The concept here is going to sound familiar. When both BlackBerry devices have the Tag app, you can tap them together and they will be able to “share contact information, documents, ULRs, photos, and other multimedia content.” It can also be used to quickly and easily add one another as contacts on BBM. BlackBerry Tag functions by way of NFC.

Since it needs NFC to work, the first phones to use Tag will be the Bold 9900/9930 and the Curve 9350/9360/9370. It’ll be incorporated into the next BlackBerry OS 7 update and we assume that the upcoming QNX-powered BlackBerry smartphones will do it too, though that hasn’t been confirmed. As convenient as this sounds, I don’t think Tag is going to be such a big deal. First, Bump for iPhone wasn’t hugely popular (though some people did use it). Second, most folks are feeling pretty bear-ish about RIM’s future in the age of Android and iOS.

The post BlackBerry Tag with NFC adds “Bump” to Berries appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Meant to be a follow-up to the already available BlackBery Curve 8520, the Curve “Apollo” offers some significant spec bumps compared to its predecessor. It’s not going to floor anyone with its 512MB of RAM or its Tavor MG-1 800MHz processor, but at least it’s respectable enough for the average business user.

We’re chalking this up to an unsubstantiated rumor for now, but it looks like RIM is ready to roll with Apollo… after it gives it a proper model number. Other specs include quad-band GSM, tri-band UMTS/HSPA 7.2Mbps, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi-N, GPS, NFC (nice!), 5MP camera, and BlackBerry OS 6.1.

As far as low- to mid-tier smartphones go, the Apollo looks like it could be a very affordable hit with corporate IT departments. Not everyone needs a touchscreen, y’know.

The post First look: BlackBerry Curve Apollo with 7.2Mbps HSPA, NFC appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Inspired by the crumple zone of a car, OtterBox’s new Reflex series iPhone 4 and BlackBerry Curve cases use polycarbonate and TPE rubber and air to keep your phone safe, even in (or falling from) the hands of the worst of butterfingers.

The cases create an air bumper around the phone, allowing the outer layer of rubber to take the impact of drops before springing back into place to take another hit. And it doesn’t take up as much room as you would think from its job description: It adds about 1/8″ on all sides and the back, and weighs about 22 grams, or 1/5 the weight of the iPhone 4.

They aren’t giving an exact release date, but the csae will be available “soon” on their website for $45. We’ll be sure to drop a couple iPhone 4s once this one comes in.

[Reflex Case]

The post OtterBox Reflex series smartphone cases built to take one for the team appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

In this day and age, having a 3G connection on your smartphone shouldn’t really be a selling feature. It should be a given, like saying that your smartphone has the ability to update Twitter or organize your schedule. Even so, it seems that one of the primary selling points of the new BlackBerry Curve 9300 is exactly that, since it is also marketed as the BlackBerry Curve 3G.

Does this mean that you should completely disregard the BlackBerry Curve 9300? No, not necessarily. At under fifty bucks on contract, it’s one of the cheapest smartphones on the market today. Then again, are you better off spending a couple more bucks to get something monumentally better? Let’s find out.

Features and Specifications

As a Curve, the BlackBerry 9300 is a very clear step down from even older devices like the BlackBerry Bold 9700. The price reflects that, but be prepared to make some sacrifices.

For instance, it only has a 2.0-megapixel camera and that doesn’t even come with flash. There’s just 256MB of internal memory, but you can expand that with the included microSD memory card slot. The rest of the specs are better than some Curves from the past though.

You get both 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and GPS, as well as the aforementioned 3.6Mbps HSPA 3G connection. Other specs and highlights include the usual BlackBerry accoutrements like the QWERTY keyboard, optical trackpad, BIS/BES support, and TeleNav. The 2.4-inch display is just QVGA and, strangely enough, BlackBerry App World does not come pre-installed.

Keyboard and Trackpad

If you’re a fan of the QWERTY keyboards from the days of the 8300 series, you’ll feel right at home with the Curve 9300. It has the same “separated” key layout as its predecessors, which is quite unlike the “connected” keyboard on the Bold 9700.

This is largely a matter of personal preference, to be sure, but I don’t like the 8300/9300 style keyboard. It wasn’t comfortable trying to type with the pads of my thumbs, forcing me to use my fingernails or the absolute tips of my fingers instead. The keys are quite hard to the touch too, instead of using a slightly softer plastic which may have been more comfortable.

The trackpad is exactly the same as every other contemporary BlackBerry, so it really came as little surprise. It does its job and I definitely like it better than the old trackball. I did find that after some oil from my fingers got on the trackpad, as is bound to happen, it got a little less responsive.

Camera and Multimedia

One of the more disappointing aspects to the BlackBerry Curve 9300 is its camera. When other smartphones are pushing upwards of eight-megapixels with dual xenon flashes and 720p video recording, the Curve 3G comes in with a paltry two-megapixel shooter and no flash in sight.

The pictures it takes are mediocre at best and don’t even think about taking pictures under low-light conditions. Granted, this is largely a business-oriented device and corporate types may not be TwitPic’ing all that much, but a lackluster 2.0MP camera won’t cut it in today’s smartphone world.

The multimedia player is the same as every other BlackBerry, but it is nice to see the dedicated music controls on the top of the phone. There’s a back button, forward button, and a play/pause button, the last of which doubles as the usual mute button for ‘Berries. Playing music through the built-in speaker is actually not bad, since it can be pretty loud for a phone.

Calling and Web Surfing

The call quality, for both ends of the conversation, is pretty middle of the road on this phone. I don’t have any real complaints regarding call clarity or reception, but I wouldn’t say that it’s particularly great in any way either. It just works and, let’s face it, we all use our smartphones for so much more than just voice calls. They’ve become an afterthought.

Web surfing is what you’d expect on a BlackBerry with a trackpad and a QVGA display. It does the job most of the time, but it’s far from the best mobile browsing experience. You really need to zoom in to get legible text on non-mobile sites, which forces you to do a lot of both horizontal and vertical scrolling.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry Curve 9300 is definitely a lesser BlackBerry, but the price reflects that. The camera leaves much to be desired, the keyboard isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, and web surfing can be an exercise in frustration.

At the same time, the core BlackBerry functionality is as great as it has ever been, the keyboard will be familiar to those who came from the 8300-series, and the overall build quality is quite good (particularly the textured materials used for the back) for a phone at this price point. I also like how, while the memory card slot isn’t accessible without removing the battery cover, you don’t have to remove the battery to get at it.

Considering that you can get a much better phone in the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (which runs BB OS 6 now) for just fifty bucks more on contract, I’d much rather opt for that over the Curve 3G. Or, if you want to spend more and wait a little longer, the new-gen Bold 9780 should be just around the corner.

Available in Canada on Rogers, Virgin Mobile, Telus and Bell, in T-Mobile in the USA.

[BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 availability page]

The post REVIEW: BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

No, it’s not exactly exciting, but the BlackBerry Curve 9300 will probably get the job done. Find it for $79.99 with a qualifying three-year contract. Wait for a review to follow soon.

The post Rogers launches BlackBerry Curve 9300, capable of BlackBerry 6 upgrade appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

More specifically, the Internet has gotten its digital paws on a Fido software update (BlackBerry OS 4.6.1.473) for the yet unreleased BlackBerry Curve 8520. Why on Earth would Fido release a firmware update for a phone that it doesn’t carry, right? It has to be on its way.

The specs should include a 2.46″ QVGA display, full QWERTY keyboard, optical trackpad, dedicated music keys, microSD expansion, 2MP camera, 512MHz processor, and 3.5mm audio jack.

Current ramblings are pointing toward a launch price of $50 with a three-year contract or $400 without. The release date is rumored to be as early as tomorrow, so we’ll have our eyes peeled for an official press release.

The post Fido update confirms arrival of BlackBerry Curve 8520 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Set to hit store shelves on November 20, this newest addition to the smartphone family does away with the trackball that we’ve come to know and love from RIM, placing an optical trackpad in its place. It works in much the same way, but you don’t have to worry as much about getting random debris stuck in there. It also makes for a sleeker overall appearance.

Running our way through the spec sheet on the BlackBerry Curve 8530, we find the usual full QWERTY keyboard, 2 megapixel camera, GPS, multimedia keys, 3.5mm headphone jack, 528MHz processor, EVDO, and Wi-Fi. Yes, a Verizon phone with Wi-Fi. Imagine that!

If you choose to go to big red for the Curve 8530, expect the Verizon reps to ask for $99.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. From what I hear, Sprint will be launching its take on this phone around the same time for around the same price as well.

Source: BGR

The post BlackBerry Curve 8530 Hits Verizon and Sprint appeared first on Mobile Magazine.