Skip to main content

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 3G, Bold 9650 Debut

Canada’s Research in Motion has taken the wraps off two new BlackBerry models, hoping to cement its place at the top of the heap of smartphone manufacturers…despite some strong competition from the like’s of Google’s growing Android army and (of course) the Apple iPhone. The new BlackBerry Pearl 3G is RIM’s smallest smartphone yet and will be available in both 14-key and 20-key configuration (for folks who need that QWERTY goodness). Meanwhile, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 packs all the high-end enterprise and power-user features of high-end BlackBerries with a new optical trackpad that makes it even easier to use.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The BlackBerry Pearl 3G is RIM’s latest entry into consumer smartphones: the 9100 model will sport a 20-key QWERTY keypad for the messaging and email fans out there, while the 9015 will feature a traditional 14-key keypad. The Pearl 35s are candybar-style phone weighing just 3.3 ounces and comign in just 13.3mm thick; they also pack a 400 by 360-pixel display, a 624 MHz processor, a 3.2 megapixel camera, assisted GPS, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. a microSD/SDHC slot that supports up to 32 GB of removable storage, and (of course) BlackBerry OS 5 so users can handle their email, contacts, messaging, Web browsing, documents, video, media, and more. The Pearls can also tap into the BlackBerry App world online store to expand their functionality, and sport and optical trackpad for navigating content—which ought to be a major improvement over previous lint- and grime-accumulating trackballs. the Pearl 3G will support tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks, and although RIM hasn’t announced any carrier partners, the company expects the phone will be reaching consumers on “various carriers” beginning in May; no pricing information has been released.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

A little further up the ladder, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 is bulkier at 4.8 ounces and over half an inch thick, but users get a little more oomph with a 2.44-inch 360 by 400-pixel display, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 802.11b/g and Bluetooth wireless, assisted GPS, 512 MB of flash memory, up to 32 GB of removable storage on microSD/SDHC cards (a 2GB card comes with), a full QWERTY keypad, and that optical trackball to easy navigation. Otherwise, the Bold 9650 is essentially the existing BlackBerry Tour with a better scrolling device: the BlackBerry Bold 9650 will support EV-DO Rev. A networks in North America and UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks overseas, and of course sports full media capabilities, full HTML browsing, access to the BlackBerry App World store, and a host of premium phone features like voice-activated dialing and a speakerphone. RIM also expects the Bold 9650 will launch in May, and is already showing off Sprint-branded versions of the handset, although no pricing information has been revealed.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Classic BlackBerries are finally losing suppport as company shuts down services
BlackBerry Key2. Credits: BlackBerry official.

After kickstarting the smartphone era, BlackBerry's classic devices and services are finally shutting down. No, not the Android-powered modern BlackBerries such as the KeyOne, Key2, and Key2 LE, but anything that ran a BlackBerry-branded operating system. Whether this is a classic QWERTY keyboard powered by BlackBerry 7, or the iPhone-inspired BlackBerry 10, or even the forgotten BlackBerry PlayBook OS -- it's all shutting down this month.
"As another milestone in the BlackBerry journey, we will be taking steps to decommission the legacy services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1, and earlier versions, with an end of life or termination date of January 4, 2022," the company announced. "As of this date, devices running these legacy services and software through either carrier or Wi-Fi connections will no longer reliably function, including for data, phone calls, SMS, and 911 functionality. We have chosen to extend our service until then as an expression of thanks to our loyal partners and customers."
BlackBerry bids farewell to its longtime customers. Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
It's the end of an era for what was once a distinguished product that defined the market a decade ago. Even predating iMessage, the BlackBerry instant messaging service -- BBM -- was a great selling point for the product line. As iOS, Android, and WhatsApp began to dominate, BlackBerry devices began to fall by the wayside.
The company tried to rejuvenate its smartphone business by launching its own touchscreen phones and later its own operating system in 2013, but had little success. Unable to keep up,ity stopped the creation of smartphones in 2016 and licensed services to TCL Ltd. between 2016 to 2020. BlackBerry promised to launch a smartphone by the end of 2021 in partnership with OnwardMobility, but that hasn't panned out. 
The company has now shifted its focus to selling software. It briefly had a nostalgia-fueled increase in its share price this year, which later nearly returned to its original price. While the market has been saturated with multiple companies claiming a stake in the smartphone pie, hopefully, BlackBerry manages to return to some form of relevance with its current partnership. 

Read more
BlackBerry rises from the grave: New 5G phone with a keyboard coming in 2021
BlackBerry Key2. Credits: BlackBerry official.

BlackBerry is the smartphone brand that steadfastly refuses to die. The presumed-dead name has been resurrected once again, this time by a new company called OnwardMobility. It will work with manufacturer FIH Mobile to create and sell a 5G BlackBerry Android phone with a physical keyboard, ready for a potential release in the U.S. and Europe during the first half of 2021.

You read that right: A new BlackBerry phone with a physical keyboard and 5G, running Google’s Android software, is coming next year. TCL Communications was the last company to produce BlackBerry smartphones. It did so under license from BlackBerry Ltd., which continues to provide mobile security services, but isn’t in the hardware business anymore. TCL let its license lapse in February 2020 when modern, Android-based BlackBerry phones became a thing of the past. Until now.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Apple iPhone 16.

There’s little doubt that Apple and Samsung are two of the biggest rivals in the world of flagship smartphones. Every February and September brings a new smartphone that tries to leapfrog ahead of its main competitor. This year, that’s Samsung’s Galaxy S25 coming on the heels of September’s iPhone 16.

With few design changes, the Galaxy S25 doesn’t look much different from last year’s Galaxy S24, but Samsung has packed a lot of new technology and software improvements under the hood to produce an AI-forward smartphone that’s ready for prime time. With Galaxy AI in its second generation and the Gemini now front and center, the Galaxy S25 promises to usher the company’s flagships into a new era of AI smartphones.

Read more