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We’ve got it all on the Tour. When it’s coming out, which carriers will have it — including the Canadian ones and an unexpected one in America — and what it’ll cost. There are a few other tidbits too, like a camera-less version for enterprise customers. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.

While we riff on the Tour for the most part, there’s also an update on the BlackBerry Gemini. You can check out a review if you’re curious.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: July 2, 2009 - Episode 71

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: July 2, 2009 - Episode 71

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The biggest story in the BlackBerry space this week is that RIM has broken the 50 percent barrier of consumer users. This means, I guess, that over 50 percent of users are on BIS. This has been a long time coming, but it might not be totally accurate. For instance, I use my BlackBerry for business, but don’t count as an enterprise user. So while the numbers reflect a greater consumer usage, they’re at least a bit skewed. Not that it matters much. RIM continues to sell millions of devices per quarter.

While the narrative lies with the flashy new iPhone and the Pre, BlackBerry will come to the fore again when the Tour hits in July. Then there’s the Onyx, the Gemini, and eventually the Storm 2. So RIM has little to worry about when it comes to hype and media coverage.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: June 26, 2009 - Episode 70

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: June 26, 2009 - Episode 70

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The BlackBerry Tour has finally been announced, but we’re still awaiting a release date. Indicators are that it will hit Telus on July 15, but that’s not set in stone. Will it reach the U.S. first? Maybe. It would make sense if it did, but it’s no guarantee. Two things we do know: it will hit both Verizon and Sprint, and it will be $199.99. No big surprises there.

Another new device, the Onyx, has been reviewed and has also gotten an upgrade. First was the software, which identified it as the 9020, therefore in the Bold family. Second is hardware. Yes, they’ve updated it with the optical trackpad. So that’s something to be excited over. It’ll probably hit AT&T, and almost certainly drop before the holidays. This and the Storm 2 will be the next devices on the watch list after the Tour.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: June 19, 2009 - Episode 69

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: June 19, 2009 - Episode 69

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New prices at AT&T: Curve 8900 down to $149.99 from $199.99, and the Bold is down to $199.99 from $299.99. If you’re looking to pick one up soon, good for you. If you bought one within the past six months, I’m sorry. I doubt AT&T has any sympathy for you.

Bell in Canada has received their Tour promo material, which signals that we’re getting closer to the release date. It was a disappointment to not see it announced at WES, but it does make sense. After all, we know it’s coming. Rumors have been running rampant for months. So why announce the device now? Why not wait until you know the release date? Makes sense to me. Hopefully that’s what Verizon and RIM are up to.

Finally, RIM not only has three of the top five smartphones in America, but they also now have the highest percentage of the smartphone industry profits at 35 percent. This has been an astronomical rise over the past two years, as they ended 2007 in single digits. Surely the Curve helped their rise to the top.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: June 5, 2009 - Episode 67

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: June 5, 2009 - Episode 67

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Just as Lazaridis says RIM has deliberately moved into the consumer space, we see a ton of new devices headed AT&T’s way. This is in addition to the two, Tour and Storm 2, which should hit Verizon within the next six months. RIM keeps pumping ‘em out, and each one looks better than the last. Most notable of the AT&T releases is a non-flip Pearl 3G. That should brighten the day of some SureType fans.

There’s also a bit where we discuss how RIM’s consumer push hasn’t caused it to forget its roots. The push email and security which have defined BlackBerry for over a decade are still in full force. In fact, a recent study ranks BlackBerry well above the pack in terms of security.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 29, 2009 - Episode 66

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 29, 2009 - Episode 66

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The Storm 2 news came in slowly, but snowballed all week. We found out first that Verizon employees were required to complete training on the device by the end of this month. At the same time we confirmed what we had all guessed: Wi-Fi will be included, as it will be on all future Verizon Blackberrys.

The rumors ranged from a June release to a late July one. I’m apt to believe the latter. It’s still hard to believe that the Storm 2 is coming out so close to its predecessor. Also, RIM has abandoned the SurePress interface, which was so highly touted for the original Storm. In its stead is a more traditional touch screen.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 22, 2009 - Episode 65

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 22, 2009 - Episode 65

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We might not be that far from a Tour announcement. The rumored release dates are all falling around the same area, and the device was recently found in Telus’s and Verizon’s databases. That doesn’t mean much, really, but it should signal the impending announcement. Please?

The Storm 2 got caught on camera this week, much to the delight of BBGeeks everywhere. Hopefully this one fulfills the expectations of the first one. Then we deal with the nasty question of the expectations for the second one. Who knows, maybe RIM hits a homer with this one.

T-Mobile will get a pair of new BlackBerry devices this year: the Onyx, which is the GSM Tour it appears, and the Gemini/Curve, the entry-level devices with the optical track pad. Looks like T-Mo is going for an all-out BlackBerry attack. Get the top of the line device for the high-end customers and gadget hounds, and the low-end to attract new users. The Gemini should certainly do that better than the Pearl flip.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 15, 2009 - Episode 64

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 15, 2009 - Episode 64

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We lead with the disappointments: the announcements of the Tour and OS 5.0. They’ll probably announce both together, but when that announcement comes I have no clue. BRG says a July 17th release, so look for something later this month.

Despite that, WES still brought some interesting announcements. Hopefully the new developer push API will pay off. The more push apps, the better.

Oh yeah, and the Storm 2 is in the works. It’ll be interesting to see how it fares if/when Apple puts out a new iPhone.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 8, 2009 - Episode 63

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 8, 2009 - Episode 63

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As mentioned above, most of the show revolves around the two big WES rumors. We’ll get that news most likely on Sunday night, so you can catch it on Monday morning. We’ll be covering a cool development from WES each day next week, so be sure to stop by for the highlights.

After that we run down some of the quick hits from the week: BlackBerry Unite!’s demise, and its replacement with BlackBerry Groups, an on-device collaborative application. Color me excited. And then there’s the other WES announcement…kinda disappointing, really, but at least a few people will be excited.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 1, 2009 - Episode 62

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: May 1, 2009 - Episode 62

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The BlackBerry Tour? That’s what it sounds like they’re going to call the Niagra when it’s unveiled in just over a week. It’s a benign enough name, though I’d like to see RIM go with some of their prototype names, like the Sea Wolf and the Meteor. If we’re to believe the hype, this could be the best BlackBerry yet.

Apple, oh Apple. In October they went out of their way to say they sold more units than RIM in the past quarter. Now they’ve been outsold in the last two, but roughly six million units. It’s one advantage of having multiple devices which appeal to different types of people.

Plus, we’ve got the updates on Facebook, Viigo, and other software.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: April 24, 2007 - Episode 61

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BBGeekcast: April 24, 2007 - Episode 61