On Sunday, we told you about a new BlackBerry handset found on the Geekbench benchmark site. Rumored to be a high-end model called the BlackBerry "Ontario," this is certainly not one of the entry-level handsets for developing markets being produced by Foxconn for BlackBerry. The "Ontario" features a quad-core Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 under the hood, underclocked at 2.15GHz.
The BlackBerry "Ontario" will be part of the BlackBerry "O" series. The same quad-core Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 to be used in the "Ontario" will also find its way into the BlackBerry "W" series (featuring a physical QWERTY) and the BlackBerry "B" (all-touch) handsets.
If a quad-core 'Berry doesn't convince you that the Canadian manufacturer is still in it to win it, consider the latest rumor. According to multiple sources, BlackBerry plans on employing the MSM8994 SoC on a new high-end device in 2015. This chip, built using the 20nm process, includes a 64 bit octa-core 2.5GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, an Adreno 430 GPU, and an integrated 4G LTE modem.
Combined with the right specs, it sounds like BlackBerry could have a monster on its hands next year. CEO John Chen just needs to make it through this year first.
source: N4BB, CNET
When BlackBerry Messenger first came out, it made sense to have a unique BBM PIN that you shared in order to connect with friends. At the time, people were wary of using a phone number as the identification for such a service (and Snapchat has shown that you still should be), so the idea made sense. However, these days the idea is antiquated and frankly just flat out annoying in practice.
Luckily, a new update for BBM is bringing a much needed "Find Friends" feature to Android and iOS. So, rather than sharing a BBM PIN, the app will simply use your local contacts list to find people you know on the service. BlackBerry isn't explicit about how it will work, but we assume your local contacts will be compared to the information held on BlackBerry servers. And, you can easily invite new users to the service via email or SMS.
The update for Android will be rolling out over the next 24 hours, and the update for iPhone is planned for sometime this week. It's a solid update to BBM, but as usual the question remains whether it really matters, or if BlackBerry is once again too late to the game. At this point, it seems that most users who found BBM the most useful have already moved to WhatsApp or even Facebook for their messaging needs. Will anyone out there be using this?
Download: BBM (Android & iOS)
source: BlackBerry
If you're a die hard BlackBerry fan, the kind that can't imagine using any other keyboard than the one on the BlackBerry Q10, you might have been concerned by the appointment of John Chen to replace Thorsten Heins as CEO of the Canadian manufacturer. With the reputation as someone who has turned around a troubled company (Sybase) and dressed it up to be sold to a much larger one (SAP), the fear was that Chen would concentrate on areas like the enterprise, BES and let the consumer handset business die in its sleep.
But Chen recently confirmed that the consumer smartphone business is still a top priority at Waterloo, despite the challenges of taking on a rather entrenched duopoly in iOS and Android. With the enterprise business, BlackBerry has BES although the CEO recently said that the company has lost users since BlackBerry 7 was retired.
Hand in hand with the enterprise business is BlackBerry's reputation for security. Chen says that no platform is as secure as the BlackBerry OS. And while this once might have been more important to the businesses and government agencies who are transmitting confidential information on a smartphone and storing it on the device, the NSA 'scandal' has brought the issue of security to the general public. That could benefit BlackBerry's consumer sales.
"People who love their BlackBerry have always appreciated that their device allows them to get things done. And central to our productivity focus is our keyboard. BlackBerry has invested years of research and development to create the world’s best mobile keyboard, and that will continue to be a central focus for us...One critical challenge we have been addressing is the company’s broad approach on both enterprise and consumer markets...doesn’t mean we are turning our back on the consumer--far from it--but it’s important we narrow our focus on our core strengths. I believe in the values of this brand and I’ve assembled the right team and strategy with the strong confidence that we will rebuild BlackBerry for the benefit of all of our constituencies."-John Chen, CEO, BlackBerry
With some research firms reporting that BlackBerry had 0% of the U.S. smartphone market in the fourth quarter, keeping the faith is going to be hard for those die-hard fans that the company still has left. Chen earlier said that the company is working on some high-end models for the U.S.market that are not covered by its 5-year pact with Foxconn. This is where BlackBerry has fallen flat on its face before. If it can come up with a device that can challenge the competition specs wise, perhaps BlackBerry's strengths in the physical keyboard and security areas can help it bounce off the bottom of the consumer smartphone market. This seems to be what John Chen is counting on.
source: FastCompany via BerryReview
BBM for Android has been installed millions of times since its (bumpy) launch, but that's not enough for the folks in Waterloo. Today BlackBerry has confirmed what many already suspected: it's planning to launch a version of BBM for phones still running Android 2.3 in February. Those first versions only ran on Ice Cream Sandwich or later, and BlackBerry has been not-so-quietly scouting forGingerbread beta testers for at least two weeks. It's not hard to see why the company wants to branch out further, especially since it's dealing with pressure from buzzy messaging apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp. And while it might feelancient, Gingerbread still powers over a fifth of active Android devices. Lots of those phones are sold at cut-rate prices across the globe, so BlackBerry has a shot at maintaining its messaging mojo in developing markets... though pumping outcheap Foxconn-made phones should help too.
If you own a BlackBerry Z30, Q10 or Q5, then your smartphone can suddenly do a neat little trick. The company's latest software update enables those devices to become an FM radio, letting you stage an impromptu dance party without a data connection. Version 10.2.1 also brings a series of minor, but welcome, tweaks to the platform, including a new screen for answering calls, SMS groups, offline reading mode and picture passwords. The update is making its way to all BlackBerry 10 handsets from today, including the Porsche P'9982, for all you fancy-dans out there.
