BlackBerry Reviews Roundup - Reviews of the Latest BlackBerry Smartphones

BlackBerry Reviews Roundup - Reviews of the Latest BlackBerry Smartphones
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BlackBerry Reviews Round Up

RIM’s BlackBerry was once the most dominating smartphone in the business world. Featuring the ability to easy connect with Exchange servers for corporate e-mail, along with a stable, though dull, operating system, the BlackBerry was truly a dominant force. The BlackBerry was easily associated as the corporate smartphone for years and underwent very minor modifications with each new generation. However, as with many giants, RIM’s BlackBerry became very stagnant and boring, with little to no innovation.

With the rise of more robust smartphones, such as the ever popular Apple iPhone and Android powered handsets such as the Samsung Epic 4G and Motorola Atrix 4G, RIM’s BlackBerry line up has been on the decline. RIM’s market share in the smartphone department continues to slowly decline and they are being pushed further and further into a corner. However, with heavy competition comes reinvention and RIM’s BlackBerry line up has been updated with a new operating system and updates to their range, but how do they fare? In this BlackBerry reviews round up, the newer generation of BlackBerry phone reviews are highlighted.

BlackBerry Torch Review

First up is the recently launched BlackBerry Torch. Taking a page out of the Palm Pre’s book, the BlackBerry Torch is a touchscreen smartphone with a slide out portrait keyboard. One of the first BlackBerry smartphones to feature BlackBerry OS 6, the Torch has been a breath of fresh air to the declining brand. Many originally thought that the BlackBerry Torch would be a follow up or part of the Storm series of BlackBerry smartphones, but that is not the case.

The smartphone was designed to look like a professional corporate smartphone on the outside, while the operating system gave the BlackBerry Torch a “younger” look and feel inside. The full QWERTY portrait slider keyboard is also a nice addition to the Torch, though some may find it off-putting or may not even use it at all. This BlackBerry Torch review covers the design, display, user interface, performance and features of the phone.

BlackBerry Bold 9780 Review

Blackberry Bold 9780 Review

Next up is a familiar BlackBerry from the Bold series, the BlackBerry Bold 9780. At first glance, you can immediately tell it’s a BlackBerry, there’s no doubt about it. The large, dominating presence that the BlackBerry Bold lineup gives off still exists with the BlackBerry Bold 9780. RIM did give it a nice little design update, making the Bold 9780 look a bit more sleek and stylish.

The full QWERTY keyboard mixed with a 2.44 inch display gives the BlackBerry Bold 9780 its “iconic” design. Like the BlackBerry Torch above, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 comes with OS 6, giving the user interface a fresh, well needed boost. This BlackBerry Bold 9780 review covers the design, display, user interface, camera, and connectivity of the phone.

BlackBerry Style Review

Blackberry Style Review

The problem with many users is that the BlackBerry lineup all seem too big to be smartphones. They seem like big clunky devices compared to the sleeker and newer smartphones such as the Samsung Continuum, Motorola Droid X, or the Apple iPhone. RIM attempted to market smaller, slimmer smartphones with the BlackBerry Pearl and soon after, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip. The BlackBerry Style is the successor to these smartphones.

The BlackBerry Style is a flip phone, and is among the first non-touch BlackBerry smartphones to feature OS 6. The BlackBerry Style is also a bit bulkier looking than the BlackBerry Pearl, mainly due to the full QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the odd SureType found on the Pearl series, the Style has gone all out with the keyboard, making the BlackBerry Style feel more like a smartphone in line with the BlackBerry range. This BlackBerry Style review covers the design, user interface, features, and performance of the phone.

BlackBerry Storm 2 Review

Blackberry Storm 2 Review

The BlackBerry Storm 2 is the follow up to the BlackBerry Storm. The original Storm was supposed to be RIM’s game changer, their entry into the touchscreen market. The BlackBerry Storm also featured SurePress technology, which was to differentiate it from the other touchscreen phones on the market. The successor, the BlackBerry Storm 2 is the improved version of the original.

The BlackBerry Storm 2 features an updated and reconfigured version of SurePress technology (it’s all electronic, no longer mechanic), along with Wi-Fi capabilities. Dissapointingly, the BlackBerry Storm 2 comes with BlackBerry OS 5 and not OS 6. It was also not listed as one of the smartphones to receive an OS 6 update. This is a huge disappointment for the BlackBerry Storm 2 considering how close its release date was with OS 6. This BlackBerry Storm 2 review covers the design, user interface, features and performance of the phone.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G Review

Blackberry Pearl 3G Review

Last but not least in the BlackBerry reviews round up is the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. Though the BlackBerry Pearl isn’t the latest addition to the BlackBerry line up, it is still worth a mention. As the latest 3G version of the Pearl it is still a worthy smartphone. The Pearl line up was originally among the first to try a different, non-clunky, slimmer design. Unlike the other BlackBerry smartphones, the Pearl does not have a full QWERTY keyboard, but rather a scrunched up version. It utilizes SureType to help users type using its slimmer keyboard.

Like the BlackBerry Storm 2 above, the BlackBerry Pearl 3G comes equipped with BlackBerry OS 5 and not OS 6. However, unlike the Storm 2, the Pearl 3G has been listed as one of the smartphones that will be able to receive OS 6. In fact, there are currently leaks out of OS 6 that are compatible with the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. This BlackBerry Pearl 3G review covers the design, user interface, features, and performance of the phone.

BlackBerry Reviews Round Up

The reviews above cover the newer generation of BlackBerry smartphones. RIM may have taken a break from being the dominant corporate work phone, but with BlackBerry OS 6 and newer designs, they may have a fighting chance. They’re also branching out to the tablet world with the soon to be released BlackBerry Playbook. We will have to wait and see how well RIM fares.

In the meantime check out the BlackBerry 2011 Device Line Up.

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