While BlackBerry phones are easily the most popular cellular phones in Barbados, BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) is looking to get an even tighter grip on the mobile phone market with the release of three new BlackBerry smartphones this week.
The new BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Torch 9860 and BlackBerry Torch 9810 are expected to be available tomorrow from both Digicel and LIME.
Speaking last Tuesday in Jubilee Gardens, The City, at LIME’s launch of Wi-Fi in The City, LIME managing director Alex McDonald said the new phones were expected to be in high demand.
“I think [the Bold] is going to be probably the best seller we’ve ever had in terms of the Blackberry devices,” he said
Released last month in North America, the three phones feature RIM’s next generation of hardware and software using the new BlackBerry 7 operating software and offering a variety of designs.
BlackBerry 7 introduces a next generation BlackBerry browser with a faster, more fluid web surfing experience that delivers browsing results that are up to 40 per cent faster than BlackBerry 6-based smartphones and up to 100 per cent faster than BlackBerry 5-based smartphones. Additional enhancements to the browser have also optimized zooming and panning for smoother web navigation and optimized performance for gaming and video experiences.
The new smartphones also feature Liquid Graphics technology, with each phone combining a dedicated high-performance graphics processor with a fast processor and high-resolution display to deliver a highly responsive touch interface with fast and smooth graphics.
The new smartphones continue to feature the highly popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), which is used by 80 per cent of all BlackBerry users to chat and transfer pictures and files. However, the real-time BBM chat experience has been augmented to include integration with a range of other apps. In addition, the new Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones (2.0) app introduces features like Facebook chat and BBM integration that makes it easier for users to connect with their Facebook friends in real time.
BlackBerry 7 also includes a number of other pre-loaded applications for increased productivity right out of the box. The premium version of Documents To Go is now included free of charge, offering users powerful document editing features. BlackBerry Protect is also pre-loaded, offering customers the peace of mind that personal data can be backed up and protected online. BlackBerry Protect also enables customers to locate their phone via GPS should it be misplaced. The universal search capability has also been enhanced with support for voice-activated search, so users can now simply speak to begin searching their device and the web for information.
The phones
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 with touch display and keyboard is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet (at only 10.5mm) and the first to offer the union of a keyboard and touch display integrated within the BlackBerry Bold design. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is also the first BlackBerry to include built-in support for NFC (near field communications), a new technology that is enabling many new capabilities, including the ability to connect devices within close range with a simple tap of the smartphone.
The all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 offers the fluid BlackBerry 7 experience in a new all-touch design. With a new 3.7-inch display, the largest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, the BlackBerry Torch 9860 is optimized for displaying web pages, photos, videos, and gaming experiences and still delivers the real-time communication experience enjoyed by millions of BlackBerry smartphone users around the world.
The BlackBerry Torch 9810 with touch display and slide-out keyboard builds on the popular design of the BlackBerry Torch 9800. However, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 is faster and more fluid with high-performance hardware features and the new BlackBerry 7 OS delivering an enhanced multimedia experience. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 features a large 3.2-inch, high-resolution touch display and a distinctive BlackBerry keyboard that easily slides out to allow faster typing and delivers the best of both worlds. (PR/LM)
