GeekSugar

What's the Difference Between the Three New BlackBerry Curve Models?

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:22:36 PDT

RIM announced three new BlackBerry Curve models today - the 9350, 9360, and 9370. All come with sleek and slim bodies, but they are virtually identical (save a few small tweaks in battery life and storage capacity). Check out the differences of the new trio of BlackBerry Curves below!

Specs They Share in Common
All three Curve models are super slim, coming in at just .43 inches thick and just a hair under 3.5 ounces with a 2.44-inch display and 800mhz processor. Just as a comparison, most of the Android phones you know and love these days are being stocked with 1Ghz processors and above. (Some of which are dual core, like the Droid X2), which make them lightning fast so you can expect these Curves to be a little on the slower side. Good news is that they all come with with the new BlackBerry 7 OS, a 5MP camera with flash and some other cool camera features like face detection, image stabilization, and geo-tagging. Video isn't going to be all that great, though, since it records at VGA standards (640x480). Additionally, all three of the 9300 series phones will come with NFC technology for mobile payments on the go.

Where They're Different
All of the new BlackBerry Curve models come with up to 5.5 hours of talk time, but the Curve 9350 has the most standby time (14.5 days) and media playback time - 45 hours of music and 9 hours of video. It seems that the 9360 has the least battery life of all three models, so if you're planning on playing a lot of music and videos, you might want to go with the 9350. Additionally, (not that I think this will be a dealbreaker) all three models are compatible with a number of music, video, and photo formats, but the 9350 and 9370 can also play .qpc audio formats, which are generally used for unique ring tones and voice recording. Finally, the 9370 has the most storage, coming with 1GB of on-board and expandable up to 32GB MicroSD. The 9350 and 9360 trail slightly behind at 512MB of on-board, expandable up to 32GB MicroSD. All three phones have 512MB of RAM.

Now that you know the (very minor) differences, get a closer look at the devices in the slideshow!

RIM Announces New Phones, Facebook Apps, and More at BlackBerry World

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:19:51 PDT

The BlackBerry World conference is kicking off this week in Orlando, but the news is already flowing out of the expo. New devices, operating systems, and apps, oh my! Check out all the latest BlackBerry news below!

New devices - RIM unveiled BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9300 models, which both feature keyboards and touchscreens and are the thinnest BlackBerry devices yet at 10.5mm thick.

See the rest of the OS and PlayBook announcements after the break.

BlackBerry Messenger May Be Heading to Android and iOS

Kristen Hawley — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:06:28 PST

Anyone who's had a BlackBerry will likely tell you that BlackBerry Messenger is one of the coolest features on the device. It allows free and fast messaging to any other BlackBerry user by using a special PIN without worry of text messaging fees. Plus, it allowed you to see when your message was read - a helpful if slightly stalkerish feature. After switching to an iPhone from a BlackBerry, I certainly missed the service, even feeling slightly out of touch with friends still on BBM. Now, if a new rumor is correct, BBM is soon coming to Android and iOS devices.

Find out more after the break.

Which Upcoming Tablet Gets You the Most Excited?

GeekSugar — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:00:24 PST

Both the iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab made their marks on 2010 (and became quite the fashion statement in Hollywood), but there are a few other tablets on the horizon that may be worthy of your cash. Take the HP Slate for example: at 1.5 pounds and coming with an 8.9-inch backlit LED touchscreen, it's perfect for business on the go. RIM is also prepping its PlayBook for the public in 2011, and while the rumored Windows 7-running Samsung tablet with a slide-out keyboard sounds cool, it leaves us scratching our heads just a bit. I get pretty stoked about new tech myself, so tell me - which tablet gets you the most excited?

RIM's PlayBook Tablet Slated For March, Will Cost Under $500

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:00:21 PST

The tablet market is exploding since the huge success of Apple's iPad, with Samsung, HP, and even Dell creating tablets (or tablet-like devices) of their own. Now RIM is releasing more details about its seven-inch PlayBook tablet, specifically pricing and release date.

A WiFi-only version is expected to hit the market first with a sub-$500 price tag in March 2011. This should place the PlayBook squarely in the running to compete with the Galaxy Tab in terms of price and size. Since the PlayBook will be running the latest BlackBerry OS 6, it's sure to be a big draw for BlackBerry lovers everywhere.

RIM Officially Announces the PlayBook Tablet, Due in 2011

GeekSugar — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 01:47:02 PDT

Sketchy details first emerged about iPad competitor over the Summer, and now RIM has released official details. The tablet, dubbed the PlayBook - not the Blackpad - features a seven-inch screen (smaller than the previously reported 9.7-inch) with a 1024 x 600 pixel display. It will also feature a GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, dual HD cameras, and support for HTML 5 and Flash.

It's 9.7 mm thick, with HDMI and USB ports. The PlayBook will run the newest BlackBerry OS, and only work over a WiFi connection or tethered connection from another BlackBerry device, though a 3G version is expected in a later iteration.

While pricing details weren't announced, the PlayBook is expected to hit stores in early 2011. Check out a video of the new device's functionality after the break.

Government Wants to Be Able to Tap Online Communication

GeekSugar — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:45:27 PDT

In last night's Mad Men episode, Betty gets a surprise visit from the Department of Defense, who are investigating a certain ex-husband who isn't who he says he is. When she calls Don to tell him the news, they suddenly realize that the phone line could be tapped, and their conversation turns humorously stilted as they try to keep things as nonincriminating as possible. But 50 years later, who even has a house phone line to tap anymore? The US government knows that the answer is not a lot, so it has proposed a new bill that tries to make it easier for the feds to wiretap electronic communication.

Get all the details on the proposal after the break.

RIM Officially Launches BlackBerry Torch 9800, New OS 6.0

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:00:00 PDT

RIM officially unveiled two projects it had been working on this morning - the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and its new OS 6 - during a press conference in NYC. We get our first look at the BlackBerry Torch here (which is RIM's first smartphone to come with both a 3.2-inch touchscreen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard), while getting a closer look at the OS 6.0 operating system.

Hitting AT&T exclusively on Aug. 12, the BlackBerry Torch comes with a ton of social networking features (which will take up even more of your time during the day) and some nice specs under the hood.

View 5 Photos ›

Check out all the specs on the Torch, along with pricing plans, and additional OS 6 details after the break.

United Arab Emirates Bans BlackBerrys Starting in October

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:47:04 PDT

It's a good thing the ladies of Sex and the City 2 traveled to Abu Dhabi when they did. Officials in the United Arab Emirates - where Abu Dhabi is the capital - have Banned BlackBerrys from the country completely. Want to know why? Find out more, as well as what prompted the action after the break.

RIM Launching iPad Competitor This November

GeekSugar — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:15:00 PDT

The iPad is a bestseller, but that's not preventing RIM from releasing its own "iPad killah" this November called the BlackPad (yes, the BlackPad).

This tablet will be checking in with similar specs as the iPad - like a 9.7-inch screen alongside WiFi and Bluetooth technology - but will feature some additional goodies that the iPad is lacking.

Find out what those are, along with rumored pricing info, after the break.