In case you haven’t heard, Research in Motion has a BlackBerry Curve with a touchscreen on their roadmap code named “Malibu” slated to come out late Q4 2011 or early Q1 2102.
The BlackBerry Curve Mailbu will have:
- Processor: Qualcomm MSM 8655 800MHz CPU
- Radio: CDMA – EvDo Rev A
- Display: 3.25? 480×360 HVGA
- Navigation: Trackpad & Nav Keys
- Keypad: Virtual QWERTY
- Camera: 5 MP (with HD Video recording)
- Memory: 1GB Flash + 512MB RAM, Hot Swap MicroSD slot
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- GPS: Autonomous & A-GPS
- Connectivity: NFC, Micro USB, Bluetooth 2.1
- Sensors: Ambient Light Sensor, accelerometer
We wanted to get your take on this device. The BlackBerry Curve is undoubtedly the best selling BlackBerry line to date. Personally, however, I think that the hardware is a bit low end for something that may be over a year away from shipping. The Qualcomm MSM 8655 is currently used in a few Android devices that came out last Fall.
What are you thoughts? Leave us a comment and let us know…
I am still confused by the the trackpad. Touch UI is very different than trackpad UI. They don’t seem very useful to me. Other than that RIM needs all phones to have touch for developers. It’s too much to ask Devs to support two radically different input mechanisms. I know RIM’s APIs try to bridge the gap. It’s clumsy in my opinion.
I’m a fan of the trackpad myself although I admit that on a touch-only device it can seem redundant. However, having a pointer mechanism that doesn’t require you to cover the screen as you use it great. Also, it allows you to keep your had still and hold the device with only small movements required to navigate. Touch screen interfaces generally require much bigger gestures and UI components to use. Each have their pros/cons.
I’m guessing they are keeping the trackpad on new touch devices to be consistent across their lineup and also to support legacy apps. In the future, they may get rid of it but, just like the pointers between the GBH keys now only found on Lenovo laptop keyboards, I’ll miss it if/when it’s gone.
I like having a trackpad. Sometimes I dont like accidentally hitting links while trying to scroll. The trackpad allows me to scroll to avoid this and touch when I need to. I think what people want most on a blackberry is the bigger screen real estate. I’ve seen Torch uses not even touch the screen. They use the keyboard and the trackpad, so there are folks that will like having the option to use the trackpad.
One of the biggest benefits of SurePress was that there were no accidental clicking of links while trying to scroll. You actually had to press on the screen to select the link, icon or letter on the touch screen keyboard. Starting with the Torch RIM decided that normal touch screens phones (i.e. without SurePress) needed the trackpad to avoid the accidentally launching of links or clicking of icons while trying to scroll.
This device looks like it was created by taking the canceled Blackberry Storm 3 9570 (or Storm 2.5 as some have called it), updating the processor, adding a trackpad, adding NFC and possibly dropping SurePress. The rest of the specs look similar if not identical to the leaked ones for the 9570.
Yeah, but I think SurePress is a love it or hate it feature. I didn’t really care for it. Maybe because in my mind it was different from what I really experienced. Sometimes I did want to select that thing and not have to push in the whole screen to do so. Didn’t get to try out a Storm2, so I don’t know if it was better. But, you do make a good point of the trackpad solving that issue and may be the reason they decided not to continue with SurePress.
I agree that SurePress is a love it or hate it feature because when the original Storm 9530 was released it had such slow buggy OS that the people were disappointed in the device overall (especially after it was hyped as being Verizon’s answer to the iPhone in the fall of 2008). SurePress in the Storm 2 9550 was much better because the screen has better technology for SurePress (piezo electronics) and it supports multitouch. I got both the 9530 and 9550 when they came out and the 9530 didn’t become a good device until Verizon released a much better OS version 6 months later but by then it was too late to change the minds of the public especially after tons of people rushed out to buy it when it first came out and were very disappointed. The 9550 was great right out of the box but probably didn’t sell as well as it could have because of the reputation of the original Storm.
I really hope RIM hasn’t ditched SurePress. They can use it to differentiate their touch screen devices from the rest of them on the market. They might have ditched it because of the poor reputation it has in the market because of the original Storm. I also really hope RIM has learned it’s lesson and doesn’t release another device who’s hardware and software isn’t ready for prime time. The Torch didn’t suffer from the issues of the Storm 9530 so hopefully no future devices will because RIM can’t afford another slip up with the way their market share is falling in the U.S.
I agree wholeheatedly. I too owned both versions of the Storm and truly enjoyed both. The first version has the most frustrating OS complications and such a weak processor. The second, lightyears of improvement, but still sported a weak OS and processor.
If this is indeed the new version of the Storm, just being rebranded as a Curve, I’m gonna be all over it as long as the SurePress comes with it. Such an innovative idea that never got a real chance to shine. These significantly improved specs would really take that tech to a new positive level.
While the device looks pretty sleek and has quality hardware, the processor is absolutely unremarkable. But then again, it’s branded as a Curve… and to even think of a Curve with a spec sheet like this one… it’s nice!
another fail from RIM 🙁
you are a peen,
please when commenting on a failed product do state why. proper discussion paved the way. You however decided its time for idiocy.
I think the Curve Touch might actually be the new Storm. Quite possibly being rebranded as a Curve- donating it’s formfactor and SurePress tech.