BlackBerry

BlackBerry Bold

BlackBerry Bold 9780

Every year, it seems, RIM updates its flagship Bold line. In 2008 it released the original Bold 9000, and then in 2009 it got a significant upgrade to the Bold 9700. This past year RIM provided another update, the Bold 9780. Physically it is the exact same device, from the dimensions to the screen size and resolution. The upgrades come under the hood. The first is a 5 megapixel camera, which is a bit better than the 9700′s 3.2 megapixel model. The 9780 also comes with 512MB of on-board memory, which makes it suitable for an OS 6 upgrade.

BlackBerry Bold 9700

A year after releasing the original Bold, RIM updated the model. In place of the trackball is an optical trackpad, which makes for easier navigation without the hassles of the mechanical trackball. RIM reduce the size of the device in every dimension, including reducing the weight by a half ounce. The screen resolution also improved, to 480×360. While the 9700 does not contain the gigabyte of internal media memory, it does have twice the flash memory of its predecessor. While RIM’s focus for the Bold remains the business user, the 9700 has even more consumer appeal than the original Bold.

BlackBerry Bold 9000

In 2008 RIM released its first 3G device for GSM networks, theBlackBerry Bold. The device represented a step forward in many ways from the 88xx series. RIM included a camera on the Bold, and it also improved the display to 480×320 pixels. Like most previous BlackBerry models, the Bold was designed for the business user in mind, but it included enough features, including a gigabyte of internal memory for media storage, that it also held appeal for the personal user.

BlackBerry Bold 9650

The Bold 9650 is actually an update of the BlackBerry Tour9630. Physically it measures just about the same as the original Tour, though it is a bit heavier. This is likely because RIM included Wi-Fi with the Bold 9650. The 9650 also features the optical trackpad in place of the trackball. Otherwise this device mirrors the Bold 9700, and is the featured enterprise device for CDMA carriers. It also has consumer appeal because of the screen resolution and media capabilities.

BlackBerry Curve

BlackBerry Curve 9300

For years the Curve had been the most popular BlackBerry model, but on GSM carriers it still lacked 3G speeds. In 2010 RIM changed that by introducing the BlackBerry Curve 9300. It had many of the same functions as the previous Curve models, including the same screen resolution and a similar keyboard, but this time it packed a 3G radio for faster browsing speeds. It also had a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, and Wi-Fi. It also contained an upgrade in RAM, which made it easily upgradable to the latest BlackBerry operating system, BlackBerry 6.

BlackBerry Curve 8900

In late 2008 RIM released the BlackBerry Bold, its first GSM 3G model. Because T-Mobile, at the time, did not have a large 3G network, this device hit only AT&T in the U.S. As a follow-up for its non-3G GSM customers, RIM released the Curve 8900 in early 2009. It featured an even better display than the bold, 480×360, the same display that the Tour and Bold 9700 would later feature. The Curve 8900 has a 3.2 megapixel camera, the same as the Bold. It also contains GPS and WiFi, the first Curve model to have both.

BlackBerry Curve 8500

In the summer of 2009 RIM released the BlackBerry Curve 8520, the first major follow-up to the original Curve series. This was the first device that featured the trackpad instead of the trackball, as all future RIM devices will. The screen remains at the same resolution as the original Curve series, 320×240, which is the biggest drawback of the new line. The device is WiFi enabled, and includes 256MB of internal memory. The Curve 8530 is the CDMA version of the device, and features both WiFi and GPS capabilities.

BlackBerry Storm

BlackBerry Storm2 9550

A year after RIM released the original BlackBerry Storm, it updated the model. It was the first BlackBerry model to ship with OS 5.0. While the original Storm 9530 used a mechanical device in the touchscreen, the Storm2 went electronic, which provides better responses and allows for more on-screen capabilities. The screen size and resolution are the same as the original. The Storm2 has double the media storage and Flash memory, 2GB and 256MB, respectively. It also adds a WiFi radio. While both the Storm and Storm2 contain the same processors, the extra memory allows the Storm2 to run faster.

BlackBerry Storm 9530

By November 2008 touchscreen devices were all the craze. After Apple released the iPhone it seemed like every manufacturer wants to create its answer. RIM took its time, though, and almost a year and a half after the iPhone it released the BlackBerry Storm. The device features a 360 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen with haptic feedback, which means it vibrates when you press a part of the screen. Like the Bold, it contains a gigabyte of internal media storage capacity, plus the ability to install a microSD card for even more memory.