back to article RIM launches five BlackBerry smarties

Research in Motion launched five smartphones today that run on the BlackBerry 7 Operating System. This latest refresh represents RIM's largest ever global launch. The handsets include two BlackBerry Bold models and three from the BlackBerry Torch range. BlackBerry Bold 9900 The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 are RIM's …

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  1. SteveBalmer
    Stop

    Make or Break time...

    I think most people (except the remaining RIM shareholders) are predicting break....

    Failure to adapt....

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What colour...

    ... will their smarties be available in? I like the blue ones, but I don't like the red ones.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      Skittles vs Smarties vs M&M's

      Forget the "holy wars 2010 " (iOS vs Android vs blackberry), confectionery is where it's at.

      ..and it's Skittles FTW...

      1. Youngdog
        Thumb Down

        Oh dear

        Any right-headed human being who cares to consider the issue thoroughly will of course know that it is in fact peanut M&Ms that rule the roost in terms of rainbow-coated confectionary

        There simply isn’t space available to go into the lengthy and often complex arguments behind why the statement ‘Only Smarties have the answer’ is not just misguided but is often a dangerous ideology to hold but experts in the subject have for some time now been happy to relegate Skittles to last place on the pantheon of multi-shaded monosaccharide-based mini-munchables and I see no reason to disagree!

  3. exanime
    FAIL

    Another bad move by RIM

    ..why would anybody buy one of these if the QNX phones (for those like me who believe it's will actually be great) are coming up sometime next year???... I would only consider these phones if they can guarantee me that I can upgrade to QNX (not likely) but even then I would still rather wait and get the phones with "native" support for it

    1. Bilgepipe

      Nokia

      Same reason people would buy a Nokia Meego phone - they wouldn't.

  4. ConfusedDaze
    FAIL

    Is it just me . .

    Or can I only see three phones there ?

    Ah wait I've got it, the other two are CDMA variants of the previous three.

    Do they technically count as new phones ?

    Really clutching at straws here aren't they . . .

  5. mike 32
    Gimp

    Will bb7 be ported to their existing line-up at some stage?

    Because bb6 is alright at best, constantly getting complaints from the wife about bugs in her 9780. I'm not interested in getting bb6 on my 9700 after seeing it on the 9780.

    1. Slim

      @Mike 32

      RIM has stated there is no support for legacy devices and BB7 as the minimum specs for BB7 are too high for older devices.

      Sadly you'll have to upgrade your device if you want to use OS7 (or OS6 SP1 as it's also known!) It seems RIM doesn’t mind abusing parts of their customer base, probably not the best move in their current situation.

      I'm intrigued by the Torch without a keyboard, it's very unusual for RIM to make a Blackberry without a physical keyboard and I’m not sure if I like it or not.

    2. Mark Allen

      No

      Lack of on board memory and processors just a little too slow mean no backward support this time.

      Or, at least that is current thought of various forums

      (I own a Bold 9780, purchased in March, so have been watching this closely. What bugs does the wife get? And have you tried updating to 6.0.600? Seems bug free to me, but then I am not a Facebook person. Easy to update - crackberry.com forums can help)

      1. John Sanders
        FAIL

        I also own a 9780 since March

        it is the worst blackberry I have ever had.

        I could be writing about how bad the camera application is, how bad and buggy the media player is, how bad the home application is, how bad the blackberry app world is, how bad the backup works, how bad is the upgrade procedure, the browser is ATROCIOUS etc, etc, etc.

        6.0.0.600 has introduced new bugs like not being able to effectively adjust the brightness of the screen any more.

        RIM has lost the plot, the most blatant sign was killing OS 6.1 for older devices.

        Thrust me I was a RIM fanboy, RIM has lost the plot.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    9900

    This is the BlackBerry Bold 9900 that they already launched once back in May. Perhaps they forgot that. I suspect that potential customers have.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Business phone

    Always amazes me that the only vendor to make exclusively business phones can continue to not readily offer a camera free version.

    I know the networks will be subsidising many handsets and that MMS is an important review stream but its just quite frankly a pain in the bum to not be able to get anything like a functional business phone easily without a camera.

    1. Steve Knox

      Because...?

      Why do you want a camera-free phone? (Not arguing, just curious)

      1. OkKTY8KK5U

        Camera-free is probably not entirely by choice

        My understanding is that there are a lot of places that simply forbid cameras, period, but don't necessarily forbid cellphones per se. I believe that is the bulk of any demand for camera-free phones in business contexts. (I'm not someone who regularly deals with such irritations, but I have encountered it.)

      2. Brendan Sullivan
        Black Helicopters

        re: Because...?

        Aside from personal preference and potential cost and power savings the most common reason for desiring camera free handsets is that in both industry and government sensitive and secure areas tend to have bans on cameras and/or recording devices. This frequently means that phones with cameras are confiscated and held by security while you are in said area. This presents a risk for the handset owner/user (someone with access to the area holding the confiscated phones might try snooping around on them, they might be stolen, bugged or otherwise tampered with). There are also meetings, parties and press events which have similar bans on cameras which pose the same issue.

        Since a significant part of any computer's security is protecting physical access to the device such situations present a serious risk of compromise.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Paris Hilton

        Hi

        Hi Steve, nice to meet you. You must work for RIM!

      4. stiv
        Paris Hilton

        just guessing

        but there are business establishments <petro-plants for example> that don't like folks bringing cameras on site without written permission

        Paris, 'cause we're talking about taking pictures

      5. Anonymous Coward
        Black Helicopters

        @SteveKnox

        Some uber secure companies don't allow camera phones because you could steal confidential stuff with them.

        I use my BB camera like a photo copier or a notepad, taking a quick photo of a configuration or document I may need to view later. So I can see the validity in their concern.

      6. CJ 1

        because...

        there are still some industries where you aren't allowed to take cameras on site, meaning you have to lose your whole phone.

    2. MikeSM
      Facepalm

      RE: Business phone

      They don't need to make a camera-free phone. The camera can be disabled using BES policy.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Mushroom

        Disabling it in BES won't cut it

        How can you show a security guard the lack of camera if its just software disabled? They will still confiscate it... same if you tape over it or whatever.

        Their instructions are that if it seems to have a camera, its forbidden.

        Yes, we are talking medium security sites (high security ones simply ban all phones!!)

  8. 404
    Mushroom

    I like the 9950

    Looks similar to my Storm2.

    However, I already carry four phones, two with data plans, on my family plan w/1400 shared minutes a month @$250+/-. Normal, or what used to be normal, would be the wife and I would upgrade and the boys fight over our phones. Everybody gets an upgrade of sorts. But if Verizon thinks they are going to get four data plans out of me they are fscking crazy! Smartphone without a data plan is pretty much useless.

    So we are Patient.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    9700 replacement

    Good to see the Bold 9700 replacement which looks like a nice upgrade. iPhone they aint but a good phone indeed.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    I've gone right off them.

    My 9700 is sitting on the desk at the moment. It's no longer talking to the desktop software. The desktop software is, frankly, pretty ropey at the best of times. Last month it decided to delete my Outlook Calendar from June 1st back to the year dot - which, since I'm self-employed, is basically my database of where I've been and who I've seen.

    I've been through all the 'how to fix it' stuff on the Blackberry forum, posted a question on there about what to do now - and silence.

    The new OS6 is slow and buggy, the desktop software is awful, and, frankly, I wish I didn't have 18 months left on my contract.

    1. John Sanders
      Facepalm

      I also own a 9780 since March

      I share your pains.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    And there was me thinking....

    ....that BB OS 7 _was_ the QNX-based version!

    Do I have it wrong or are they trying to do two changes of platform instead of one? If two, they *really* don't get it....

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Steve Knox - camera less phones

    Personally I can think of two reasons:

    1) Local nuke plant _really_ don't like camera phones.

    2) I work in a lot of schools. Camera phones are fine for kids, but a no-no for staff.

  13. Notorious Biggles
    FAIL

    RIM missed the boat...

    RIM sadly missed a huge target market and a unique selling point. We can all argue over the varying merits of different smartphone platforms, but BlackBerry Instant Messenger is great. No, really great, especially if you have family abroad.

    And, not only does BIM do text, it does pictures too. Unlimited, free MMS. And voice or video clips.

    It's the ultimate sexting platform.

    And they never marketed it as that. Shame, because they could have had just about every 14-40 year old buy their phones.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ I work in a lot of schools. Camera phones are fine for kids, but a no-no for staff.

    What schools have you been in that have banned camera phones for staff? I've worked in plenty too and never seen a school that's had this policy. Most staff bring in their personal phones, school budgets being as tight as they are.

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