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First Images of BlackBerry 9100 3G Pearl

Greg Myers — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:33:43 +0000

Sorry guys RIM put their lawyers on us again for “misappropriation of trade secrets” so we had to take it down. Still a little bit of Google-ing will prove that you cannot close Pandora’s box once it is open…

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Posted by Greg for ©BerryReview, November 20, 2009, 8:33 am. | First Images of BlackBerry 9100 3G Pearl | 7 comments |

Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8530 Now Available in Black & Smoky Violet

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:32:16 +0000

Thanks to everybody for sending this in while I was asleep. Verizon has put up the BlackBerry Curve 8530 on their website in Black and Violet for $99 after $100 discount.

Check them out at these links:

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 20, 2009, 8:32 am. | Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8530 Now Available in Black & Smoky Violet | Leave a comment |

Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8530 Coming Today in Purple & Black

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:28:15 +0000

I just got back from Pepcom with David and we got a chance to play with the BlackBerry Curve 8530 that Verizon is releasing today. They only had the device in Urple but they told me that it will also be coming in black.

UPDATE: Adam @Crackberry was busy all night posting a review, pictures, unboxing, and spec sheets for the 8530. I totally forgot to mention that it is running OS 5.0! The spec sheet also points out that it is coming with App World Pre-Installed…

The 8530 is really going to be a hit in my humble opinion. With Wi-Fi AND GPS along with 3G and a trackpad this device is way ahead of the GSM 8520. Don’t forget it is also the second BlackBerry to support OpenGL 3D graphics for games. The only downside is the lower resolution screen which does not look bad at all and a subpar camera with no flash.

The only thing I really noticed about the 8530 while playing with it at Pepcom was that the Call, End Call, back, and menu button were much harder to press than the 8520 even though the design looks the same… Not sure what the story is with that.

The device will be available today for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement with a BlackBerry plan. Sadly the device will also come with no memory card.

Keep an eye out for it on www.verizonwireless.com

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 20, 2009, 12:28 am. | Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8530 Coming Today in Purple & Black | Leave a comment |

BlackBerry Bold 9700 OS 5.0.0.351 Found Online

the BerryReview Team — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:29:25 +0000

Bla1ze spotted the fact that OS 5.0.0.351 has made its way online for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 thanks to The BlackBerry Zone. Not sure what is new but it could be interesting…

Download @ Megaupload – Mirror – Mirror (thx Chadderbox, Jsanders, & Elementx)
Download @ Rapidshare

NOTE: Do not install this software if you do not know what you are doing. It may make your BlackBerry FUBAR or just plain angry.

Keep the tips coming!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, November 19, 2009, 5:29 pm. | BlackBerry Bold 9700 OS 5.0.0.351 Found Online | 3 comments |

US Cellular Getting BlackBerry Curve 8530 December 10th

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:54:00 +0000

I just got confirmation from one of our Secret Agents that US Cellular will be joining in on the BlackBerry Curve 8530 fun. They are scheduled to release the 8530 on December 10th if all goes as planned. This joins the ranks of Verizon who is getting it on Nov 20th and Sprint who will have it “in the coming weeks.”

The 8530 is really turning out to be a pretty awesome low end device. With a trackpad, GPS, 3G EVDO, Wi-Fi, and more memory it really puts the GSM 8520 to shame. The only real downsides are the lack of a 3.2 MP camera with autofocus (it has a 2MP camera) and no camera flash.

So anybody planning on picking one of these up or will you be waiting for the Tour2 with a trackpad?

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 19, 2009, 1:54 am. | US Cellular Getting BlackBerry Curve 8530 December 10th | One comment |

BlackBerry Curve 8520 OS 5.0.0.348 Found Online

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:50:00 +0000

Detectivereview let us know that OS 5.0.0.348 has made its way online for the BlackBerry Curve 8520 thanks to the upstanding folk @CrackBerry. It may take a few reloads to get it working but it does in the end.

Download @ Megaupload

NOTE: Do not install this software if you do not know what you are doing. It may make your BlackBerry FUBAR or just plain angry.

Keep the tips coming!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 17, 2009, 1:50 pm. | BlackBerry Curve 8520 OS 5.0.0.348 Found Online | One comment |

BlackBerry Storm2 9550 Hybrid Getting Great Reviews

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:51:46 +0000

I am always amazed by what the hybrid community cooks up. We usually do not mention Hybrid OS releases but Cole let us know about a BlackBerry Storm2 9550 hybrid that is making its rounds that is getting rave reviews. It was created by the team at BBHybrids.net and reports so far are that the hybrid is super fast/snappy and leaves you with 148mb of free space along with a ton of other improvements.

You can read the reports at this link or download the OS at this link from BBHybrids

Keep in mind that hybrids are Frankenstein-like OS builds where hardcore BlackBerry hackers mash together files from multiple different OS versions to make a better OS release.

HUGE WARNING: Hybrid builds are not meant for the faint at heart. They are not even beta builds and you will get ZERO support from RIM in getting them to work. On the other hand you can get some serious performance gains by using one so this might be worth a shot if you know what you are doing.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 16, 2009, 2:51 pm. | BlackBerry Storm2 9550 Hybrid Getting Great Reviews | One comment |

AT&T BlackBerry Curve 8520 Announced

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:46:46 +0000

AT&T let us know that they have just announced the BlackBerry Curve 8520. They have a very vague release date of “in the coming weeks” which hopefully means before the holidays… We all knew AT&T would be getting the 8520 but I really hope it ships with OS 5.0.

The phone will cost $99.99 after mail-in rebate. (Pay $199.99 and receive $100 AT&T Promotion Card. 2-year agreement on a min. $69.99 plan required.) Full press release after the jump.

AT&T*, the choice for twice as many smartphone customers than any other carrier and the first U.S. carrier to offer BlackBerry service, announced today it will introduce the best value in its BlackBerry smartphone portfolio with the addition of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX:RIM).

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a stylish, easy-to-use, compact smartphone offering the best value for consumer and business customers looking for BlackBerry service. The smartphone features a full QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive trackpad for easy typing and navigation, built-in Wi-Fi and an advanced media player, plus dedicated media keys, smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, for a convenient way to control music and videos. The handset also provides global connectivity via phone, email, text, IM, picture messaging and social networking, with Facebook and My Space applications preloaded.

The sleek, new device houses a high-resolution 320×240 display a 512 MHz processor, 256 MB of Flash memory, and a 2 megapixel camera equipped with video recording.

“AT&T was the first choice for BlackBerry in the U.S. and we continue to expand our offering of BlackBerry products to suit the different needs of business and personal users,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “The BlackBerry Curve 8520 offers the best value by combining the essential features of a BlackBerry smartphone with access to AT&T’s network, which includes best coverage worldwide, as well as the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network.”

AT&T users of the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 can enjoy access to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network with more than 20,000 U.S. hotspots — including approximately 7,000 Starbucks locations. As with all other Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry smartphones from AT&T, BlackBerry Curve 8520 users with a qualifying data plan, which includes all consumer BlackBerry unlimited data plans, get seamless and unlimited access to these domestic hotspots at no additional cost. When traveling outside the U.S., BlackBerry Curve 8520 users can enjoy the best coverage worldwide with wireless voice coverage in more than 215 countries and wireless data coverage in more than 185 countries.

Mobile users will enjoy great battery life, simultaneous voice and data capabilities when using Wi-Fi, and the ability to access up to 10 corporate and personal email accounts whether they are corporate or personal accounts. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 also affords users the ability to edit MicrosoftWord, Excel and PowerPoint files with DataViz Documents to Go suite.

"The new BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a great choice for first-time smartphone users and offers easy-to-use messaging, social networking and multimedia features with a full-QWERTY keyboard that makes typing fast and comfortable," said Carlo Chiarello, vice president, product management, Research In Motion.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone will be available in the coming weeks for $99.99 after mail-in rebate. (Pay $199.99 and receive $100 AT&T Promotion Card. 2-year agreement on a min. $69.99 plan required.) AT&T smartphones require the purchase of a monthly data plan. Other monthly charges apply. See below.^†

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 16, 2009, 10:46 am. | AT&T BlackBerry Curve 8520 Announced | Leave a comment |

AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 Available Today to Business Customers – Nov 22nd to Consumers

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:37:16 +0000

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is an awesome device. AT&T let us know that the device will officially be available in stores on Nov 22nd. Bla1ze @CrackBerry also found that it is available today through AT&T Premier accounts to business customers.

The price is $199.99 with a 2 year contract and will probably be $449.99 without a contract.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 16, 2009, 10:37 am. | AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 Available Today to Business Customers – Nov 22nd to Consumers | 8 comments |

Optus release Pre-Paid BlackBerry BIS plan/Curve 8520 package.

Greg Myers — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:00:12 +0000

Australian mobile carrier, Optus, have announced the release of the first Pre-Paid BlackBerry BIS plan in Australia.

The budget BlackBerry 8520 Curve is offered as an outright buy for $399 and pre-paid BIS plans from as low as $30. This is bound to open up BlackBerry to a much wider audience as budget minded and limited income users will finally be able to afford to get into what a lot of us have taken for granted.

I have long been a antagonizer for Optus, or any Australian carrier, to offer a pre-paid BlackBerry option and it finally looks like someone has heeded. Well done Optus for taking the first step and now we are just waiting for Vodafone and Telstra to follow suit.

You can check the terms/conditions/inclusions and exclusions at : View Details

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Posted by Greg for ©BerryReview, November 16, 2009, 10:00 am. | Optus release Pre-Paid BlackBerry BIS plan/Curve 8520 package. | One comment |

BlackBerry Bold 9700 For Sale on T-Mobile Website

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:48:32 +0000

Sorry guys for duplicating Luis’s article. This was supposed to go up last night but for some reason my laptop just finished publishing it when I opened it this morning. Jerry let us know that T-Mobile has put up the BlackBerry Bold 9700 on their website for sale. The rumor was that it was going to launch the 16th and here it is!. The funny part is that somebody at T-Mobile screwed up and used a picture of an Curve 8900 in the description…

Check out the phone on T-Mobile’s site at this link. The phone is $199.99 with an Even More plan and $449.99 with an Even More Plus plan. I am still trying to figure out the difference between those two but I think the Plus is prepaid…

I HIGHLY recommend the Bold 9700! I have been using it on T-Mobile for over a week now and the battery life is amazing along with a rock solid OS! RIM really got it right this time.

On the other side of the fence we have yet to see the 9700 pop up on the AT&T website…

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 16, 2009, 7:48 am. | BlackBerry Bold 9700 For Sale on T-Mobile Website | 5 comments |

BlackBerry Storm 9500 OS 5.0.0.328 Found Online

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:27:11 +0000

Looks like the Storm 9500 users were not left out in the cold with OS 5.0 leaks. BBOS managed to get their hands on OS 5.0.0.328 for the 9500 Storm.

Download @ RapidShare – MegaUpload – BerryOSFiles

NOTE: Do not install this software if you do not know what you are doing. It may make your BlackBerry FUBAR or just plain angry.

Keep the tips coming!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 13, 2009, 10:27 am. | BlackBerry Storm 9500 OS 5.0.0.328 Found Online | 3 comments |

AT&T Pushes Out BlackBerry Bold OS 4.6.0.

Ronen Halevy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:47:00 +0000

Sadly this is not OS 5.0 but at least AT&T is trying to keep up with their latest release of OS 4.6 for the Bold. Joshua let us know about AT&T releasing OS 4.6.0.304.

Download @ BlackBerry

BlackBerry Handheld Software v4.6.0.519 (Multilanguage)

Package Version: 4.6.0.519
Consisting of:

    * Applications: 4.6.0.304
    * Software Platform: 4.0.0.247
    * File name: 9000M_PBr4.6.0_rel519_PL4.0.0.247_A4.6.0.304_AT_amp_T.exe
    * File size: 96.79MB

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 13, 2009, 6:47 am. | AT&T Pushes Out BlackBerry Bold OS 4.6.0. | 13 comments |

BlackBerry Curve 8900 OS 5.0.0.348 Found Online

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:47:23 +0000

secretagent 7545 just followed up on their 9000 link with one for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 OS 5.0.0.348. Not sure what is new in this version but from what I can tell it is the latest.

Download @ Megaupload
Download @ Rapidshare

NOTE: Do not install this software if you do not know what you are doing. It may make your BlackBerry FUBAR or just plain angry.

Keep the tips coming!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 11, 2009, 2:47 pm. | BlackBerry Curve 8900 OS 5.0.0.348 Found Online | 13 comments |

BlackBerry Bold 9000 OS 5.0.0.348 Found Online

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:41:02 +0000

secretagent 7545 sent us a link for OS 5.0.0.348 for the Bold 9000. Not sure what is new in this version but from what I can tell it is the latest. They also sent over a link for the 8900 but I am still trying to sort that one out since they accidentally sent over an older version.

Download @ Megaupload
Download @ Rapidshare

NOTE: Do not install this software if you do not know what you are doing. It may make your BlackBerry FUBAR or just plain angry.

Keep the tips coming!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 11, 2009, 1:41 pm. | BlackBerry Bold 9000 OS 5.0.0.348 Found Online | 40 comments |

Review: OtterBox Defender Case for BlackBerry Curve 8520

Greg Myers — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:12 +0000

Review: OtterBox Defender Case for BlackBerry Curve 8520
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars
Cost: $49.95 (+ *shipping)
Available from: www.OtterBox.com

Once again, the folks over at OtterBox have done it. They have made give out yet another perfect score. I went over this case with a fine toothed comb and couldn’t find one fault. The design, fit, attention to detail and overall build quality is flawless.

Some weeks ago, OtterBox sent this case out for me to review. I have been putting this review off partly because of an extremely busy work schedule and partly because I have a deep and meaningful love affair with my, OtterBox clad, Bold 9000 at the moment. I didn’t want to give the Bold up. It was robust, reliable (mostly) and, well, it’s just my favorite child right now. I’ve had the Curve 8520 sitting in the cupboard since a few weeks before release date and a brand new OtterBox sitting along side it… waiting… Waiting until I screwed up. Well it happened. Friday night the Bold gave it’s last flicker of life and succumbed to a lifetime of abuse, overuse and 300+ emails a day.

One excuse is as good as another so I swapped devices and cracked the packaging on the Curve 8520 and matching OtterBox Defender.

I was not disappointed. Overall built quality on the OtterBox Defender case fantastic. It doesn’t matter how hard I try, I just can’t find a fault with this case.

Fitting is easy (when compared to the OtterBox Defender case for the Curve 8900). Again, the manufactures have used a hard membrane over the screen so when you fit the case, no annoying bubbles are formed between the screen and membrane. The keyboard is protected by a form fitted clear membrane. The only part of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 that is left un-protected is the trackpad. (A small hint, the edge of the membrane surrounding the trackpad will settle back onto the underlying button after a day or two. I thought this was going to be an issue at the start as a small but noticeable lip had formed surrounding the trackpad but it settled down 24 hours or so later).

There is a total of eight dedicated locator pins/lugs around the other edge to hold the silicon skin in place. This aids in holding the very outside layer of protection in place like no other Defender Case that I have previously reviewed.

The charge and earpiece port is covered with a two stage removable plug. This allows you to uncover just the earpiece port whilst keeping dust and dirt out of your charge port at the same time. All outside buttons are catered for, including the three media keys on top of the device making every function of your BlackBerry Curve 8520 operable whilst in the case.

Previous OtterBox Defender cases occasionally caused a ‘flashback’ effect that would render flash photography from your device virtually impossible. As the Curve 8520 has no flash, this is not a problem with this OtterBox Defender.

Sound quality from the Curve 8520 is, well lets be truthful here, CRAP at the best of times. Putting it in this case doesn’t make any difference. It still sounds like crap… I haven’t had any complaints about voice quality and have taken quite a number of calls over the weekend so that factor seems to be fine too.

The first thing you will notice about the holster is the activation magnet is offset slightly to one side. But apart from that, everything is as it should be. The twenty four position belt clip is as strong as always and the device clips into the holster firmly with a positive lock-down in the final ten millimeters or so.

Pros:

OtterBox’s famous 3 layers of protection.
Easier to fit than any other OtterBox Defender to date.
Access to all buttons from outside the case.
Firm fit on the silicon outer skin.
Two stage plug cover for earpiece/charger port.
Moulded keyboard cover.
Sturdy and robust holster.

Cons:

The old Henry Ford philosophy… Any color as long as its Black…

Conclusion:

Simply put, OtterBox have got it all together when they designed and constructed the OtterBox Defender of the BlackBerry Curve 8520. I know this device is a budget line for RIM but these days, every cent counts right… For $49.95* you can essentially purchase an insurance policy against dropping and damage that we all incur on a day to day basis.

My BlackBerry Bold 9000 has been in an OtterBox Defender case since the day I got it. When I removed it the other day, the device did not have single scratch or blemish anywhere. It was just as if it was brand new. (Except the now black trackball that started life as a white one). I work in a construction environment on a day to day basis and if this is no testament to the protection OtterBox offers then I don’t know what is.

My only gripe is the lack of color range. Come on OtterBox, at the very least bring back the yellow option. (Although, I think a drab olive green or camo would be a superb look…)

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Posted by Greg for ©BerryReview, November 10, 2009, 2:00 pm. | Review: OtterBox Defender Case for BlackBerry Curve 8520 | 2 comments |

Case-Mate Fuel Case for Curve 8900 Now Available – Tour Coming Soon!

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

The Case-Mate Fuel case for my Bold 9000 was the coolest holster I have ever used. It is the ultimate power users tool since it charged your BlackBerry while it was in the holster effectively doubling your Battery life. It was awesome looking at your BlackBerry after a full day of usage and seeing the batter is still completely full!

Terry let me know that Case-Mate is now selling the Fuel case for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and will soon be carrying it for the BlackBerry Tour 9630. The main downside of the 8900 and Tour versions is that they have the BlackBerry screen facing out instead of in like the original Fuel cases. This is because RIM only put the charging contacts on the back.

Hopefully Case-Mate is working on a variant for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 since I am really missing the double battery life…

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 9, 2009, 7:00 am. | Case-Mate Fuel Case for Curve 8900 Now Available – Tour Coming Soon! | 2 comments |

Sprint Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530 – Coming With OS 5.0?

the BerryReview Team — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:06:10 +0000

Right after Verizon’s announcement Sprint has also made theirs for the BlackBerry Curve 8530. The first question we asked them is if the 8530 will ship with OS 5.0 and they said and I quote “it should.” They also confirmed that the 8530 will be shipping with the BlackBerry App World preloaded.

You can pre-register for more information at:
www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530

Pricing and availability will be announced later but the device will come with three color options, Black, Royal Purple, and Red. The rest of the press release below seems to be justifying Sprint’s existence as a major carrier by comparing themselves to the AT&T iPhone plan and claiming that they have twice AT&T’s current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s. Pretty interesting read… especially the disclaimers in the footnotes.

BLACKBERRY CURVE 8530 SMARTPHONE COMING TO sprint FEATURING america’s most dependable 3g network and AFFORDABLE PRICE PLANS

Next generation of popular BlackBerry smartphone adds Wi-Fi, external multimedia buttons and BlackBerry App World; visit www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530
to pre-register for BlackBerry Curve 8530 from Sprint

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Nov. 5, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE: S) announced today it will add the new BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone to the wireless industry’s best lineup of devices. Beginning today, customers can visit http://www.sprint.com/blackberrycurve8530 to pre-register for this next generation of the popular BlackBerry wireless device on America’s most dependable 3G network¹ with the affordability of Sprint’s Everything Data plans featuring Any Mobile, Anytime^SM. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone makes it even easier to enjoy music on-the-go with dedicated keys to skip to the next song on a playlist, pause or play. It comes preloaded with several multimedia applications including BlackBerry Media Sync, Sprint Music Store™, Sprint TV™ and Pandora™. It also boasts dedicated applications for a smoothly integrated social networking experience with Facebook^®, MySpace™ and Flicker™. BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be available in three color options – Black, Royal Purple and Red.

“BlackBerry Curve 8330 has been a tremendous success for Sprint. BlackBerry Curve 8530 continues that legacy with the addition of several important features that make it a winner for both entertainment and productivity,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint Senior Vice President of Product Development. “This is one device that can really do it all with the email, calendar and contact synchronization BlackBerry is known for as well as the latest multimedia and social media features. We are anxious to bring it to our customers who also appreciate the strength of our network, the affordability of our rate plans and our Ready Now customer service experience.”

Sprint’s BlackBerry Curve 8530 will offer BlackBerry App World™ for instant access to thousands of applications. Sprint has employed an open Internet approach, and the Sprint Application Developer Program has been providing tools for third-party developers, since Sprint first launched the Wireless Web on its phones in 2001.

Sprint’s affordable Everything Data plans now include Any Mobile, Anytime, a feature that removes restrictive calling-circles and provides unlimited calling on the Sprint network to and from any U.S. wireless phone regardless of carrier, at no additional charge with Everything Data plans starting at $69.99 per month (all price plans exclude surcharges and taxes).

Sprint’s Simply Everything^SM offers nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month (plus taxes and surcharges). That is a $1,200 savings over two years versus a comparable AT&T iPhone^® plan². Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Networks (inclusive of data roaming) have twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles³.

According to Sprint performance data, Sprint Mobile Broadband connections are successfully connected and maintained better than 99 out of 100 times. According to a recent independent network test conducted by PC World, Sprint tested as the most reliable network overall among US carriers in a 13-city performance test⁴.

Sprint is the first national carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology. Separate from its 3G investment, Sprint has announced plans to extend its 4G leadership by launching the next-generation service in numerous markets in 2009, including the recently launched markets of Atlanta, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Portland, Ore.

Sprint is also the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now service with trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their BlackBerry Curve 8530, set up features and demonstrate how it works before the customer leaves the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time at www.sprint.com/storelocator.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

¹Dependable” based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from January 2008 to July 2009. Not all services available on 3G and coverage may default to separate network when 3G unavailable. Coverage may not be available everywhere. Customers should refer to sprint.com/coverage for details.

²Savings based on publicly available information comparing AT&T Nation Unlimited plus required iPhone data plan and optional unlimited text messaging totaling $149.99/month for AT&T as of publication date, excluding taxes, surcharges and fees. iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.

³Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles. Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles.

⁴The PC World tests took place in March and April 2009 in 13 major markets across the country. In each location, testers measured download speed, upload speed and reliability. In all, 5,443 individual tests from 283 testing locations were conducted for each provider’s 3G service. Testing was one minute in duration, and network performance can be highly variable from neighborhood to neighborhood.

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, November 5, 2009, 2:06 pm. | Sprint Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530 – Coming With OS 5.0? | 2 comments |

Verizon Wireless Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530 – Coming Nov 20th

Ronen Halevy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:28:02 +0000

Verizon just made the BlackBerry Curve 8530 we all knew about official. The device will be coming on Nov 20th to Verizon and will add to their BlackBerry device catalog making another splash with Wi-Fi AND GPS. The inclusion of GPS on the 8520 really makes it stand out.

The device will be available on Nov. 20 for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement with a BlackBerry plan. Sadly the device will also come with no memory card.

Anybody else notice that there is no mention of OS 5.0? I have been hearing confirmed reports that the 8520 will NEVER be getting OS 5.0 and this oversight in the 8530 announcement does not bode well with me.

Check out the full press release below or at this link.

Verizon Wireless Introduces the BlackBerry Curve 8530 Smartphone

New Smartphone Features 3G Connectivity, Built-In Wi-Fi and GPS, Touch-Sensitive Trackpad and Dedicated Media Keys

BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY and WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Nov. 5, 2009) – Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today introduced the BlackBerry^® Curve^TM 8530 smartphone, an exciting new addition to the BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones. The slim BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone gives customers access to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as easy access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go.
Available colors: Black and Smoky Violet
Key features:
- Easy-to-use, highly tactile, full QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive trackpad for reliable, responsive typing and navigation
- 256 MB flash memory and 528 MHz next generation processor for enhanced performance
- Supports voice-activated dialing and Bluetooth^® (version 2.1), with support for hands-free headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
- 3G-enabled (EV-DO)
- Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
- GPS with support for location-based applications, including geotagging pictures and Verizon Wireless’ VZ Navigator(SM) service
- 2.0 megapixel digital camera with zoom and video recording(i)
- Advanced media player for music, pictures and videos, with dedicated media keys and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, plus BlackBerry^® Media Sync, which makes it easy to quickly sync music from your computer to the smartphone(ii)
- Access to BlackBerry App World^TM, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry^® smartphones. Categories include games, entertainment, social networking and sharing, news and weather, productivity and much more
- Access to e-mail, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook and MySpace)
- Rich multimedia capabilities, including dedicated media keys smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos
- Support for BlackBerry services with access to up to 10 supported e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts such as Yahoo!^®, Windows Live^TM Hotmail^®, AOL^® and Gmail, and BlackBerry^® Enterprise Server support, which provides advanced security and IT administration features for corporate deployments
- Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD^TM/SDHC memory card slot, supporting up to 16 GB cards today and expected to support next generation 32 GB cards when available
Pricing and availability:
- The BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone is expected to be available from Verizon Wireless beginning Nov. 20 for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan. Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data plans for the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone begin at $29.99 when added to any Nationwide voice plan.
- For information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
(i) Video recording requires microSD card, sold separately
(ii) Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 5, 2009, 9:28 am. | Verizon Wireless Announces BlackBerry Curve 8530 – Coming Nov 20th | 4 comments |

Leaked Storm 9500 OS 5.0.0.230 & Bold 9700 OS 5.0.0.321

Luis Merlos — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:08:02 +0000

BBOS has posted a link for OS 5.0.0.230 for the storm 9500 and OS 5.0.0.321 for the 9700 Bold. Thanks to agent 009 for the tip. You can pick it up at the link below.

9500 Storm: www.megaupload.com/?d=0N3M11FB
9700 Bold: www.megaupload.com/?d=SBNF7SLN

Let us know what you find in the comments. From what I understand the Bold 9700 OS will be shipping with the upcoming Rogers 9700 launch.

Note: This is not an official OS and could render your device unusable if you don’t know what you are doing.

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Posted by Luis Merlos for ©BerryReview, November 4, 2009, 2:08 pm. | Leaked Storm 9500 OS 5.0.0.230 & Bold 9700 OS 5.0.0.321 | 5 comments |

New Shelved Theme from Ninja Themes

Vicky Pazienza — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:58 +0000

While I wasn’t technically a beta tester on Ninja’s latest theme design ‘Shelved’, I was able to get a preview of it prior to its release. Now, I’m not generally a fan of these ‘shelf’ type themes but I have to admit that if I was gonna go for one, this would be it. On the left side you have 3 shelves totaling 9 user customizable icons and on the right bottom side, you have an extra icon slot which per Ninja’s usual style is perfect for your weather application (note: weather app not included with theme). The time is displayed nicely in the banner and works well with the overall look of the theme. Shelved is wallpaper friendly, meaning you can change the wallpapers for the home & locked screens. I always find this to be a plus with any theme I use. This is a non-nonsense, highly functional theme for those who like a good amount of icons available on the home page. The best news of all is like all of Ninja’s themes, Shelved is very reasonably priced at only $1.99. It’s available for the 8900, 9000 & 9630 and works like a charm. More screenshots, info and purchase links can be found here.

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Posted by Vicky for ©BerryReview, November 4, 2009, 9:00 am. | New Shelved Theme from Ninja Themes | One comment |

US Cellular Gets BlackBerry Tour 9630 – Bell Canada Selling BlackBerry Bold 9700

Ronen Halevy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:55:28 +0000

We told you awhile back that US Cellular was getting the BlackBerry Tour 9630 but now it is officially up on their website. (Thanks E-tail) The phone is $199.95 after 2 year contract and $70 rebate which is not terrible but not the best. Check it out at this link and don’t forget to change it to your location.

In similar news Bla1ze spotted the hot new BlackBerry Bold 9700 is now available on Bell Canada’s website. Its going for $229.95 with an unbelievable 3 year contract at this link. The funny part is that they did not even bother putting the Bell branding on their promo images.

Anybody picking one of these up?

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 4, 2009, 7:55 am. | US Cellular Gets BlackBerry Tour 9630 – Bell Canada Selling BlackBerry Bold 9700 | One comment |

Free ‘NewAge’ Theme for the BlackBerry Bold

Vicky Pazienza — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:30:50 +0000

I gotta credit a tip I received from Ninja about this latest theme available over at BlackberryFreeware.Us called, NewAge.

Featuring a large digital style clock in the middle of the screen, and some very slick iPhone like icons…NewAge theme is also wallpaper friendly. I haven’t been able to play around with this baby just yet, but it looks like a classic and user-friendly theme. Best yet kids, it’s FREE! Definitely worth a checking out over at BlackBerryFreeware.Us where you can access the OTA. Enjoy!

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Posted by Vicky for ©BerryReview, November 3, 2009, 10:30 am. | Free ‘NewAge’ Theme for the BlackBerry Bold | Leave a comment |

BlackBerry Bold 9700 Now Available on Rogers Website

Ronen Halevy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:23:56 +0000

It looks like Rogers is the first out the door with the BlackBerry Bold 9700 unless you count preorders. BBSync spotted the new product page on Rogers website where you can order the BlackBerry Bold 9700 right now. Check it out at this link.

Nothing really new to report about the device but Kyle over at BBCool managed to do a quick review of the final T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700. I am still kind of surprised that the T-Mobile variant of the Bold 9700 does not have a different model number… That might get confusing.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 3, 2009, 9:23 am. | BlackBerry Bold 9700 Now Available on Rogers Website | 2 comments |

Vodafone Update – Free Twitter & Facebook Client – Bold & 8900 Curve Only

Ronen Halevy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:37:00 +0000

Luis let me know about Vodafone Update which is a slick Twitter and Facebook client for the BlackBerry Bold 9000 & BlackBerry Curve 8900. The app kind of reminds me of SocialScope and looks quite good. It will not replace the BlackBerry Facebook client but the Twitter functionality is pretty cool. I guess it is intended for Vodafone users only but it works on my AT&T Bold…

Check out the details at this link or download it OTA at www.vodafone.de/update

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, November 2, 2009, 5:37 am. | Vodafone Update – Free Twitter & Facebook Client – Bold & 8900 Curve Only | 2 comments |