Blackberry CEO Thorsten Heins states that the company will be launching its Blackberry 7 devices in emerging markets, more specifically to the countries who have always been loyal to Blackbery’s products. While Apple and Samsung are the major players in the bigger markets, Blackberry is still one of the top players in the emerging markets, like Nigeria, where its devices top those of other companies.

After bringing Blackberry 7 devices to those markets, Heins says that the company will also be launching lower-end Blackberry 10 devices as well. Heins states, “We’re not excluding those markets from Blackberry 10 because of us wanting to sell Blackberry 7.” Blackberry plans on bringing a wide-variety of low to mid-ranged devices “that covers the entry-level market”. He states that the company needs to appeal to all the markets in order to turn a profit.

Along with releasing these lower-end devices, Heins states that the company is also working on developing a variety of new services and features that they can monetize. The new features will tie in mainly with Blackberry Messenger. One of the new features, BBM Money, will allow users to transfer money to each other through the app. Blackberry plans on developing its portfolio even further this year, which we sort of have an idea of thanks to the leaked Blackberry Roadmap. The Blackberry Z10 is a phenomenal device, and once more people get to see that, Blackberry may be able to pull off a successful comeback. Check out our Blackberry Z10 review to see if its the device for you.

[via CBC]

Sources from Crackberry have been reporting that the issue isn’t originating from Blackberry’s side, and that it must be from YouTube. Both Google and YouTube have yet to comment on the issue. It’s speculated that it has something to do with YouTube and a change they may have made that alters the way videos are played through its mobile app.

There are some workarounds that should allow Blackberry 7 or 7.1 users to view YouTube videos. One option is downloading the Opera mobile browser, which is still able to display YouTube videos. This method however causes the YouTube videos to display in a lower quality. The second workaround is a bit more work, but has received some positive responses from the Crackberry community: Go to a Youtube video and click on the arrow icon on the top right of the video. This should reveal the ‘share’ icon. Press it and choose ‘e-mail’ to e-mail the link to your device. You can then view the video from the link in your e-mail. The full quality of the videos are retained in this method.

Thankfully, Blackberry’s Z10 is unaffected by this YouTube issue. It would be terrible if their supposed ‘game-changing’ device became a victim of this. Hopefully YouTube, or Blackberry figures out what’s behind the mobile app malfunction. Until then, those of you with the affect Blackberry 7 devices will just have to sit tight with those workarounds. We’ll let you know more when we do.

[via Crackberry]

The 2.44-inch QVGA display is matched with a 3.2-megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM, an a microSD card slot for up to 32GB of storage. WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth are all onboard, and some software tweaks have been added too. VZ Navigator will give customers audible turn-by-turn navigation, while parental controls will stop teens from sexting the night away.

Verizon is offering the Curve 9310 for $99.99, although you can drop that down to $49.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate. The monthly price will be on the high side though. If you’re a customer needing unlimited texting and messaging plus 300MB of data, you’ll have to cough up $80 per month. Still, if it sounds like your next phone, you’ll be able to pick it up on July 12th.

There’s only 512MB of memory to play with, but a microSD card slot will help with the heavy lifting. It’s light too at 103 grams, has an FM radio if you’re feeling particularly retro, and includes what RIM call a “best in class” keyboard. RIM promises 7 hours of talk time out of the battery, and up to 18 days of standby. The dedicated BBM key makes an appearance on the side of the phone too, although you can configure the button you perform any action you designate.

Pricing looks to be around £139.99 (~$225) on Pay As You Go and should be available on May 14th in the UK. Three has taken a sneak peek at the device and given it a quick hands-on, so check out the video below for a closer look at the device.

Although the angular sharp look hasn’t generated very positive reactions so far, the device is intended to be a luxury edition BlackBerry, so for those who do like the look, you’ll probably have to pay dearly for the unique chassis. The device, otherwise, looks to be built similar to the 9900/9930 handset and features BlackBerry 7 OS, WiFi, 3G, and NFC.

The full details on the BlackBerry 9980 should be available in about a week as Porsche Design has issued invitations today to an unveiling event on October 27. The VIP event will take place in Dubai to preview an “exclusive collaboration between Porsche Design and BlackBerry.”

[via PocketNow]

If this is your first BlackBerry, you should know that not all BlackBerries come in one one black berry color – this 9360 comes in either black or a lovely merlot. You’ll get a 2.4-inch display, a full QWERTY keypad, the classic BlackBerry setup with the display sitting to the north of the keypad, the full device in a portrait configuration. You’ll also find that this keypad is one of the most comfortable to use in BlackBerry history, the spacing and the curvature of the setup optimized for your fingers to tap tap tap away on. You’ll get your ever-present navigation track-pad and four BlackBerry menu buttons as well, no worries!

Inside you’ll find the latest release of BBM BlackBerry Messenger, this version now connected to a range of other apps including the now ultra-popular Foursquare, all this through a new BBM Connected app. On the back of the device you’ll find a 5-megapixel camera with flash as well. A simple device with essential bits all around.

This BlackBerry, the Curve 9360, will be available in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers beginning the same day this post is posted, September 21, 2011. The black color finish will be available nationwide starting on September 28th, while the merlot color finish will be released on October 12th. This device will cost $79.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card, all this attached to a 2-year service agreement and qualifying classic voice and data plan.

Can you barely contain yourself?!

The leaked memo informs the carrier’s employees to “educate” customers that the Hot Spot feature advertised on the packaging is not yet available, but will arrive with the first major software update in Q4. This means that at least the BlackBerry Torch 9850 will soon be getting the much requested feature.

It’s unclear at this point, whether the other BlackBerry 7 OS devices released recently, such as the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and the BlackBerry Torch 9810, will also be getting the mobile Hot Spot capability in the next update. The feature could be carrier-specific.

[via CrackBerry]

According to BGR, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 is believed to feature a 1.2Ghz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, 8GB of internal storage, WiFi, GPS, and NFC. It maintains the same touchscreen and full QWERTY form factor but has an overall smaller footprint when compared to the BlackBerry Bold 9900. The device, however, will still be running BlackBerry 7 OS.

RIM plans to release about seven BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones by year-end before they make the full transition to its new QNX platform. RIM’s first QNX-based smartphone called the BlackBerry Colt is rumored for a release in early 2012. The current BlackBerry PlayBook tablet already runs on QNX.

The three models boast a sleek new look but retain the traditional BlackBerry Curve form factor with a 2.44-inch 480×360 display, a backlit QWERTY keyboard and optical trackpad. They each have a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording. They also support WiFi, GPS, and microSD for storage expandable with a memory card up to 32GB.

All three handsets run on an 800MHz processor and look identical on the outside. The main difference between the three models is the connectivity and storage options. The Curve 9350 is CDMA while the 9360 is EDGE/HSDPA, but both have 512MB of RAM and 512MB of storage. The Curve 9370 has CDMA/EVDO and EDGE with 512MB RAM and 1GB of storage.

The devices are expected to launch in Canada this month and worldwide in September. RIM recently launched three other BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones, including the BlackBerry Bold 9930, the Blackberry Torch 9850/9860, and the BlackBerry Torch 9810.

[via RIM]

Hardware

If it weren’t for the new silver color, you’d easily mistake the Torch 9810 for its 9800 predecessor. The casing and general design are identical, the phone being a somewhat chunky 4.37 x 2.44 x 0.57 inches and 5.68oz; a quick nudge with the thumb and the 3.2-inch touchscreen slides up to reveal the traditional RIM keyboard. The display is one half of RIM’s big hardware update, now running at 480 x 640 rather than the crunchy 360 x 480 of the 9800. It’s reasonably bright and clear, and the touch responsive.

Physical controls include the same optical trackpad and dedicated send, end, menu and back buttons as before. The QWERTY has less travel than on, say, the Bold 9900/9930 but is still highly usable. On the back is the 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash from the 9800, though now capable of 720p HD video recording. Connectivity is triband UMTS/HSPA with 14.4 Mbps downloads supported along with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0 and a microSD slot to augment the 8GB of integrated storage. What you don’t get is NFC, unlike the Bold 9900/9930.

The other significant change for the Torch 9810 is the processor. Where the original Torch had a frankly pitiful 624MHz CPU, RIM has pretty much doubled that for the new model and slotted in a single-core 1.2GHz chip. It’s paired with 768MB of RAM, up from 512MB.

Software

RIM is pushing BlackBerry 7 as being a significant step up from previous 6.x iterations, though in reality it’s still relatively incremental. Aesthetically it has borrowed a little UI gloss from QNX on the BlackBerry PlayBook, though we’ll have to wait until 2012 for the first true QNX-based BlackBerry smartphones. The WebKit browser is a solid upgrade from the mediocre example on the 9800, and thanks to the 1.2GHz processor it – and most of the rest of the OS – run far quicker. There’s little of the lag when moving between apps, though pinch-zooming webpages can still lead to some jerkiness. Perhaps that’s down to RIM’s animation rather than a shortcoming in the app, but the end result is that it simply feels less polished than, say, browsing on an iPhone.

BlackBerry Torch 9810 demo:

The Torch 9810 unsurprisingly does well when it comes to messaging, with email, SMS and IM – including BBM – all reminding us why BlackBerry devices have found lingering favor with enterprise users and chat-obsessed teens alike. Unfortunately, if you’re used to the bulging third-party software catalogs on iOS or Android, the BlackBerry App World will be a distinct disappointment. The range is far smaller, and many apps demand a fee whereas similar functionality can be found free in the Android Market or iOS App Store.

Phone and Battery

Audio performance from the 9810 was much akin to its predecessor, with solid earpiece and speakerphone sound and a decent microphone. We had no trouble keeping a signal, either. RIM is yet to announce a CDMA version, so for now it’s GSM or nothing.

The spec sheet suggests up to 6.5hrs of GSM talktime from the Torch 9810′s 1,270 mAh battery (or 5.9hrs 3G talktime), or up to 307hrs of standby. With the smartphone set to check for new messages and social networking updates as frequently as possible, we managed a full day of use with power to spare.

Wrap-Up

On the one hand, RIM has done just what we asked it to: given the Torch a faster turn of speed and a better display. Unfortunately, we asked for that twelve months ago, and otherwise – BB7 and 720p video notwithstanding – it’s basically the same smartphone as created a middling impression back in 2010.

While RIM has been playing catch-up, the rest of the smartphone landscape has changed dramatically. qHD and similarly high-res screens are now common, dual-core processors are no longer solely the preserve of top-tier Android phones but filtering down into more affordable models, and against that the Torch 9810 – despite being new today – already looks dated. When the fifth-gen iPhone arrives later in the year, it’s tough to see how the BlackBerry will stand a chance. RIM’s tweaks will appeal to die-hard 9800 owners, but the Torch 9810 is not the device to break the company out of its existing user-base.

Hardware

Where both Storm handsets were chunky and masculine in their styling, the Torch 9850 flexes some curves. It’s a lightweight phone, at 4.76oz, and slim too, measuring in at 4.72 x 2.44 x 0.45 inches. A bulge on the back contains the 5-megapixel autofocus camera and LED flash, capable of 720p HD video recording, while the front is dominated by a 3.7-inch 800 x 480 display.

There’s no too-clever-for-its-own-good virtual clicking here, just a regular capacitive LCD TFT touchscreen that’s reasonably bright and responsive. Underneath are the usual send, end, menu and back buttons, flanking an optical trackpad which we found too low on the fascia to convince us to use it instead of the touchscreen. Keeping things running is the same 1.2GHz single-core processor as in the Torch 9810, again paired with 768MB of RAM. 4GB of integrated storage can be extended by up to 32GB with a microSD card.

Connectivity includes CDMA EVDO Rev.A along with quadband GSM and single-band 2100MHz UMTS/HSPA, making the Torch 9850 a so-called “world phone” capable of voice and data outside of North America. There’s also WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and microUSB 2.0, a headphone socket and GPS/AGPS, though no NFC as in the Bold 9900.

The downside to the light weight is somewhat plasticky construction, and the 9850 is a fingerprint magnet thanks to its glossy finish. The battery cover is matte, but the fake chrome trim and entire front soon get shiny with fingerprint grease.

Software

The Torch 9850/9860 helps debut BlackBerry 7, RIM’s latest OS for smartphones. It’s not the QNX we’re waiting for – that won’t arrive on phones until 2012 – but it borrows some of the UI cues from the QNX-based PlayBook and the end result is a tighter user-experience than previous all-touch BlackBerries.

BlackBerry Torch 9850 demo:

Performance is swift thanks to the 1.2GHz processor, only showing some lag when pinch-zooming in the WebKit-based browser. That’s a shame, as the WVGA display offers the best internet experience of the new BlackBerry trio. It may lack the resolution of, say, the iPhone 4, and the web performance overall can seem sluggish on heavier pages when compared to dual-core Android devices, but it no longer feels quite as much of a struggle as the Storm and Storm 2 did.

For a company known for its physical keyboard prowess, switching to a virtual ‘board obviously comes with a learning curve. Unfortunately, the on-screen layout still falls short of what we’ve seen on other all-touch devices: in portrait orientation, the key spacing is a little too close for decent accuracy, for instance, though landscape orientation is better. What RIM needs is a slick predictive system, like Swype, which could introduce some intelligence to counter the lack of physical keys.

Phone and Battery

Given the slim profile of the 9850, we were concerned the BlackBerry might fall short when it came to speaker or signal performance. Happily neither is the case, with the Torch clinging to a signal well and audio through both the earpiece and the speaker sounding good, if a little shallow when it comes to low-end audio.

Battery life from the 1,230 mAh user-replaceable li-ion pack in the 9850 is quoted at up to 6.8hrs of CDMA talktime or up to 13.4 days of CDMA standby. The 3G equivalents are slightly less. In practice, we managed more than a day of full use out of the Torch, though you could certainly prolong that for considerably longer by playing with the sync settings.

Wrap-Up

The Torch 9850 is a solid, capable little smartphone, and BlackBerry 7′s UI arguably suits the all-touch display most of all. With the 1.2GHz processor RIM’s handsets no longer feel like the slowest devices in the pack, and while we’d welcome more metal and less plastic in the construction, the styling is a reasonably successful compromise between classic RIM functionality and the curviness of a consumer device.

With little in the way of must-have features however, it’s tough to recommend the 9850 to those who would otherwise be considering an iPhone or Android device. RIM’s strength has always been in its text entry and messaging talents, but while the IM/BBM/email combo is present, the onscreen keyboard underwhelms. Third time’s the charm when it comes to RIM’s attempts at an all-touch device, but while the Torch 9850 is far better than the Storms that came before it, it still lacks the stand-out appeal that could break it out of the BlackBerry niche.

There’ll also be twin cameras, he expects, together with a standalone email app and the RIM Android app player available from launch. Both software items are expected to be added to the PlayBook tablet later this year.

In contrast, the earlier Colt rumors suggested RIM was currently testing a 1GHz single-core smartphone likely to be a more traditional QWERTY/touchscreen hybrid in the manner of the Bold series. It’s possible that RIM could release two new phones at once, of course; earlier this month the company launched the BlackBerry Torch 9810 and Torch 9850/9860 simultaneously.

However, Abramsky isn’t confident that RIM will have much success with its 2011 range. “BlackBerry 7 is unlikely to reverse deeply negative investor sentiment over RIM’s future,” he argues, “pending improved visibility to success or failure of pending QNX handsets expected 2012.” The analyst expects seven new BlackBerry 7 devices in 2011.

[via BGR]

Many folks are criticizing RIM’s new offerings, saying that the new devices will not be upgradeable when RIM transitions to its new QNX OS. The current hardware will not be compatible, meaning that if customers want to upgrade to get the new OS features, they’ll have to buy a new phone. A “super phone” is already in the works for the QNX OS slated to hit sometime next year.

Furthermore, the current BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones do not support Flash, which is an oddity since Apple rivals typically use that as a marketing weapon. According to Business Insider, RIM explains that Flash requires dual-core processors to render properly, which these new BlackBerry OS 7 handsets are not equipped with.

[via Business Insider]

The Tweet didn’t reveal any specifics except that the BlackBerry OS 7 devices are coming soon, asking followers to check back tomorrow for the details. Some of the BlackBerry OS 7 devices we already know about, include the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 as well as the BlackBerry Touch 9860 also known as the Monza or Monaca. Some were slated for a summer release but have since been delayed for September.

It’s not clear what caused the delay, although RIM suggests that it was partly due to efforts in getting the hardware to meet market expectations. Hopefully, what details come tomorrow will be exciting enough to mitigate some of the bitter news announced this morning of RIM’s imminent layoff of 2,000 workers.

[via IntoMobile]

RIM had its shareholder general meeting recently and during the meeting co-CEO Jim Balsillie told investors that the company plans to launch seven new smartphones with the next generation Blackberry 7 OS running the show. However, the executive did point out that the company would be challenged to hit the target of seven launches. Balsillie also said that their had been delays in launching a new version of the OS. The new phones are expected to allow RIM to meet its financial goals for the year.

The other half of the co-CEO team at RIM is Mike Lazaridis. Lazaridis noted that the delays with the new versions of the OS were due to the efforts put into getting the smartphones to meet market expectations. “[Adopting competitive hardware] may have delayed us, but we are going to come out ahead,” Lazaridis said. We already have a idea of a few of the smartphones running the new OS like the Bold 9900 and 9930 as well as the leaked Touch 9860 Monza/Monaca phones that have been spied in the wild already.

[via Guardian]

According to RIM, the reasoning behind the absent upgrades is that the new OS is so dependent on the hardware graphics capabilities of its new handsets. The Bold 9900/9930 has a 1.2GHz processor and boosted GPU, unlike the slower, less advanced chipsets of earlier phones.

Still, it’s likely to come as a disappointment to current owners, who had hoped to see some of BlackBerry 7 OS’ improved web browsing abilities. The new platform has voice-activated search, a faster JavaScript compiler and HTML5 Video support, among other things.

However, no indication of the actual nature of what features might be included in that “big update” were given, leaving us with only rumor and speculation to go on. The change may in fact be a combination of functionality and more general system tweaks, though too considerable for some of RIM’s current range to handle. By switching to BlackBerry 7, RIM could well be drawing a line under those devices, effectively ending significant software updates for the phones.

As for more noticeable changes, OpenGL acceleration is believed to be incoming, which will hopefully make for a smoother overall experience together with better gaming support. The new platform is expected to make its debut at BlackBerry World 2011 next week, which SlashGear will be attending.

[via Electronista]

BlackBerry 6.1 had been expected to make its debut on devices like the BlackBerry Touch and the Torch 2, offering functionality like mobile hotspot, visual voicemail and NFC. BlackBerry 7, meanwhile, was to be the company’s transition to QNX, as runs on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

What the name change means is still unclear. It’s speculated that RIM is looking to make more of a splash with the OS alongside whatever new hardware it brings to the show next week, and thought BB7 sounded better than BB6.1. Alternatively, it could be looking to better distinguish between the new devices and older handsets, potentially meaning owners of existing BlackBerry phones might not get BlackBerry 7. Whatever RIM has decided, SlashGear will be at BlackBerry World next week to bring back all the details.