Research In Motion (RIM) today announced three new BlackBerry
smartphones featuring the BlackBerry 7 Operating System (OS); the
BlackBerry Curve 9350, BlackBerry Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Curve
9370 smartphones.
RIM designed these new models to address a large segment of the
global mobile phone market where customers are looking to upgrade
their existing feature phone or existing BlackBerry Curve with an
affordable, full-featured and socially-connected smartphone.
The new BlackBerry Curve smartphones are slim and stylish. They are
ergonomically designed with a comfortable and iconic keyboard for
accurate typing and an optical trackpad for one-handed navigation.
GPS and Wi-Fi support are also included, as well as a 5MP camera
with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and
instantly shared on social networks. The microSD/SDHC slot supports
up to 32 GB memory cards for additional media storage.
In addition to supporting the new BlackBerry 7 OS, the new
BlackBerry Curve smartphones feature a range of hardware
enhancements including upgraded processors, displays and memory, and
built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new
technology that is enabling many new capabilities, including the
ability to pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple
tap of the smartphone.
BlackBerry 7 introduces a next generation BlackBerry browser which
combines the improved performance of the advanced WebKit browser
engine with the hardware enhancements in the new BlackBerry Curve
smartphones to deliver a faster web browsing experience. Additional
enhancements to this next generation BlackBerry browser have also
enabled smoother navigation and optimized HTML5 performance.
BlackBerry 7 OS also includes a number of other pre-loaded
applications and integrated functionality for increased productivity
and collaboration right out of the box. The Premium version of
Documents To Go is included free of charge, offering users document
editing features as well as a native PDF document viewer. BlackBerry
Protect is also pre-loaded, offering users the peace of mind that
personal data can be backed up and secured in the cloud. With
BlackBerry Protect, users can locate their misplaced BlackBerry
smartphone using GPS or remotely turn up the ringer for an audible
notification if their handset is close-by. BlackBerry Balance is
integrated in BlackBerry 7, allowing users to enjoy the full
BlackBerry smartphone experience for both work and personal purposes
without compromising the IT department's need for advanced security
and IT controls. The popular 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 latest release of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) is pre-loaded and
now extends the real time BBM experience to a range of other apps,
such as Foursquare, allowing users to interact with each other from
within the BBM connected app.
The updated Social Feeds (2.0) app has been extended to capture
updates from media, podcasts, and favorites all in one consolidated
view. 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 utilizing push notifications. Twitter for BlackBerry
smartphones also delivers a deeply integrated experience including
use of real time push notifications and Social Feeds integration.
The BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370 smartphones are expected to
be available from carriers in Canada this month and from other
carriers around the world beginning in September.