BlackBerry is a name familiar to anyone who has ever picked up a mobile phone, but what is BlackBerry? BlackBerry is an iconic product, a pioneer in the mobile phone world. Adopted by business people in the early 21st century, BlackBerry has spread to many more sectors of society and now holds its own in a world filled with cutting edge smartphones fuelled by Android apps and a wealth of gadgets.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is a case in point; this recently launched BlackBerry handset is up there with the best of the new smartphones. Eye-catching and sophisticated but also colourful, this handset retains the classic QWERTY keyboard beloved of BlackBerry users. Still firmly rooted in the business community, while this model doesn’t contain the Android sat nav apps and games such as Angry Birds that other smartphone users might take for granted, it still delivers on a variety of levels. It boasts a bright and well-lit screen, an excellent music player with powerful integrated speakers, easily accessible email, touch sensitive screen and a variety of nifty shortcuts.
BlackBerry has come a long way since the early days when these mobile phones were strictly for business use only. Research In Motion (RIM), the company behind BlackBerry, has increased its profits year on year, selling an impressive 45 million plus phones throughout 2010. What is BlackBerry? It is still a market leader in the business world, but also a product attempting to match the technological advances of the best in modern smartphones.
Although many people have heard the name Blackberry, some are still not sure how to answer the question, what is a BlackBerry phone? The term BlackBerry refers to a range of mobile email phones and smartphones produced by the company Research In Motion. The company started manufacturing these phones in 1999, and they have become one of the most popular smartphones on the market.
BlackBerry phones are particularly popular among business users. They are best known for their capability to send and receive email wherever there is mobile network coverage or Wi-Fi connectivity. This is also known as ‘Push’ technology. Here, the central server initiates a transaction to the phone that is connected to it when coverage is available, rather than the user having to initiate a request for information. This is ideal for business users who need email to stay in touch with a variety of colleagues and clients.
Another prominent feature of these phones is the BlackBerry Messenger instant messenger service. It allows communication quickly and easily between two BlackBerry phones. It operates either through a mobile phone network or via Wi-Fi if that is not available. Again all these features help quick and secure communication, which is essential in modern business. However, this secure encrypted communication has caused controversy in countries that want to monitor all emails and calls for security reasons.
BlackBerry has also entered the smartphone market while retaining the handsets defining characteristics. Their smartphones feature full Qwerty keyboards to help quick and accurate typing. The new Curve and Torch ranges have been very successful for the company.
While there has been a lot of news lately surrounding the decline of the BlackBerry, here in the UK, they still remain in high demand for a large portion of mobile phone users. Why? Because the BlackBerry is really good at what it does.
BlackBerry mobile phones feature BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), the king of secured mobile communications. The phones also provide an accessible platform for developers. For businesses, BlackBerry is first choice, because it allows companies to integrate their mobiles with their business processes and systems. Some of the most popular models in the BlackBerry range of mobile phones are:
• BlackBerry Bold 9780 – a high-end offering featuring the BlackBerry OS 6, which is both consumer and internet-friendly. The keyboard is a bit small, so you might want to test it before you commit.
• BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 – a mid-range offering for those who want the messaging power of a BlackBerry but cannot afford the higher-end versions. The keyboard is really good on this one; however, the screen resolution and camera are a bit disappointing.
• BlackBerry Torch 9800 – an excellent choice for BlackBerry lovers who also love their media. The Torch 9800 has the additional feature of a large touchscreen. Of course, the compromise is a smaller keyboard and the processor is a bit slower than other offerings, but it has BlackBerry OS 6, which is really nice.
• BlackBerry Bold 9700 – while it’s brother, the Bold 9780, out performs it, the 9700 provides excellent battery life and some of the best of the BlackBerry features we’ve grown to love. It has a really nice screen.
BlackBerry is a line of smartphones whose primary function is to perform a variety of communication and data services. More than any other name brand, BlackBerry is renowned for its organiser, email services, and internet applications for the businessperson. For BlackBerry, the telephone capabilities take a back seat to its far superior data manipulation and retrieval.
Today, BlackBerry is making inroads into the smartphone industry with the addition of more sophisticated web browsing, games, cameras and multimedia players to make their devices true all-in-one products for the consumer. The phone capabilities have been upgraded to match their excellence in data retrieval and transmission, and the answer to the question, “What is a BlackBerry phone?” is becoming perfectly clear.
BlackBerry smartphones can be customized on any scale, from individual preferences to encompassing an entire corporate entity. They support virtually any email platform as well as corporate data, instant messaging, intuitive user interface and a typewriter style keyboard.
Some of the more popular models are the BlackBerry Bold, the BlackBerry Storm, the BlackBerry Pearl and the BlackBerry Curve, which now have a camera and video camcorder.
BlackBerry maintains the quality of their products with device software such as Desktop Software and Roxio Media Manager, while providing individual users access to social networking and other media files.
BlackBerry is a favourite provider of services in the business community, and they offer productivity software, wireless access without IT support or server software, connectivity for employees to their organization’s internal operating systems and a fully developed set of developer tools and administrative services.
Everyone likes to get something for nothing; when that ‘something’ is as useful as a BlackBerry mobile phone, getting a free one is a great opportunity. In these days of the credit crunch, getting a free smartphone could be very useful for business, communication and entertainment purposes. BlackBerry mobile phones are good for all of these needs.
One possible way to get a free BlackBerry mobile phone is changing your mobile phone provider. Look at different providers and compare the handsets you can get for free with different monthly calling plans. Some of these will offer free BlackBerry mobile phones, even though they may be older models. They may not be the latest mobile phones or have the most innovative features, but you may think some extra features are gimmicky anyway and find that older models already offer everything you need. In that case, you will get a great deal by getting a free BlackBerry handset because they can be expensive.
Some mobile phone service providers will offer you a free BlackBerry if you take out a second calling plan with the same company where you already have an existing mobile phone contract. It is a good idea to look at your contract because you may also be eligible for free phone calls between handsets on the same network, which would provide you with additional savings.
Blackberry mobile phones are much more than just a cell phone. With these mobile phones, you also have permanent access to your contacts. This wireless handheld device is actually not one of the newest types of mobile phones. The Blackberry was actually first introduced to the public in 1999 by Motorola Corporation, and has quickly gained popularity. Besides phone calls and email messages, you can also text message, access the Internet and send Internet faxes with Blackberry mobile devices. All of this from a little phone that is about the same size as a PDA, but has a mini keyboard to make using it easy.
The Blackberry works by being connected to a cell phone network terminal. It will regularly query the network server for new emails that you can both read and reply to. The synchronization of the emails with the messaging server is done in real time via the cell phone network. This is why some companies prefer to use it. However, if you want to fully integrate this phone into your business you will need to install the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Once connected to this server, your employees will be able to use their BlackBerry as a phone or PDA as well as text and send email messages, regardless of where they are located.
While all of this may sound great to you, there are some drawbacks to the use of Blackberry devices. The primary drawback is that there is no memory extension, nor is there 3G or 4G compatibility to these phones. Multimedia functions do not work that great either. With time, all of this will change in the future though as new upgrades are made.
Featuring the excellent email and texting applications Blackberry is famous for, email security comparable to any PC, and the ability to view email attachments from most major programs, the Blackberry Bold 9700 does not disappoint. The new mobile phone also has very long battery life. The phone’s 1500 mAh battery, one of the largest available, powers approximately six hours of talk time. The former trackball, a source of much user irritation because of its tendency to stick, has been replaced with a touch track pad. There is a standard QWERTY keyboard and a 2.6- inch diagonal screen display. The Blackberry mobile phone offers speakerphone and conference calling, Bluetooth technology, and voice activation for hands-free usage.
The 3.2-megapixel camera has a flash and digital zoom. Autofocus provides smooth videos and no more fuzzy pictures. The 3G smart phone handset is a comfortable 10.9 cm long by 6 cm wide and uses USB or Bluetooth wireless to connect to other devices.
For music lovers, the Blackberry offers download and playback of MP3 and other music formats and 38 hours of playback time. There is a standard headphone jack for listening to music or watching videos.
Deals:
Recent deals on the Blackberry Bold 9700 include 5000 texts and 2000 minutes for 35 pounds with a 24-month contract through three.co.uk. There is an additional charge for the telephone. Vodaphone.co.uk offers a free phone with a 24-month contract at 30 pounds per month. This includes 600 minutes and unlimited texts.
The BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 is a 3G-enabled phone with a large Qwerty keypad and HSDPA and Wi-Fi for fast internet access. BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 deals include one from Vodaphone offering a free handset with 300 minutes and unlimited texts, as well as 500MB internet access on an 18-month contract, all for £30 per month. You can also buy one for around £280 SIM-free. Apps are slightly more expensive than Android and iPhone, but the free ones are reliable.
The Qwerty keypad is quite small, but the keys are raised and new users will soon become accustomed to it be tapping out emails and texts very quickly. The optical trackpad on the Curve 3G 9300 works well and makes it easy to move through menus and web pages. The screen is smaller than most smartphones, but the web browser loads pages very quickly.
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 reviews are not complimentary about the look of this particular model, calling it clunky and saying that the rubberised coating on the media keys and volume controls are not pleasant to the touch. However, they report that the optical trackpad moves fluidly and the keyboard is easy to operate.
The camera has some useful features, but not flash and it takes a couple of seconds to process shots; for a better camera, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 is recommended. Remember that without a BlackBerry SIM card many of the features, such as BlackBerry Messenger and the email accounts will not work.
BlackBerry’s latest mobile phone, the 9520 Storm 2, presents a phone that is more personal, has a more responsive screen, better graphics and now includes Wi-Fi.
RIM have restyled the Storm, but subtly; it now has a sleek look about it, gentle curves and has a purposeful weight to it, fitting comfortably into the palm of your hand. They have also redesigned the keyboard with an integrated sheet set up, instead of the clumsy individual keys on the original Storm.
The improvements to the touch-screen are welcomed as well; it is easier to use and gives you more reassurance – selecting items with the click and drag feels more accurate and when typing there is none of the annoying time lag you sometimes get with other mobile phones.
Users who love to keep in touch will adore the email service; its scrolling is smooth and effortless, as too is the orientation system that allows switching between portrait and landscape formats. Turning the phone, it effortlessly changes from one to the other a lot more easily than its predecessor.
The Storm 2, although a new mobile phone, doesn’t have the great array of additional apps that other mobile phone producers supply but the ones on offer are very professional. It comes complete with a 3.2 megapixel camera that supports video and flash, but the 3.5 mm headphone jack is still inconveniently placed on the side. Connectivity is also good with Bluetooth, USB, Wi-Fi and GPRS all available.
The BlackBerry Storm 2 is a great update to the original Storm, with a good clickable touch-screen. It is not quite an iPhone experience, however, if that’s what you’re after.
Designed for the user on the go and loaded with features, the BlackBerry Bold 9000 is a fine alternative to the touchscreen technology found on many new mobile phones.
Pros
The screen display is clear and bright, sitting atop an intuitive keypad. Users will delight in composing long texts and emails, as the keys are comfortable and easy to use.
The Bold 9000 incorporates many of the features that previous BlackBerry mobile phones have lacked including HSDPA and Wi-Fi internet connectivity, GPS, and an integrated 3.5mm headphone jack. The email feature supports every major provider, even corporate accounts, and is easy to get up and running. Whether users want a smartphone to handle on-the-go social networking or need a device that will provide instant mobile access to business email, the Bold delivers.
Overall, the Bold more than lives up to its name in both looks and features.
Cons
The Bold 9000 is quite wide, and some users may find it bulky. The 2 megapixel camera is decidedly uninspired and belies the rest of the phone’s great features. The Bold 9000 will not replace users’ standalone digital cameras. The interface has been revamped but remains confusing for new BlackBerry users, who will likely find themselves searching the internet for operating tips.
Conclusion
RIM has put all of its firepower behind the Bold 9000 with brilliant results. The screen and keypad make this a real winner among the latest mobile phones from competitors. For work or play, this phone is a top-notch performer despite the absence of a trendy touchscreen.
