BlackBerry Passport; yay or ney?

First of all, I would like to say that I didn't give any expectation on this phone's launch before I attend this event. With the fact that BlackBerry has obstacles to shines among other OS's phone in the pas 2-3 years, and the whopping price tag of RM 2,399, I did not see how lauching a new phone would help Blackberry to gain back it's market share.

However, when I learn more about this phone, I starts to see a bit of light and purpose of this phone and Blackberry's existence. Instead of trying to be a hippie and extend their market to a younger age market by introducing touch screen and social media inprovements, Blackberry Passport go back to what they do best, which is focus on productivity-driven business professionals.

Inspired by the actual passport, Blackberry passport's large square touch screen has 1:1 Aspect Ratio with QWERTY touch-enabled keyboard, optimized for viewing an creating content. The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 does elevate the touch and feel of the phone's physcical appearance. THey also claimed that BLackberry Passport's new QWERTY keyboard is almost4 times more accurate than Blackberry 10 virtual keyboard with average 74% lower error rate.

What impressed me the most is the OS (Blackberry 10.3). Since OS 10, the OS allows you to have multiple login account to navigate your personal and business needs, a great way for work life balance achieve in a single device. Also, I am please that Blackberry has listen to the user about the limitation of Blackberry World. Other than improving their market, balancing between choice and quality, Blackberry now supports Android apps, downloadable from Amazon Appstore or any .apk file that has originally cater for Android.

Another highlight from Blackberry is their Blackberry Blend (www.BlackBerry.com/Blend). Working across various OS such as Mac OS X 10.7 +, Window 7 + and ANdroid tabled 4.4 +, Blend connect your phone to your larger screen device through cellular network, USB or Wi-Fi, enables you to get instant message notifications, read and respond to your work and personal email, BBM or test messages, and access your documents, calendar, contacts and media in real time. 

The Blackberry Passport will be available through Blackberry's authorized carrier, Celcom from 10th Oct 2014 and though other partners ranging the product from 1st Nov 2014.


Blackberry Passport Product Specification as below:

Size (L x W x D)	128mm x 90.3mm x 9.3mm
Weight	196g
Display	453 PPI, 4.5", In-cell IPS LCD Touch Display, 1440 x 1440 resolution
Keyboard	3 row Touch-enabled QWERTY (recognizes touch gestures)
Memory	3 GB RAM, 32 GB Flash, Hot Swappable microSD slot supports up to 128 GB
Processor	2.2 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
Cameras	13MP rear facing camera, Auto Focus, LED Flash, Images & Video Stabilization, 5x digital zoom, 1080p HD video recording up to 60fps. 2MP (720p) front facing camera, Image & Video Stabilization, 3x digital zoom 720p HD video recording
GPS	Assisted , Autonomous , and Simultaneous GPS
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy
NFC	NFC-enabled to support mobile payments and file exchange
Ports	Multi-function Port (support USB and microHDMI out)
Advanced Sensors	Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Time of FLight (ToF), Gyroscope, Ambient Light, Proximity
Wi-Fi	2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n, 5Ghz a/n + ac, Mobile Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast, DLNA Server
Network Connectivity	FD-LTE, support for global roaming
Battery*	3450 mAh (integrated); up to 30 hours of mixed use *Many factors affect battery life, including network connectivity, application usage, feature configuration and battery age. Actual results may vary.
Talk Time	GSM up to 18 hours; UMTS up to 23 hours
Standby Time	GSM up to 18 days; UMTS up to 18.5 days
Audio Playback	up to 84 hours
Video Playback	up to 12 hours

BlackBerry Z30 is now official

The company just announces the Z30 which also first Blackberry shipped with BB OS 10.2 out of box.

Blackberry Z30 Key Specification :

• 5" Super AMOLED display with resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
• 1.7GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset
• 2GB RAM
• 8MP back camera with 1080p video recording
• 2MP front camera with 720p video recording
• LTE
• NFC
• 2,880mAh
• BB OS 10.2
• 140.7 x 72 x 9.4mm

The new BB OS version 10.2 brings some improvements to the BlackBerry ecosystem including BB Priority Hub, message previews in the lockscreen as well as Wi-Fi Direct support, multiple alarms and standard Unicode emojis. BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 users would be happy to know that the company will be launching the BB 10 version 10.2 update in mid-October.

The Blackberry will be price at RRP RM1998 in Malaysia.

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Blackberry Q5 officially launch in Malaysia with RM 1,299

Blackberry Q5 finally officially announced in Malaysia. Being entry level in the latest Blackberry 10 series, Q5 still packed with impressive spec and also same user experience with other siblings.

Blackberry Q5 Key Specification :

• 3.1" IPS LCD with 720 x 720 pixels
• 1.2 GHz Dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 2GB RAM
• 8GB internal memory with expandable microSD
• 5MP back facing camera with 1080p@30fps video recording
• 2MP front facing camera with 720p video recording
• NFC
• LTE
• Non-removable Li-Ion 2180 mAh battery
• 120 x 66 x 10.8 mm
• Blackberry OS 10.1

The event started with offical greeting from both emcee and followed by Mr Annamalai Muthu, Managing Director Malaysia, Blackberry.

According to Mr Annamalai, Blackberry currently focusing on user experience as their main selling point. In other words, regardless which version of Blackberry 10 you purchase, the user experience is definitely same. Though the spec wasn't as high as current competitor in market, however I gotta admit Blackberry had done a good job in optimising both software and hardware. It doesn't matter eventhough it is dual core, you will still get great user experience.

Here my quick video of first hands on on Blackberry Q5.

Overall, I felt it is cheap, affordable and good buy device for those who wanna start experiencing Blackberry 10 OS. With only RM 1,299 retail priced, you can get this NFC and LTE enable device on your palm. Not to mention the best of both world, touch screen and Keyboard. The only thing I dislike is the cheap plastic built body and also very light to hold. Alright don't get me wrong. Eventhough it is plastic, it is definitely durable. The next thing I wish to see an improvement from Blackberry is the camera.

Blackberry Q5 will available immediately on 15th July from all retail store and also Telcos with retail priced RM 1,299 and come with three color - Black, white and red.

BlackBerry unveiled first BB10 smartphones -Z10 and Q10

Check out about Blackberry 10 if you still clueless about it. The company just unveils the first devices that using latest OS ever. Z10 which are fully touch screen and also Q10 which still maintain the physical QWERTY keyboard. Both twins having the similar spec.

Blackberry Z10 Key Specification :

• 4.2” WXGA screen with 1,280 x 768 resolution
• 1.5GHz dual-core Krait S4 Snapdragon CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 8MP back facing camera
• 16GB Internal memory with microSD slot
• NFC
• LTE

Blackberry Q10 Key Specification :

• 3.1" square AMOLED touch screen with 720 x 720 resolution
• 1.5GHz dual-core Krait S4 Snapdragon CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 8MP back facing camera
• 16GB Internal memory with microSD slot
• NFC
• LTE

The Blackberry Z10 will available at UK by today and Q10 will available on April. Sadly no pricing for contract free.

My Opinion : Finally! New phone from Blackberry. As an ex user of BB, I kinda happy the company willing to change to join into the game. Question is, will they capable of take down with current giant companies - Google, Apple and Window? Well, competition always drive innovation. Let's hope we could see something new from BB 10 eventhough I know, it look god damn similar to Nokia Meego in terms of gesture control.

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What News on BlackBerry 10 mobile OS?

If you don't know, last night RIM officially unveils Blackberry 10 OS. After working for almost two years on it, finally the OS greet the world. So, what new on Blackberry 10?

Here are the list :

• BlackBerry Flow : For multitasking and BlackBerry Peek allows you to drag the Hub in from the sides of the screen, so you can see what runs in the background, while the currently open app continues to run.
• Contact : Full BBM integration (for other BB10 users) and all sorts of social networking features.
• BlackBerry Hub : Social integration - acts as a central location from where you can quickly switch between your active applications, contacts, and others.
• New Keyboard
• BlackBerry Messenger : Allow video calls and BBM Screenshare now!
• Camera : It features Timeshift, which allows you to take several photos and combine the best elements from each of them.
• Picture/Video Editor

Well here are some walkthrough video. Pretty awesome I must say ;)

Hit the source for more detailed about Blackberry 10 :)

[SOURCE]

Blackberry BB10 OS Summary

RIM just demoed their latest software, BB 10 last night. What so cool about it? I have summarize it for you all.

Blackberry OS 10 features :

• BlackBerry Hub - A central for all notification to be display.
• BlackBerry Flow - Have all apps open to an extent and be on hand when needed instead of having to "worry about opening apps, they should just be open".
• Peek - A way to multitask.
• Virtual Keyboard

Check out the video for the demoed features.

Another features which I find very interesting.

Give it a time to grow. I am sure Blackberry very soon join back the OS game with the rest in the world.

More info can click on the source.

[SOURCE]

BlackBerry Curve 9320 official announce

Blackberry Curve 9320 is similar to Curve 9220 that launch in India but it came with few extra features.

BlackBerry Curve 9320 Key Features :

• 2.44 non-touch QVGA display.
• 3 megapixel back camera with LED flash.
• 512MB RAM.
• Memory card slot.
• dedicated BBM hardware key.
• BlackBerry OS 7.1.

The new BlackBerry Curve 9320 offers better connectivity options compared to 9220 – in addition to the quad-band GSM and Wi-Fi connectivity, you also get GPS with A-GPS and 3G with HSPA support.

Well pricing and availability yet to release.

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BlackBerry 10 developer alpha unit goes official

RIM is having annual BlackBerry World event between May 1-3 and the first thing they show off on day 1 was the QNX-based BlackBerry 10 platform! Sadly to say it just a developer alpha unit only.

BlackBerry 10 developer alpha Key Features :

• 4.2-inch 1280x768px display.
• dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 or better processor, Not confirm.
• 1GB RAM.
• 16GB internal storage, a microSD expansion slot.
• mini-HDMI port.

Here some video to show the new keyboard interface in action, which we think is kinda cool.

The camera apps receive new features call timeline feature – when you take a picture and you’ve missed the moment you would be able to access the camera cache where you can extract the right shot (this means the camera will take some shots even before you hit the shutter).

[SOURCE]

Blackberry 10 OS got screenshot leaked

Finally after all hard work, Blackberry 10 OS (Previously known as OS X) is almost getting ready.

From the leaked screenshot, the Blackberry 10 OS will have :

• New homescreen (large widgets on the screen that remind you of the live tiles in Windows Phone).
• New bar at the bottom(looks like Nokia's Belle OS).
• New application drawer (New icon, folder).
• Image on in-call screen (showing a large picture of the caller on top and large touch buttons, including one for video calls).

 

We don't know when Blackberry 10 OS is getting ready for public. However from the screenshot it look promising.

[SOURCE]

Rumours, BlackBerry 10 Super Phone

Since the 2 founders of BB resigned last month, BB's future is still unknown. Reliable source stated BB 10 is the next generation QNX based OS. Pardon us but it really looks like an Android (Motorola Droid X) or the tiny version of BB playbook. Clearly, RIM is undergo transformation, should it be sucessful? We'll find out soon.

[Source]

BlackBerry 7.1 OS Goes Official

The new version Blackberry 7.1 OS by RIM is bringing up new features!

The new features are:

• Mobile Hotspot - up to five devices supported at once
• Wi-Fi calls - does not use minutes of your plan
• BlackBerry NFC Tag - easy accessory paring, BBM invitations, exchanging info and multimedia
• Autosuggestions within the Universal Search
• FM radio support and app

In addition, the updated apps are the BlackBerry Messenger 6.1, BlackBerry Traffic, BlackBerry Maps and BlackBerry Travel.

[SOURCE]

U Mobile offer Blackberry 9790

Recently launch Blackberry 9790 is now available in U Mobile. You can get the device from as low as RM799 when you sign up for a 24 months contract with the telco.

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Maxis offer Blackberry Curve 9360

After the new Bold 9790, Maxis also introduced the Curve 9360 to its packages. Get the device from as low as RM690 with Maxis when you sign up for plans with the telco.

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RIM announces BBX

Your hear that? Finally RIM announced BBX, a new platform for both phones and tablets. BBX combines "the best of BlackBerry and the best of QNX". The new BBX-OS will offer support for apps developed for the previous BlackBerry OS 6 and OS 7, but also Adobe Air and Flash apps, HTML 5 or even for Android apps thanks to the BlackBerry Runtime for Android software module.



RIM has also announced the PlayBook OS 2.0 Developer Beta. Its announcement is also accompanied with the Native SDK final version release with all tools needed for porting Android apps, support for Adobe Air 3.0 and Flash 11, as well as WebGL (hardware accelerated graphics for the web browser). All this PlayBook-related OS and tools will become available later today.



Gamers should be happy to hear RIM is preparing a cross-platform SDK called Marmalade, which is used to port code. The demonstrations on the DevCon showed ported games such as Tomb Raider and The Guardian of Light, Dead Space, Need for Speed, etc.



In addition, the BBX is as focused on the security as the previous BlackBerry platforms and it has EAL4+ and SIL3 security certifications. It’s also a good thing to know the BlackBerry PlayBook is the first ever tablet certified for government use.

[SOURCE]

Blackberry Curve 9360 Celcom Package is out

After Digi, now Celcom bring along Blackberry Curve 9360 as well.

 

Blackberry 9360 running the latest Blackberry OS 7. It packed with 800mhz processor, 512mb RAM and 5mp camera with LED flash.

For more information, head to Celcom BlackBerry Curve 9360 page.

Blackberry Curve 9360 Digi Package is out!

Another new model from Curve series, Blackberry 9360 ready to rock the world with Blackberry OS 7. It packed with 800mhz processor, 512mb RAM and 5mp camera with LED flash. Bear in mind though that as usual, the monthly rates are excluding the RM10 per month for BIS or RM20 for BES.

For more information, head over to DiGi’s Curve 9360 page.

Blackberry Torch 9810 Digi Package is out!

Same design as previous Torch, the Torch 9810 packed with a faster 1.2GHz processor, BB OS7 as well as that slide out keyboard. Bear in mind though that as usual, the monthly rates are excluding the RM10 per month for BIS or RM20 for BES.

Check out Digi web for more info