang it, I would rather have WiFi…. oh well, I’ll still buy it
I’m sure they’ll charge for Telenav, but what does Telenav do that Google maps doesn’t? (that’s a real question, not a rhetorical)
I have a Curve now (no gps) and was considering an external gps until I started hearing about the Pearl 2 and Curve 2 with potential built in gps.
But just to investigate the option I got Telenav and paid for the 10-route package even though I don’t have the GPS. I also tried Google maps and Google is faster and better interface and SEEMS to have all the same features in terms of routing, favorites, maps… I just haven’t seen either with an actual GPS device.
But the Google options menu does imply it will connect to a GPS device if present.
Is Telenav just a scam for consumers who don’t know to search for altenatives? Will Google always be free? (they want to build their brand)
My dad used Verizon Wireless for 13 years. When he switched to his new company, they made him switch to AT&T or pay the bill himself. I swear, I’ve never seen him this pissed off in years. He gets NO service at home, unreliable service in big cities and has had more dropped calls in the last 3 months then the last 3 years he was on Verizon. Oh yes, GSM is an excellent network. Too bad it doesn’t work all the time.
Hello all, I was just reading your posts and I don’t know if you have seen the new service offered by one of the companies your talking about (tmobile). If you guys who have it can stick it out until the pearl 2 is out they have released a home antenna , basically a wireless router that gives you FULL service at home and the calls do not go against your minutes. Just something to think about.
Jay,
“T-Mobile @ Home” is a great move forward for both t-mo customers and just another thing to push the industry.
Matthew which “big cities” have “unreliable service”? GSM is equal to if not better than cdma in most places.
Robb, I disagree with the excuse why the cdma Pearl 2 having GPS for verizon to cripple over WiFi (for verizon to cripple) http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070723/104637.shtml “GPS appeals to a greater segment of BlackBerry users than Wi-Fi.” BS. The cdma Pearl 2 not having WiFi = CONTROL. A WiFi connection on the planned cdma Pearl 2 would allow cdma consumers too much freedom, something which verizon just can’t allow. If mcwireless can FUD their way just a few more years but every year that gets harder and harder as consumers become more knowledgeable consumers. http://www.techdirt.com/search.php?site=&q=verizon+wireless
Hellno, no doubt that Verizon will charge extra for GPS, something free for just about everyone else but it is not an excuse. According to what I heard there isn’t enough room for both GPS and Wi-Fi in the Curve, let alone the Pearl 2. So carriers have no choice to go with one or the other.
Based on my experience and from what I have heard, BlackBerry users tend to choose GPS over Wi-Fi if they can only have one.
I’d prefer GPS over wifi when I’m on a data plan that works FAST (I guess that cuts out EDGE). GPS gives me access to something I don’t have, WiFi is just an additional way to get to all the information my unlimited data package already gives me. Give me a high speed network, GPS and a Pearl sized package!
So the above image is for Verizon?
Is there a chance Sprints version will be different?
IF the GPS even works in the verizon Pearl 2 (which past history shows verizon will just not let that happen). To bad verizon won’t activate non-branded verizon devices, since Sprint’s Blackberry’s are not crippled.
Verizon gets me again with a disabled feature
http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/wireless/ontherun/archives/verizon-gets-me-again-with-a-disabled-feature-17880
Verizon gets me again with a disabled feature
http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2007/07/verizon-gets-me.html
Verizon Wireless Pulls Plug on BlackBerry 8830 GPS Features
And Some Other Ways the Company Has Nickel and Dimed Their Customers
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/327280/verizon_wireless_pulls_plug_on_blackberry.html
Either way remember autonomous GPS (as RIM puts into our BB’s) doesn’t require any input from the service providers yet verizon cripples it, and worse lies and FUD’s why. Verizon’s actions are anti-consumer, and excuses are insulting. Remember money talks verizon customers, RIM and the customer is getting screwed by verizon’s actions. Being RIM fans verizon crippling functions from Blackberrys should be a problem which should not be excused and dismissed.
Re. gsm v. cdma, tonight in the heart of Boston, my Verizon treo had all four bars of serice and EV-DO, while my husband’s AT&T iPhone had NO serice, in two separate locations. This is why I stay w/ Verizon, even though they don’t have the best phones. I’d rather have a phone that actually works than a cool one that doesn’t. Btw, his phone is paid for by work, hence him having AT&T….
I actually receive a hefty discount to switch over to ATT with my job, but I still pay to stay with Sprint.
I’ve had all the carriers except Tmobile, but I’ve always comeback to Sprint. I’ve always had service in places where my friends with the “Cool” phones had nothing.
I’ve always loved Blackberry’s, and I’d love to see Sprint (and ok, verizon too) with more. I’m looking forward to the Pearl 2, I’ve liked the 8830, and I’d love to get my hands on a Curve. But I’m not about to leave high speed service everywhere I need it to be, in order to get the next soon-to-be-outdated phone through a provider who’s service doesn’t quite cut it.
Long live blackberry! And thanks to the voices that point out the only two things that matter… you find a phone that does what you need, and a provider that does it where you need it (And I’m sorry, but I just don’t need it in London, I need it here)