Tag Archives: Research in Motion

RIM unveils a tablet of its own, the BlackBerry PlayBook

On Monday Research In Motion (RIM) CEO Mike Lazaridis unveiled a BlackBerry tablet device called the BlackBerry PlayBook at the 2010 BlackBerry Developer Conference.  So what exactly is the PlayBook, you ask?  Let’s start with the hardware specifications.  The 7-inch LCD display (1024 x 600, WSVGA) dominates the device in a form factor we’ve all come to know and love in the Apple iPad.  It’s a capacitive touch screen with full multitouch and gesture support.  For a modern tablet, this thing is a beast.  It packs a Cortex A9-based 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM.  Ports around the edges include microHDMI, microUSB, and charging contacts.  802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support is there as well.  Various video (1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV) and audio (MP3, AAC, WMA) playback formats are supported, as is HDMI video output.  There are two HD webcams, a 3MP cam on the front and a 5MP cam at the rear; the back-facing cam supports 1080p HD video recording.  The PlayBook measures at 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ and weighs less than one pound, making it smaller and lighter than the iPad.  3G & 4G models will be issued, and although capacity was not formally announced, 16GB & 32GB units were on display.

Next let’s talk software.  No, the PlayBook does not run the recently announced BlackBerry 6 operating system.  Instead it runs BlackBerry Tablet OS, an operating system built with a touch-based interface in mind.  It’s built upon the QNX Neutrino microkernel architecture.  QNX is a software company RIM bought earlier this year, and they are respected in the industry for their reliable, secure, and robust operating system architectures known for powering planes, trains, automobiles, medical equipment, and large core Internet routers.  In other words, RIM is messing around with Tablet OS.  So what’s RIM pushing with their new OS?  The combination of the 1GHz dual-core processor software-based symmetric multiprocessing promises “true multitasking” and a highly responsive, fluid user experience.  You can look forward to “uncompromised web browsing” thanks to support from Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, and HTML5 in the mobile WebKit browser.  The PlayBook also touts BlackBerry integration and enterprise-ready support.  This is where RIM is really looking to stand out in the competition.  If you have a BlackBerry smartphone you can pair it to your PlayBook over a Bluetooth connection to view “email, BBM, calendar, tasks, documents and other content” on the larger tablet display, no syncing required.  The PlayBook comes BlackBerry Enterprise Server-ready and compatible out-of-the-box, so this’ll surely make the suits a happy bunch.

Lastly it’s time to bring up developer and app support.  The PlayBook will have access to the BlackBerry App World.  RIM claims that the Tablet OS is “built for developers” and wants the app-makers to start pumping out consumer and business-friendly apps ASAP.  Apple has one leg up on the competition due to the uber-success of the App Store and all its contents and RIM is ready and willing to heat up the competition.  “The [Tablet] OS is fully POSIX compliant enabling easy portability of C-based code, supports Open GL for 2D and 3D graphics intensive applications like gaming, and will run applications built in Adobe Mobile AIR as well as the new BlackBerry WebWorks app platform.”  In addition to announced the PlayBook, RIM pleased developers in attendance with the announced of the WebWorks platform and other dev tools.  In short, WebWorks will allow devs to quickly and efficiently write code for a BlackBerry app that’s tightly integrated with BB 6 and Tablet OS functionality.  A new Advertising Service allows “simple” and “rich media” ads to be easily transposed into an app.  The Payment Service SDK will allow for in-app purchases for third-party devs over over credit card, PayPal, and carrier billing.  Last, RIM is finally opening up BMM to the devs with the BlackBerry Messenger Social Platform.  App devs will have the ability to use BBM to relay messages, files, user profiles, and invitations to end users.

Besides letting loose details about the hardware specifications, glossing over the software capabilities, and getting developers excited to produce content for a new platform, RIM unfortunately did not give an in-depth preview of the the Tablet OS, so it’s hard to say how simple or intuitive the device actually runs.  Definitely peek after the break to watch a preview video that hints at a CoverFlow/WebOS hybrid UI.  It’s interesting to look at how RIM wants to market the PlayBook.  They are calling it a “professional-grade” tablet that is “perfect for either large organizations or an “army of one.””  They are certainly distancing themselves from King iPad by touting the Flash/ HTML5 Webkit browser and true multitasking from the start.  I get it–business suits love their BlackBerrys for the phenomenal enterprise support and the PlayBook would make a sensible companion.  Thing is, I’m not so sure if BlackBerry can bank on the “professional” demographic to gain much market (and more importantly) mind share with the PlayBook.  (What? Is Apple’s approach too fun and playful for serious buyers? I think not.)  Two things need to happen for the PlayBook to become a breakout hit.  The device needs to be competitively priced (pricing has yet to be disclosed) and the App World needs a big backing from developers.  The latter requirement is essential; super resourceful apps make all devices (cell phones, tablets, etc.) enticing for consumers and business professionals alike.  RIM has to prove the worthiness of the PlayBook, devs need to jump onboard the platform, and consumers will respond when it comes time to buy.  The PlayBook has tons of potential and people are excited; Twitter was beeming with positive feedback after the announcement was made.  If RIM can properly execute on this, a worthy competitor to the iPad might finally arrive.  The PlayBook is expected to release in “early 2011” in the US; international rollouts will begin in Q2 2011.

[Via Engadget, here & here]

Continue reading RIM unveils a tablet of its own, the BlackBerry PlayBook

RIM formally details new BlackBerry 6 OS

When Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry smartphones, officially unveiled the latest BlackBerry operating system in late April at WES they failed to properly go into much detail about it.  We were teased with a brief (music) video demonstration and that was about it.  On Tuesday the company finally revealed in full detail the next iteration of its OS dubbed BlackBerry 6.  I’ll run down the most prominent new features.  A newly designed home screen allows for customization and arrangement of icons, contacts, and web page shortcuts; context-sensitive Action Menus allows “users [to] bring the most common actions or tasks of an application to the surface”; a Universal Search tool allows you to search keywords that will ping all the phone’s content, the web, and the new BlackBerry App World; an all-new Webkit browser features tabbed browsing, auto-wrap text zoom, pinch-to-zoom, and supports HTML5 content; Social Feeds integrate access to BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger applications, allowing you to view all your friends’ actitivies in one space; it also allows you to “post updates across multiple networks simultaneously”.

The new multimedia experience in BB6 packs a really exciting new feature–the ability to sync your music collection over WiFi.  Using BlackBerry Desktop Software 6, you can enable Wi-Fi Music Sync “that allows users to view their entire iTunes or Windows Media Player music libraries from their BlackBerry smartphone, create and edit playlists, as well as select music for download.”  As long as you’re in range of your WiFi signal, playlist edits and song information are automatically synced to the phone.

The OS also includes new camera modes and a Podcasts application that allows you to manage audio and video podcasts.  A dedicated YouTube app is included, too.  All of these new and updated features comprise BlackBerry 6.  Consumers will have the chance to get their hands on it August 26 with the launch of BlackBerry Torch, the first BB to come loaded with the new OS.  According to RIM, BB6 will be ported to the BlackBerry Bold 9700, BlackBerry Bold 9650, and BlackBerry Pearl 3G “subject to carrier certifications in the months ahead.”

Overall BlackBerry 6 is a welcome and much needed refresh to the aging BlackBerry UI.  The most exciting update is the system-wide multi-touch experience.  The Storm and Storm 2 smartphones did pack capacitive touchscreens, but BB6-supported phones will be designed around the multi-touch experience consumers are used to finding in devices like Apple’s iPhone and Motorola’s Droid.  A new Webkit browser will definitely wow users with its speed and future-proof support for HTML5.  The new social networking features also look promising.  As exciting as all of these new additions to the BlackBerry platform may sound, almost all of them have already been implemented in other smartphones for years.  With BB6 RIM is essentially playing catch up with the big players (ie. Apple, Google).  RIM has failed to incorporate that extra pinch of bam that separates itself from the competition.  While BB6 definitely pushes BlackBerry devices closer to the competition in terms of features and aesthetics, it does not give cell phone buyers a definitive reason to choose this OS over another one.  BBM’s sheen can only last so long.

Look after the break for the full PR plus a “sneak peak” video.

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo] Continue reading RIM formally details new BlackBerry 6 OS

BlackBerry Torch slider QWERTY smartphone runs BlackBerry 6, hits AT&T August 12 for $199.99

On Tuesday RIM and AT&T formally announced the latest BlackBerry handset and it’s called the BlackBerry Torch.  It’s BB’s first slider smartphone, and it comes with a full QWERTY keyboard BB users are accustomed to.  Let’s run through the specs, shall we?  The Torch packs a 3.2″ (360 x 480) capacitive touch screen display,  5.0MP camera with flash, auto focus, image stabilization and geo-tagging, built-in GPS and 802.11n WiFi, quadband 3G radio, and 512MB of Flash memory with 4GB on-board and a microSD/SDHC memory card slot for additional storage (up to 32GB supported).  It measures 4.4″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ when closed and 5.8″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ when the slider keyboard is out.  Face buttons include start/end calls, main menu, back, and an optical trackpad.  The Torch will be the very first BB to run the just detailed BlackBerry 6 operating system.  This means it will include the fast Webkit browser (for which it was named after–RIM recently bought a company named Torch Mobile), integrated social feeds, a new multimedia experience, and universal search.  The phone will be made available to purchase on August 12 for $199.99 on a new two-year contract with AT&T at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, RadioShack, and AT&T stores.

The brand new form factor is extremely compelling.  It’s the new OS, which seems to be following the pack and not making its own strides, that I am worried about.  Look in the gallery below for press shots and after the break for the PR and two “launch videos”.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading BlackBerry Torch slider QWERTY smartphone runs BlackBerry 6, hits AT&T August 12 for $199.99

Blackberry OS 6.0 revealed at WES 2010

At this year’s Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES), Research in Motion (RIM) showed off the latest BlackBerry OS in video form.  (Go acronyms! Anyway…)  RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis did not go into detail about “BlackBerry 6” but he did have these choice words to say: “It’s an all-new user experience guided by a few fundamental design principles.  It had to be easy to use, yet incredibly powerful.  It had to be fun and approachable.  Anyone that looks at it should say ‘I want a BlackBerry.'”  He also shared his excitement about the “all-new WebKit browser.”  According to a leaked report from BGR, BB 6 will feature a new home screen (with customizable icons), the WebKit browser (with tab support), a redesigned media player and photo viewer, and a bunch of new keyboard commands.  It’s expected that BB 6 will natively support multitouch, finding a home both on touch and non-touch screen devices.  RIM confirms it will release later this year.

Also introduced at the event: the new BlackBerry Bold 9650 & BlackBerry Pearl 3G.  Sprint formally announced it will sell the new Bold for $199.99 with a new two-year contract; Verizon Wireless is expected to make a similar offer.  The Pearl 3G is heading to Canada first on Bell, Telus, and Rogers.  Peek after the break for an image of the sleek new pair of handsets.

[Via Gizmodo; Engadget; The Street] Continue reading Blackberry OS 6.0 revealed at WES 2010