part of the Bold line. Kevin also says that the rumors he’s heard on this device call for a 360 x 480 touchscreen display (sans SurePress) and expectations for BlackBerry OS 6.0 to be onboard. The pictured phone apparently has a battery issue which is keeping it from powering up, but hopefully someone will find a way to spark this thing to life and we can get some more solid info.

BlackBerry Leaks

launch with support for displaying text messages, caller ID, new e-mails, and BlackBerry Messenger messages (yes, it supports BBM!). It’ll give you information on who the message is from and a preview of the message’s contents. We couldn’t get a hard shipping date, but rest assured we’ll let you know as soon as we do — for now, our hands-on gallery will have to suffice.

[Engadget]

message was loud and clear earlier this year: “we need to fix the Storm, and we need to do it quickly.” Ultimately, it’s ended up taking the company just about a year to get the Storm2 to market, a product that attempts to tweak Waterloo’s touchscreen strategy just enough to undo a few mistakes and send it down the right path. Mission accomplished? Read on.

At a glance — particularly as a non-Storm user — you might say “wait a second, that’s just a Storm.” And in reality, you wouldn’t be far off with that assessment. Put simply, this phone is less Storm “2″ and more Storm “1.1″ — a hardware service pack, if you will, designed to correct very specific shortcomings in the original model while preserving the overall concept. We doubt RIM would come right out and put it that way, of course, but the fact that the Storm2 makes essentially no effort to look different than the Storm should be evidence enough.

So, what are those shortcomings, exactly? The big ones — the ones that could ultimately convince a Storm user to upgrade — are the addition of WiFi and a thorough revamping of SurePress. On the original Storm, SurePress consisted of a single mechanical switch mounted below the center of the display, leading to wobbly, uneasy clicks and — far more devastatingly — an inability to actuate more than one screen element at a time, which made the keyboard more of a hassle to use than it should’ve been. Don’t get us wrong, we can understand RIM’s impetus in creating SurePress; the company prides itself on producing devices with fabulous physical keyboards that make mobile email as painless of an experience as possible, and it wanted to port as much of that experience to a soft keyboard as it could. Ironically, in doing so, it actually made the transition harder for ex-8300 and 8800 users than a traditional soft keyboard would’ve. SurePress was so bad, in fact, that rumors had initially suggested the Storm2 would abandon it altogether in favor of a screen that stays in place when you press it (imagine that), but co-CEO Mike Lazaridis insisted that the technology was ”here to stay.” Indeed, the Storm2 keeps SurePress around but thoroughly revamps it by replacing the single mechanical switch with four piezoelectric ones mounted beneath the display’s four corners.

he net effect of the Storm2′s rethought SurePress is that it’s unquestionably better — but frankly, we still don’t get it. Multiple keyboard actuations are now possible (shift plus a letter, for example), though it’s not perfect — things start to get flaky as your second press gets physically close to your first one, which makes some sense considering that the switches are placed at the screen’s four corners. It generally works, but it’s still a novelty; we can’t think of a single good reason why you’d want your touchscreen to be able to click like this. What’s worse, the Storm2′s implementation requires a surprising amount of effort to actuate, meaning that long messages were a chore to type out — not only do they wear out your fingers, but it gets old hearing the screen’s loud “thunk” each and every time you type a letter, which we find considerably more noticeable than the traditional click of a physical QWERTY keyboard. It’s also unclear why RIM bothered using fancy piezoelectric switches rather than simple mechanical ones, because they’re not doing anything with the technology other than letting you click — when you turn off the phone, the switches “harden” and prevent you from pressing the screen, but there’s no option to keep that effect going when the device is on. For anyone who finds SurePress as distracting and unnecessary as we do, that omission alone could be the difference between buying a Storm2 and a Tour when you walk into the Verizon store.

Going back to the physical appearance of the phone for a moment, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that it looks like the original Storm; apart from the fact that it’s got a bit of infamy to outgrow, the old model was a pretty sharp-looking handset and the Storm2 refines that look in all the right ways. We’re liking both the black chrome bezel and the touch-sensitive buttons, which eliminate virtually all of the visible gaps on the front of the phone to give it that smooth, slate-like appeal that full-touch handsets typically want to shoot for. The phone also feels great (SurePress click notwithstanding) — as solid as the best-built physical QWERTY BlackBerrys, we’d say, but with the added benefit of tastefully rubberized volume, camera, and voice control buttons and a smooth, solid display covering almost all of the front of the phone.

Turning our attention to the software, the Storm2 runs BlackBerry OS 5.0 — RIM’s latest — but as with virtually every new BlackBerry OS version in modern memory, it takes a keen eye and a long history of BlackBerry use to ferret out what has actually changed. As with the hardware itself, the Storm2′s interface is all but identical to the Storm’s 4.7 builds; the devil lies in the details, and to be fair, those details will be important for some users. Strictly from a usability standpoint, 5.0′s addition of inertial scrolling throughout the platform makes a world of difference — it works smoothly and effectively, and should be an effortless transition for anyone moving from another platform (like iPhone) that supports it. If you didn’t like the Storm’s overall look and feel, though, don’t expect a revolution (or, really, even an evolution) here.

We don’t want to harp on SurePress too much, but since there’s a decided lack of physical QWERTY in play here, the Storm2′s soft keyboards bear another mention. If you can get past the muscle fatigue-inducing clicks — we couldn’t, but who knows, we could be particularly weak-thumbed — the layout and function of the keyboards is mediocre at best. For one thing, they don’t look particularly good; white-on-black is always a tough scheme to pull off, and RIM didn’t do itself any favors by skimping on the anti-aliasing and leaving keys looking exceptionally jaggy. Whatever, though; keyboards are about functionality, not appearance, right? We found ourselves making more mistakes than we should’ve on the portrait full QWERTY mode because the Storm2 lacks character pop-ups like you find on Android and the iPhone — there’s a blue glow cast on the key, which is all well and good except that… well, you’re thumb isn’t transparent. In portrait mode, even a small thumb can easily cover two keys, so it’s impossible to tell with certainty which key is actuated. We also noticed that the keyboard doesn’t contextually customize itself enough; from the screenshot above, for example, you can see that “Go” replaces the normal Enter key in the browser and there’s a period key in place of the spacebar, but when entering email addresses, there’s no @ key. Not a deal breaker, but again, for a company that prides itself in elegant input methods, this should be the best soft keyboard on the market today.

As much flak as the BlackBerry browser takes, we actually found it acceptable on the Storm2 — likely a direct effect of RIM’s alleged improvements made in 5.0. Inertial scrolling worked reasonably smoothly and new regions of the page that scroll into view load relatively quickly. We like to use Engadget as a baseline for testing devices because it’s a fairly complicated page that tends to choke some mobile browsers, but it loaded drama-free on the Storm2. That’s not to say it was a perfect experience: it takes forever to get past the “Requesting” phase and graphics look truly awful — both a result of BIS’ magic, we suspect. Ultimately, we’d take a good WebKit browser over this any day, but the platform just isn’t there yet.

One bright spot for the phone is its camera — in a word, we were impressed. It took a while to focus (perhaps a second to a second and a half), but once it did, pictures were extraordinarily clear and were easily able to achieve macro ranges without setting a macro mode. We’d take this 3.2 megapixel sensor and bright LED flash over a crappy 5 megapixel unit without flash in a heartbeat.

Wrap-up

As more modern mobile platforms become enterprise-savvy, RIM’s on the cusp of losing its identity — and products like the Storm and Storm2 prove that it’s well aware of the situation. Only problem is, Waterloo is clearly woefully unequipped to handle the creation of exceptional, effortless usability that’s demanded of a lustworthy mobile device these days. The Storm2 oozes most of the same personality traits espoused by its older brother — traits that suggest a “Bold with a touchscreen” attitude — and when you’re fundamentally rethinking your device’s user experience, that’s not the right attitude to take.

For existing Storm owners who’ve been saying “if only this damn thing had WiFi” through clenched teeth for the past six months, the Storm2 makes an elegant, hassle-free replacement. For the rest of the world, though, we totally understand why Verizon has elected to bury the phone’s launch beneath a pile of Google — it’s an underwhelming experience for today’s multimedia-centric, ADHD-afflicted buyer.

[Engadget]

Gallery

What is it with BlackBerries and seemingly premature reviews? After the Onyx got manhandled ahead of schedule, it’s the turn of its close relative, the trackpad-equipped 9700, which has been annointed as successor to the Bold. Boy Genius Report spared few superlatives in their examination of the hardware, which praises the 9700 as “the most gorgeous BlackBerry on the planet” and involves a size and feel comparison against the Tour. Their conclusion was that the new handset draws all the positives from RIM’s recent portfolio of phones and ties them together into a very compelling little package. We couldn’t spot any downsides, so either this is the best phone ever or somebody got a little carried away — read up and decide for yourself.

[Boy Genius Report]

The First ‘No Compromise’ BlackBerry Smartphone…

Pre-release review time! Rumors of the BlackBerry device model with the codename “Onyx” have been floating around for a while now and were proven legit when the first photos of it surfaced here at CrackBerry back on May 10th. After going hands-on with the Onyx, I think it’s safe to say THIS IS the traditional (no touchscreen) BlackBerry smartphone so many of us have been waiting for. It always seems that every new BlackBerry smartphone makes a compromise somewhere on its specifications and feature sheet – be it the Bold’s camera, or the Curve 8900′s lack of 3G, or the Tour 9630′s lack of WiFi, or the Storm’s lack of memory and snappy OS.

RIM has finally packed it ALL into one device with the Onyx — 3G, WiFi, GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera – and they’ve done it in a tight form factor. If you put the Onyx side by side with the BlackBerry Bold and compare the specs, you realize the triumph in engineering RIM has accomplished here. The Onyx is basically better in every way but has a much smaller footprint (though arguably the Bold’s extra width makes for a better keyboard and physically wider display that some users may prefer). So if you’re relaxing this Memorial Day weekend, grab a bevvie, sit back and read on to see tons of photos, a video and some first impressions of the BlackBerry Onyx.

* Disclaimer: Like all of our pre-release reviews, please note that this is non-commercially available device which means things will change by the time it comes to market. *

Read on For Photos, Video and First Impressions of the BlackBerry Onyx >>

While the pre-release BlackBerry Curve 8520 we recently reviewed felt like it could be going on sale tomorrow, it’s apparent the BlackBerry Onyx reviewed here is in a much earlier stage of the commercialization process. While the hardware quality is quite good, the OS implementation is still young. In fact, on this device the OS has yet to be labeled with a version number. It’s definitely a version of OS 5, but actually think it’s an early build of OS 5.0.1 versus 5.0.0. Likewise, we’re hearing that production on these isn’t scheduled to begin until later this summer, which means the device is still pre-production and things could change up, like maybe swapping out the trackball in favor of the optical trackpad, which is said by BGR to be coming to the BlackBerry Driftwood (think T-Mobile version of the Onyx).

On the device model front, it’s not certain (to us anyways) what the exact model number is yet, but the prevailing thought is that the both the Onyx and Driftwood may be part of the 96xx series. We’ve heard the Onyx is the 9600 (BlackBerry Tour 9600??), but visually comparing the Onyx to the 9630 the sides/back are so visibly different that one could argue a different model number could be justified. Of course RIM hasn’t even officially announced the Tour 9630 yet, so we’re talking pre-release rumors on top of pre-release rumors at this point.

Another item to note is UMA support. The Onyx’s hardware is technically capable of supporting UMA, but whether we see it launch with it is another question. In North America the Onyx will be heading to AT&T and Rogers. We know (based on history and BG’s info) that the AT&T version won’t support UMA, but Rogers does offer their UMA TalkSpot service so we could maybe (hopefully!) see it launch with UMA there. In the video below I typed in that UMA was supported…but keep this paragraph in mind. Technically supported vs. what hits the market are two different things.

BlackBerry Onyx – What’s in a Name?

There’s a little CrackBerry history behind the name BlackBerry “Onyx” that I just had to throw in here for our newer readers who may not be fully aware. Back in April 2008, before the official release of the BlackBerry Bold, the blogosphere referred to the device by its model number, 9000. We knew the BlackBerry 9000 would have to get a brand name, so at that time we held a CrackBerry contest to guess the name of BlackBerry 9000. A short time after, RIM announced the 9000 as the BlackBerry Bold, a name which none of our contestants had guessed. However, we went through the hundreds of names suggested and picked our favorite and gave them a prize anways. And the name we picked as the winner was….. the BlackBerry Onyx! Now I don’t if it the Onyx was already in development at that time and we just got lucky, or if RIM was inspired by our name game and used it for a device (that would be pretty sweet), but either way it seems fitting that the BlackBerry Onyx is the device that can basically be seen as the next generation / upgrade of the BlackBerry Bold (as far as it’s the next/best all in one BlackBerry).

BlackBerry Onyx Overview

With so many existing and upcoming BlackBerry device models that look similar (yet different), it’s becoming a bit confusing to differentiate at a glance between models. We have an upcoming article with our theory behind RIM’s multiple device strategy, but in the meantime the big thing to note about Onyx is that’s unassuming and slick form factor packs a ton of punch:

• 3G device – GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS (Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
• 480 by 360 display, beveled edges
• 256 megabytes of internal memory (same as Curve 8900, 8520)
• 1550mAh M-S1 battery (same as Bold)
• 3.2 megapixel camera, with flash and auto focus
• Processor: Not 100% sure actually, but am hearing its a Tavor processor that may be running even a bit quicker than the Bold’s 624MHz processor (definitely seems snappy)
• GPS, WiFi (UMA capable but we’ll see what happens there), and all the normal stuff you’d expect on a BlackBerry smartphone

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BlackBerry Onyx Video Overview

In our Curve 8520 video I played Sunday Morning Coming Down. It got some positive feedback, so we’re back with more Johnny Cash, this time the very fitting Man in Black for what is shaping up to be one hell of a BlackBerry. Be sure to click the HD button to see the video in high definition. Enjoy the show!!

BlackBerry Onyx First Impressions

Similar to the BlackBerry Tour 9630, when you first look at the BlackBerry Onyx you’re just not quite sure what you’re looking at. The close-together keys with ‘guitar fret’ separators scream Bold, yet the overall form factor is much more like the BlackBerry Curve 8900. That’s part of the reason it seems weird that the Onyx would be a 9600 device. In terms of the device’s overall dimensions and shape and feel in the hand, it’s actually closer to the Curve 8900 than it is to the 9630. Like the Curve 8520, it features a little bit more rubber than were used to seeing, but the rubbery buttons give off a quality feel. And then when you pop off the Onyx’s battery cover and see the Bold’s battery, the confusion increases even more. With the BlackBerry Onyx it’s like RIM simply grabbed the best DNA from each device and tossed it together to make a super baby, which in this case is not a bad thing.

Form Factor - The overall look and feel of the Onyx is slick. I assume the gun metal grey metallic band around the device is actually plastic, but it gives off a more metal-like feel than the silver chrome on the Curve 8900 or 9630 or Bold. The Onyx feels very thin too. While it’s overall thickness appears to be the same as the 8900, on the Onyx RIM has made the sides of the device a little less thick and instead of having the display be flush (even slightly lower) than the side rails, with the Onyx the display’s edges are beveled down towards the side rails. It’s hard to explain, but overall the device simply feels thin. The Onyx’s footprint is much smaller than the Bold’s and is even smaller than the 9630. The beveled edge look continues through the top of the device, which does feature the hidden lock and mute keys that so many BlackBerry users have quickly grown to love. Walking further around the perimeter of the device, the usual BlackBerry stuff is there. The Micro USB charging/syncing port is located on the top left side of the device, just below the 3.5mm headset jack. There’s a lanyard hole on the left bottom side of the device, just above the charging contacts – there will obviously be a BlackBerry charging pod for the Onyx. Volume up/down keys are on the right hand side, and as always, convenience keys are on both sides of the device.

All in all, the look is a bit dangerous, a bit understated, yet dashing at the same time. James Bond should scrap that Sony Ericsson crap in the next movie in favor of a BlackBerry Onyx (damn, I know “Onyx” is just a codename but it’s a good sounding name… I wish it would hit as the actual brand name).

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Keyboard – The top three rows of the Onyx’s keyboard appear to be identical to the that of the BlackBerry 9630’s, but the bottom row differs in that the keys are a millimeter or two shorter. I don’t think the downsize hurts there use – overall this is a very nice keyboard that should be comfy for everyone. Small hands, big hands or somewhere in the middle, both this keyboard and the 9630’s keyboard are just awesome.

Trackball – The Onyx reviewed has a trackball, but it is possible that by the time it goes into production that it may feature the optical trackpad found on the Curve 8520. I’m realllly in love with the trackpad, so hope it does. But even with the trackball, the navigation is all good.

Battery Cover – Another BlackBerry smartphone, another battery cover design. Seriously, it’s almost shocking how much the battery doors change from model to model. I don’t know if this means they just haven’t got it quite right yet, or if it means they design it last (once they pack all the guts under the hood) and figure out how to make it work.  The Onyx features a latch-less design (no buttons to depress).  There’s little hooks on the inside of the door at the top that slide into grooves on the phone. You simply apply a little pressure on the battery cover at the top (just under the camera) and slide down and the door comes off easily. It seems to work pretty well.

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Micro SD Card - The location of the Micro SD card slot is pretty cool. Pull off the battery cover (a good thing – having it external is one more hole to collect dust) and it’s located above the battery/below the camera and is mounted at an angle. It’s a great design.

Battery - The Onyx uses the same battery as the BlackBerry Bold, which it needs to power the processor and radios and provide enough juice to power the unit through the day. On this early OS software the battery is getting drained pretty quick, but am sure by the time the Onyx hits the market battery life will be on par with other models. Under the battery there is room for a SIM card and that’s it. It’s a very clean design under the battery door.

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Camera – You can expect the same quality of photos out of the Onyx as the Curve 8900 (which takes some great snapshots) thanks to its 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus.

Other Stuff - With the device software being so early stage, it’s too soon to start looking at performance type stuff (3G/WiFi speeds) or OS stuff (web browser), but at the end of the day it’s clear from the specs and hardware that for those who don’t want a touchscreen the Onyx will be the next must-have BlackBerry.

Be sure to click all the images above to zoom in for larger photos. I’ve let some captions with details as applicable.

BlackBerry Onyx  – Some Closing Thoughts for Now…

So there you have it, a first hands-on look at the BlackBerry Onyx. It’s been whispered about for a while now as being a sweet device, and sweet it is. It’s definitely the pinnacle of the traditional BlackBerry. But what’s really interesting is that this isn’t it for RIM… codenames like Magnum have also been floating around for a long-time now which are rumored to be mixing things up and combining a physical keyboard with a touchscreen. It’ll be exciting to see how the BlackBerry experience on a device like that will match up with a device like the Onyx. RIM should really just start a BlackBerry credit card already. It would make it easier for all us Crackies to get our hands on the plethora of devices coming out of Waterloo!

I’ll be sure to follow up with some more thoughts on the BlackBerry Onyx in the weeks ahead. Until then, be sure to drop your comments.