Pretty much everybody is getting into the tablet game these days in the wake of the iPad actually making it a viable market. Samsung has the Galaxy Tab, Motorola is putting out the Xoom, and we’re sure there are a bunch of cheesy Chinese knockoffs coming as well. But one competitor people have been awaiting is Research In Motion and how they were going to respond to the tablet craze. Back in September, we found out it was going to be with the PlayBook, but we didn’t know when it was coming out.

Well, guess no more; it’s coming April 19th.

Continue Reading

So HTC‘s latest smartphone looks a bit like the Blackberry Bold, but that’s okay; RIM’s probably flattered by having some competition that isn’t copying the iPhone (although, HTC’s kind of done that as well). For specs, you’ve got the Windows Mobile OS running on a 528 MHz Qualcomm processor. There’s 192 MB of RAM — a bit better than the Bold’s 128 MB, at least — a 2.4-inch screen, a 2-megapixel camera, 3G HSPA and all the usual stuff, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 and a QWERTY keyboard. Asking price? Fat chance, they never talk about this stuff during reveals. It’ll be available in the second quarter, but here’s something nice: An unlocked version, dubbed the HTCS522, will arrive for U.S. consumers in the summer.

Make sure you take a look at the BlackBerry free apps that are available to download on the market place. There are many new free apps to keep you entertained on your new RIM device.

[via Wired]

Eat this, iPhone: the Blackberry Curve was the most popular handset in retail stores during the month of December. It had already accomplished the same feat in November, so RIM can feel pretty good about making a hot holiday item. AvianResearch’s Monthly Retail Store Survey gathers data from 100 service representatives and store managers at the four major carriers’ stores. It’s not clear whether Apple stores are included in the survey, so maybe this is a little skewed? In any case, Blackberry Storm came in third, followed by LG’s Voyager and Dare to round out the top five. Then came the Blackberry Bold, Samsung’s Rant, Behold and Instinct and, finally, the LG Env2 — envious of those other phones, no doubt. Burn! [RCR Wireless via Electronista]

Any developers in the house? Research in Motion is now accepting submissions for the “Blackberry Application Storefront.” In opening the door to developers, RIM revealed that it’s “counting down to a spring launch.” That’s great news for software makers who haven’t given up on the Blackberry to focus on the iPhone’s sexy App Store or Android’s spiffy Marketplace. Of course, Blackberry applications have been around for some time, but these days it’s all about the virtual app mall. We await a firm release date for this surely transcendental shopping experience. [Blackberry via VentureBeat and MobileCrunch]

RIM is going to give Windows Mobile a run for its money. The company has announced the BlackBerry Application Suite, a software platform that can run on Windows Mobile 6 powered devices. The virtual environment will give support to all those things BlackBerry users have come to know and love such as BlackBerry email, phone, calendar, address book, tasks, memos, browser and instant messaging. Pretty sweet deal for people who’ve been looking for a decent alternative to Windows Mobile to use on their handset. [via UberGizmo]

The much-anticipated Blackberry Storm has finally hit the public.  This morning, RIM officially revealed what is unquestionably the most lustworthy Blackberry to date.  The Blackberry Storm is a touchscreen smart phone that is certain to give tough competition to the iPhone.  The Storm’s 3.25″ touchscreen is a bit different than any other– it is also a floating button that can be “clicked”.  Pressing down on the touch screen actually clicks to activate any selected app or function.  Users of classic Blackberrys will recognize this as the logical replacement for the jog wheel click.  The Storm includes an accelerometer, allowing for motion control for functions like screen-flipping and otherwise.  Its video playback is smooth and pristine, making the most of the 480×360 display.  For more details and hands-on, Engadget has a detailed walkthrough.  To tinker for yourself, head on over to Blackberry’s Storm website…  [blackberry]

The people at Research in Motion have flipped the script on the classic Blackberry.  RIM revealed their first-ever flip phone today, the Blackberry Pearl 8220.  The Pearl 8220 takes the non-qwerty keypad from earlier Pearl models and fits it into a slim, clam shell design (or should we say “oyster shell”?).  The 8220 includes most of the features of the Pearl line, including wi-fi support, video recording and mobile streaming.  While the addition of a flip phone to Blackberry’s line is interesting, we’re going to withhold judgment until we see a price…

Buy: $TBA