Cell Adictus

BlackBerry 9020 (Onyx) to Get Optical Trackpad Afterall

Ooops. Remember Wednesday when we dropped word on the blogs that the Onyx had been tagged the 9020 and that we had also heard the trackball would be staying on the final version?? Well we've got good news – it turns out that in regards to the trackball, that's not the case!!!

Upon further digging, and double confirming with some trusty peeps who have now actually seen it, there are already now Onyx's in existence that in fact have the optical trackpad (currently featured in the Curve 8520 – pictured above on right). The new and improved word is that the Onyx's buttons have received a slight redesign to accomodate the inclusion of the trackpad and that the 9020 will go to market with it. Awesome. This all jives well with previous word (dating back to May) that the Onyx/Driftwood would definitely be getting it (even though pre-release devices were sporting trackballs).

As for why the Onyx didn't have the trackpad in place from the get-go, I think part of the reason has to do with the fact the Curve 85xx was designed by RIM's Florida team (tasked with reducing costs/replacement), while the onyx was/is being developed by RIM's German design team, obviously somewhat in parallel. Though the trackpad isn't a 'perfect' solution (check out this forum post of where it has let me down just once in over six weeks of use), as I've gushed many times in the blogs already I'm absolutely in love with it. Now I'm truly excited for the Onyx. I can't wait to see photos of the updated device. The only bad news here is for the those who have pre-release Onyx's… it's hard to say (I'm guessing it's doubtful??) that future firmware upgrades will continue to support the trackball with the trackpad now going in place. Ah well.. them is the breaks. Bring on the trackpad!

CrackBerry.com’s feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry 9020 (Onyx) to Get Optical Trackpad Afterall

People Want iPhones (Who’d Have Thunk it?)

We’re not surprised. Obviously. Apple plays the product cycle and media hype engines to perfection. Still, it’s interesting to see Electronista’s take, based on ChangeWave data:

A mid-June study from the research group has 14.4 percent of those tracked looking to buy some kind of smartphone within the next 90 days, a record high and a large jump from 11.2 percent in March. Of these, a full 44 percent now plan to buy an iPhone compared to 30 percent just three months earlier.

As the above graph shows, Palm went from 4% to 8%, BlackBerry from 37% to 23%. Android, Nokia, and Windows Mobile weren’t shown

Other device makers likely know this, explaining why we’re seeing so many iPhone-style devices hitting the market. TiPb still thinks it’s more than a set of features, however. Sure, iPod halo and Apple brand help, but in the end the iPhone is all about usability and user experience for the consumer market, and that’s not as easy a task to duplicate.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

People Want iPhones (Who’d Have Thunk it?)

FUN: Freddy Falling for the BlackBerry Storm

Freddy Falling is a new game for the BlackBerry Storm that's sure to be a hit. It was developed by Lone Dwarf Games, the same guys who made the retro shooter game Wrath that has become one of my personal favorites.

Verizon BlackBerry Pearl Flip Review

Verizon BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230

With the release of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (for GSM carriers), RIM marked a milestone with its first-ever flip phone.

Nokia N97 call management animations are cooler than the iPhone

I mentioned that the UI isn’t everything in a mobile device and even though Windows Mobile, RIM BlackBerry and S60 do not have the latest and greatest eye candy they are quite functional. One area where the UI is very slick on the iPhone and Palm Pre is when calls come in (not on the Pre), when calls are made, and management during a call. On the display you will see some large buttons for easy call management of functions such as speakerphone, mute, dialpad, etc. I decided to do another test on my Nokia N97 and was quite surprised by the very cool blue and green slider functionality very similar to the iPhone and new HTC Touch Pro2 appear right there on my Nokia N97. I will be taking a video later tonight of this and more functions on the N97 to share with you all, but captured a couple of screenshots of the slider animation in action.

When a call comes in and your N97 display is off you see a green arrow animation (moving left to right) for answer and a blue one below it (moving from right to left) for unlock. After you answer a call you have large on-screen buttons for mute, hold, activate loudspeaker and end call. There are also left soft keys for Options (include some of same big button features) and Dialer. If I call the Palm Pre there is just an option to answer, with nothing to ignore the call.

Hmm, seems to me after a bit further investigation and thought that the S60 UI may not be quite as dated as we all may assume. I plan to put together some more detailed thought on this soon.

Cheaper iPhone Coming Soon?

Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference kicks off Monday and according to Financial Times, Apple plans to introduce a cheaper version of its popular iPhone as soon as Monday, in a move that could dramatically increase the company’s share of the smart phone market.

Analysts said that the company is likely to introduce either a $149 phone or a $99 phone, down from the current low end of $199.

Citing a firm survey of consumers, Morgan Stanley analyst Kathryn Huberty said that a $50 price cut could increase demand for the phone by 50% and a $100 cut by 100%.

Apple sells about 11% of the world’s smart phones, trailing Nokia at 41% and Research in Motion (Blackberry) at 20%, according to Gartner figures from the first quarter.

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