Look, we’ll be completely upfront like we always are: this is not confirmed. Since that’s out of the way, one of our new connects (whom we have reason to trust) has informed us that T-Mobile USA is gearing up to launch the BlackBerry 9700 on November 11th. Engadget’s announcement dates make sense, as does this launch date. If it all pans out you’ll be hearing about the BlackBerry 9700 for AT&T and T-Mobile come October 21st, and on November 11th, you’ll be able to mosey on down to your local T-Mobile shop and actually buy one for yourself. Or you can wait until you win a whole heap of them from BGR. Huh? We didn’t say anything…

Thanks, Carlo!

Love your Bell service in Canada? Don’t really want to spring for a brand new BlackBerry Tour? Well, it seems as if Bell is gearing up to launch the BlackBerry 8530 pretty soon. Full retail price is showing up at $499 without a service agreement, but don’t let that scare you off too much — it should be pretty reasonable once a contract is factored in. We also have shots of the BlackBerry 9700 making its way into Bell’s system meaning that it’s likely we’ll see Bell’s HSPA network overlay launch with it in tow. As always, hit the jump for some bigger and better shots.

Get ready, BlackBerry adoring Canadians, because both the Bold 9700 and Curve 8520 have popped up in Rogers’ upgrade system. There’s no official word yet on when we’ll see both devices launch, although the smart money is that the Curve will come sometime in early October followed by the Bold in late October (this could change at any moment). As for how much they’ll run for is even more of a guessing game, but we would imagine the Curve will be heavily discounted (likely under $100) while the Bold should go for around the same price as the Bold 9000 which should go down in price. Good stuff. Hit the jump for some larger pics.

Thanks, ILLIONAIRE!

Embargoes. Some blogs honor them, some don’t. But what to do when a carrier sends you information assuming that you’ll agree? If you’re like friend of the site Al Sacco, you’ll deliberate and then decide for the first time ever that you’ll run wild with the story. And that’s exactly how we got this image of T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Bold 9700. Sporting AT&T-style white numbering on the keypad, optical trackbad, bevelled display and a ridiculous amount of sex appeal, the Bold 9700 looks as if it’s all but going to cannibalize sales of the other full-QWERTY ‘Berrys in Magenta’s line-up. And that’s just fine by us because really, who doesn’t like the sound of a T-Mo BlackBerry with AWS 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS? As for when we can expect to see T-Mobile offer the Bold 9700, the literature didn’t say, but considering it was to be held under embargo until early November we think it’s safe to say that what we previously said about a relatively coordinated world-wide launch at that time still holds true. Maybe even an earlier release from across the pond

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It’s Saturday and we’re in the midst of a company picnic that involves copious amounts of alcohol and plenty of good old fashioned debauchery, but we thought we’d take the time to let all the BlackBerry lovers out there know that Canada’s Bell now allegedly has the BlackBerry Bold 9700 in its system. Upon seeing the handset in inventory, it’s easy to jump to conclusions and assume that the new Bold is about to ship to dealers (and that Bell’s HSPA network overlay is about to have its switch flicked). We should caution you though, that it’s pretty standard for all Bell devices to show up in the inventory system as many as four months ahead of launch. Translation: sit tight and keep the faith.

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We’ve been saying that this would be the case for as long as we can remember, but today a new photograph has emerged which lends irrefutable evidence to our long-standing claim. The BlackBerry 9020, for now known by its codename Onyx, will be shipping out retail-style with an optical trackpad in lieu of the trackball. Based on the photograph above it’s impossible to tell if what we’re looking at is a late prototype or an early production unit, but seeing as the Onyx has already begun its factory journey we certainly can’t rule the later out. Mmmm, optical goodness.

Thanks, Nan!

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I want to start this off by saying I have nothing but love for RIM the company. Probably my favorite tech corporation in the world, they’ve created an incredibly unique product that practically replaces the need for drugs for most people. What’s even more fascinating, however, is how RIM (to the pleasant surprise of a lot of us early users) has managed to take a corporate-focused product and service and blow down doors in the consumer world. From the BlackBerry 7100, the first consumer-oriented device, to the eye-catching BlackBerry Tour (it’s business through and through, yet it will be an incredibly popular consumer phone on Verizon and Sprint), it’s clear that RIM has done everything right to this day.

So, what’s the problem you’re asking? They have probably the best back-end infrastructure for mobile communication on the planet, awesome phones that can go head-to-head with high-end smartphones, consumer marketing, a huge consumer fanbase, and practically every businessman (or woman) has one on their hip. One word is where RIM fails so miserably it isn’t even imaginable: software.

You have to look at the big picture here… for what RIM is working with (an incredibly miserable Java OS with so much security and encryption and smoke-blowing APIs) they’ve hit the jackpot. Their OS architecture is fantastic, their use of security is what makes them so trustworthy. But, as each handset release comes closer and closer, people start to see the bigger picture. And that’s the fact that RIM’s OS is more than antiquated, it’s borderline laughable. But it works, you’re thinking, so what’s wrong? I’ve been saying this for years, but it wasn’t designed to do anything the BlackBerry does now. Imagine scotch taping car parts to a 200hp engine and see how far that gets you. Obviously, it’s just a viciously rough metaphor, but we believe a correct one.

There’s so many limitations to RIM’s OS, and even RIM’s data network that it offsets all the wonderful things they’ve managed to accomplish. Remember when people were so excited over leaked shots of OS 4.6 and I said somewhere it was just a theme? Well, was I wrong? Oh, look! OS 5.0! What changed? 99% nothing. Some functionality is added here and there, but the mobile phone landscape has changed so drastically in the last two years, that RIM, admittedly known to planning “three years out” looks to be unable to see the proper direction to head.

You can throw $1,000,000,000 at developers but you won’t get any if your OS, tools, and documentation are so bad, and that’s really in the end a lot of what I’m getting at. I was laying in bed at around 3AM early one morning recently, looking through the iPhone App Store and I came across EA’s Tiger Woods Golf. $6.99, why not? Wait, it’s 150MB? Wow, it must be good. I clicked purchase and literally 4 minutes later, Tiger Woods was installed and up on my screen. Granted I was on a high-speed Wi-Fi connection, but it made me realize more than ever that RIM has the most uphill battle of their lifetimes. When a BlackBerry application over 500k is considered “large”, something’s wrong. When TweetGenius is one of the first BlackBerry applications to do fun, unique things like transparent overlays, consistent shortcuts, and a straight forward UI, something is wrong.

The reason why this is so frustrating to me and I’m guessing many is because RIM literally almost has it all. They’ve got it! They are 90% there but that last 10% has become the most important. If you take Apple for example, and see their shortcomings, and then what they’ve done to fix them, it’s remarkable. It’s a completely different DNA than RIM’s but it’s working. In two years Apple has practically matched Research In Motion in almost every consumer area while having the most advanced mobile operating system with the most advanced mobile SDK on the planet. If Apple can do this in just two years and RIM has stood still, no one thinks that’s a problem?

The reason RIM works is because it’s the entire package, if you will. Hardware, software, infrastructure, corporate integration, security, etc. People want simplicity, ease of use, but more than ever they want more than they need. Stupider people are smarter and expect more, smarter people are stupider and expect more. RIM delivers the same tired package in new hardware and people are starting to catch on. App World? Seriously? From every single developer I’ve spoke to, it’s a non-starter. It basically doesn’t exist to them in terms of a sales channel — it’s practically like 1% if that.

What consumers don’t do is look forward. They look at what’s put in front of them. It’s the exact opposite for the manufacturer and thus why it’s so difficult. Look back two or three years and the Bold and Storm might seem incredibly innovative, consumer-focused, and sure to be hot sellers. And they were and are, but look ahead three years and tell me point blank you have confidence that RIM knows how to steer this ship. I don’t, and that’s being incredibly honest. It’s not me being negative, it’s objectively looking at the landscape and evaluating things. I want RIM to succeed, I want RIM to make kick ass products. I’m just frustrated that RIM is going through hardware like it’s nobody’s business yet fails to deliver on the things that everyone wants. Screw business people, screw consumers, everyone wants a WebKit-based browser. It’s inexcusable RIM doesn’t get it. It’s inexcusable that people put up with a 2003 operating system with so many limitations and restrictions it would make Ahmadinejad jealous. I don’t think RIM is going anywhere, they as a company are incredibly successful, but once they start to lose the consumer market which they worked so hard to get, it’s a downward shift.

Here’s a list of RIM’s models followed by Apple’s in the last 3 years:

RIM: 8110, 8120, 8130, 8800, 8820, 8830, 8300, 8310, 8320, 8330, 8220, 8230, 8900, 9000, 9500, 9530, 9630.

Apple: iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.

There’s a good and bad part with knowing things in advance. For instance, people might hold off on purchasing a new BlackBerry if they know a newer and better one is being released in a couple months, and this hurts a company’s current product cycle. On the other hand, if someone on Verizon sees a Tour being released two months from now, they might rethink jumping ship or switching to a different device on Verizon. And the cycle continues. Looking at RIM’s upcoming products for the next 6-12 months is simply a rehash of current limitations and shortcoming in smaller and sexier packages. The BlackBerry 9020? It’s a Bold in a smaller, sexier package. Nothing else is different. The BlackBerry Storm 2? It’s the same device with maybe improved screen tech. The BlackBerry Magnum? As hot as a hybrid touch screen/QWERTY device would be, it’s still a BlackBerry that can’t pull up a webpage to save its life or play a real game or have any sort of desktop-class application running.

These things won’t change, the core OS hasn’t changed, and RIM has had no reason to change it. Why mess with success, right? Well, if you happen to be Research In Motion, you might have to start changing things up or newer and better operating systems like the iPhone, webOS, and Android are going to eat their lunch and their applications, too.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to have every phone I want on every carrier and that gives a person an incredible amount of clarity when picking the superior products. I use an iPhone 3GS and a BlackBerry Bold everyday, both on AT&T. But to tell you the truth, in the past when people ask me what device would I choose if I had to only pick one, it would hurt my brain. There was just no way to choose. But unfortunately or fortunately, that decision has become clearer and clearer. I don’t think I’ll ever give up my BlackBerry, I’m pretty sure you’ll always find one on my hip in an OEM RIM leather holster, (yes, holsters are cool as shit) but when me of all people starts truly questioning how a company as successful and brilliant as RIM is going to keep up with the next 2-3 years, you’ve got a big, big issue.

I’ll close by saying that the market is still wide open and this doesn’t mean RIM is or ever will go anywhere. It’s just something to keep an eye on and see how the best to ever do it will react to competitors’ advances, innovations, and of course, their software.

Here’s the deal — we’ve heard now from two independent sources that T-Mobile will be launching a 3G-enabled 8900-style BlackBerry around September. This looks to be the much-rumored BlackBerry Driftwood. One of our sources said it was Onyx, one said Driftwood. We’re going with Driftwood only because of our other intel here (Driftwood was the only device with UMA support) but who knows. Here’s a recap of the specs:

• AWS 1700MHz + 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA
• 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera
• GPS
• Wi-Fi
• QWERTY keyboard
• Optical trackpad
• 480×360 screen
• Carbon fiber-esque back battery cover (the whole back is a carbon fiber pattern apparently)
• Much sexier than the BlackBerry 8900

We don’t have pricing or anything like that, but we couldn’t imagine this going for more than $199 on a 2-year when September rolls around. This will be T-Mobile’s first 3G BlackBerry device and definitely not their last. 8520, your move.

UPDATE: CrackBerry got some more shots of the Onyx and we’ve got some more information… We just heard that the device will launch as part of the 96XX-series. So, we could be looking at the BlackBerry 9600! And, let me reiterate that the device will have an optical trackpad at launch.

Alain Segond von Banchet, Channel Sales manger for RIM in the Netherlands, reportedly spoke freely about the BlackBerry Storm 2 during the TeleVisie 2009 Expo in the Netherlands yesterday. Segond von Banchet supposedly revealed that the Storm successor will launch in late 2009 or early 2010 with KPN, a move away from the exclusive Vodafone launch seen with the original Storm. He also confirmed that the Storm 2 will contain an improved touch input method, which we spoke of yesterday, so consider this a third source of confirmation. Now here’s where things get sketchy. Segond von Banchet supposedly also claimed that RIM will be slowing down the release schedule for devices in 2009 with no new devices except for the Storm 2. Considering we all know the Niagra alone is well on its way to two US carriers, at least one confirmed in 2009, this report loses a bit of credibility lest he was speaking only about the local market in the Netherlands. Either way, RIM and its partners seem a bit loose lipped regarding the unannounced Storm 2 — very, very uncharacteristic.

[Via Unwired View]

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So… one of our ninjas just hit us up with some really interesting BlackBerry info. While the specs of the following codenames are confirmed, releases are not, and as such, this should be used for information sake. Here’s what we got:

BlackBerry Onyx:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS device
• GPS
• Camera
• Wi-Fi (no UMA support)
• QWERTY keyboard
• 480×360 resolution screen
• Confirmed carriers: AT&T

BlackBerry Driftwood:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS device
• GPS
• Camera
• Wi-Fi with UMA
• QWERTY keyboard

BlackBerry Magnum:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS device
• GPS
• Camera
• Wi-Fi (no UMA support)
• QWERTY keyboard
• 480×360 resolution screen
• Confirmed carriers: AT&T

Now, those are three different devices with practically the same rough specs. We’d wager than the BlackBerry Magnum and Driftwood are the same device just meant for different carriers. Possibly the Driftwood for T-Mobile let’s say, and the Magnum for AT&T (who doesn’t offer UMA). Is that the BlackBerry with touch screen and physical QWERTY? Probably.

Also, we learned that RIM might be slowly refreshing the Bold with a UMA-capable version. Again, we’re not sure if that’s just a version meant for T-Mobile or maybe Rogers or this will be a global refresh (we doubt the last part).

Remember the BlackBerry Gemini? Well, it seems as if that’s not just one device, but rather an entire line of devices. Don’t get too excited, though. We’re told it could possibly just be a refresh of the Curve line-up. (Low cost handsets). The same could also be done with the Pearl line-up.

To recap: the Onyx, Driftwood and Magnum devices are all in the 9000-series family, all have 3G, and all should be absolutely delicious.