We would really like to put this in the most positive light we can, but comparing the Curve to the Galaxy S2 is like comparing night and day. When compared to the Galaxy S2, the Curve 9300 seems to have originated in the Stone Age. While there are many features we admire about the Curve such as its strong messaging features, its superb battery life and solid call quality, those things do not make up for its lack of a proper camera, a decent one rather, more graphically intense apps and a touchscreen interface along with an updated OS that carries more multimedia features.

The Galaxy S2 seems to beat the BlackBerry at almost everything except for the above mentioned spots. Android 2.3 shines and with support for Flash content, hundreds of thousands of apps, video calling, Skype, Netflix support soon to come as well as support for Hulu, we have to give the Galaxy S2 the crown here.

For those who are loyal BlackBerry fans, it might not be as clear cut. This is a good BlackBerry phone and when compared against other BlackBerry smartphones it does hold its own. But when the focus shifts to the likes of Android and iOS, there is no comparison. A better comparison would be to compare the Curve 9300 to the Symbian line of phones.
So in the end, while we like the Curve, we can say without a shadow of a doubt that if we had a choice, we would pick the Galaxy S2 over the Curve every single time.

It has been no secret that RIM has been planning to expand the importance of the BlackBerry Messaging platform from its traditional confines to those that are more inclusive of other apps. Well thanks to the boys working behind the scenes to make this happen over there in Waterloo, the very first open beta of the BlackBerry Social Platform is now available.

Basically, the idea behind RIM’s BBM Social Platform is to provide a way for interested third-party developers to integrate the platform into their apps. More importantly it would bring a wider appeal to the application as RIM is trying to play on the same level as the iPhone and Android product lines.

With the beta, developers will be able to integrate BBM into their apps and can do such things as have embedded chats inside the app, transfer files with the user’s permission and the list goes on. Currently the beta version only works for Java based apps, but RIM is working on a version that will support WebWorks sometime in April

While the news is great, it comes as no surprise as RIM has been falling behind in the quest for mobile smartphone dominance. Currently the company is working on different strategies such as the BBM Social Platform as well as the possibility of integrating BBM with other devices and having a stripped down standalone version for Android and iPhone. Although the company has not confirmed the last rumors, people who are familiar with the workings of RIM have claimed that the company is looking into the possibility and that there should be an Android version of BBM before years end. As for the iPhone version, that might take a bit longer thanks to Apple’s stringent codes.

The Blackberry Torch 9800 is the first of its kind: a Blackberry handset that has two input methods. It sports a 3.2 inch capacitive or touch sensitive display screen, as well as a slideout QWERTY keyboard. It has a perfect solution for those who want to stay in touch with friends and colleagues using social networking – the phone has a integrated solution for social networking sites which includes email and messaging solutions.

The smartphone comes equipped with a 5 MP camera that supports video capture, 3G and WiFi connectivity, and 8GB of internal memory. The handset also comes pre-installed with the WebKitBrowser.

Virgin has announced that the Blackberry Torch 9800 can now be ordered by paying monthly payments. The monthly payments start at £35.74/month, and the deal gets you a free handset, 800 minutes of talktime, 1GB of data exchange, and unlimited texts. The handset can also be ordered from O2, T-Mobile, range, Vodafone and Three, with prices starting at £22.34/month.

When bought SIM-free, the handset can be purchased for as low as £464.99, and the Pay As You Go scheme of Orange prices it at £449.99.

Check here for more Blackberry Torch 9800 deals.

RIM is actively trying to regain market share for their Blackberry line of smartphones, and the first things they focused on are the operating system and the look of their devices. Traditionally, Blackberries looked pretty strict and business-like, and their OS missed on the touch and apps revolutions, both of which are pretty important in today’s smartphone world.

The new Blackberry OS 6 with improved touch and extension capabilities runs on the latest Blackberry Torch smartphone, while for those that are price- and style- conscious, they have announced the Blackberry Style 9670, a clamshell phone for social media, day to day applications that looks good and is priced right. At only $99.99, the price is definitely right, but the look is definitely niche-y (kind of like the HTC Surround).

The hardware specs are pretty good: the Style 9670 has a 5 megapixels camera, Wifi, Bluetooth, HSDPA and HSUPA support, a built in GPS receiver, the new Blackberry OS 6 and other goodies. The weak spot are the screens, which there are 2 of and none of which has touch capabilities or at least a decent size or resolution.

The external one is a 2 inch QVGA screen, and the main internal one is a 2.7 inch, surprise, also QVGA screen. A lot of people are happy that QVGA and screens under 3 inches on smartphones are finally gone, but kudos to RIM for bringing them back! Though the internal screen should be enough for texting, it’s pretty bad for anything else, including Web surfing, which is a very important part of our lives today, especially for younger people, whom this phone is meant for.

Still, the Blackberry Style 9670 is a pretty good all-around phone (without the “smart”), and the keyboard is great for messaging and communicating on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. I’m sure it will find its buyers. Those who want the “smart” in their phone might want to check out one of the BlackBerry Torch deals on the market.

Chargers are a fact of modern life as mobile phones can’t live without them.  They can be quite an annoyance as you get chords dangling either from the AC wall socket or the DC chord to the handset and if you have more than two handsets getting charged at the same time, they can look messy and unsightly.

Enter the table charger, charger stand, charging pod or cradle.  Whatever you call them, they’re a neat solution as most table chargers can be fixed on a table location with those dangling wires stowed away from sight, so that at the end of the day, you only need to plunk your handset on them and you can benefit three ways:  your handset gets charged; you get PC connectivity if its USB is linked to your PC and you can extract multimedia playback so you can watch video or listen to music form it as the charger doubles up as a stand and USB connection gets all the job done.

It’s an accessory alright and all these convenience features are available from just one location.  Blackberry, like other handset makers, have long realized that and has charger products that does all these like the Blackberry Charging Pod. It is designed to be compatible with the current Blackberry Curve and Pearl smartphones.  It’s a smaller alternative to the older but larger Blackberry Power Station which can charge a spare battery as well.

What a Charger Can Do

The charging pod is a Blackberry accessory sold separately and is packaged with just a microUSB connector-cable.  Don’t throw away your Blackberry travel charger as you would still need it but instead of connecting the charger to your handset, you connect the charging pod to it and it’s ready to charge all the way by standing the Blackberry handset into the pod.

The Blackberry Charging Pod carries in a minimalist design and should look neat on any office or home furniture top.  There’s a LED indicator on the front that always lights up when the charging pod is powered, whether or not there’s a Blackberry handset sitting on it or whether the charging is ongoing or done.  It doesn’t change color when the charging is done either.  Some would have wanted it that way but Blackberry designers don’t want you to take away the handset if you knew the charging was over.  Because the charging pod is also a cradle so you can just leave your handset on it while you’re still in the house or office.

Apart from the fact that it charges the handset battery, the charging pod allows the following:

• After setting your Curve or Pearl into speakerphone mode, simply set the handset to the charging pod and you can have a handsfree voice communication on your table.
• With a USB cable linking the Blackberry Charging Pod to your PC or laptop, once the Blackberry handset is plunked into the pod, you can initiate data transfers and syncing.

As a stand for your Blackberry handset, you can watch movies or listen to music using the headphone jack on the charging pod. Or simply leave it there when not on the road as the two look quite cosmopolitan on any table top.

The phone is a very simple device, it comes with a 2.44 inch TFT touch screen, a 5 mega pixel camera, the latest version of the BB operating system and of course, the physical keyboard that BlackBerry handsets are always known for.

Overall, the device looks pretty much like what one would expect from BlackBerry –which is actually what is so good about the Onyx. While other mobile phone manufacturers tend to deviate their overall look and design, the BlackBerry series’ has distinctively classic appeal to users.

Staying in familiar ground is one thing, but stagnation is another, and RIM has been tweaking out the operating system to keep their mobile devices up to date. For many years, the BlackBerry smart phone has been considered to the best choice for businesses –with very few switching to Windows Mobile. BlackBerry’s OS and hardware capabilities bring together a complete business solution package to business users.

RIM’s stable and reliable handsets are also appealing to general users; however, the minimal focus on multimedia has always been an issue for some –particularly those who are not too keen on the whole physical keyboard thing.

Without a doubt, non-keyboard users are better off with full touch screen devices; but for those who need the best of both types, BlackBerry has come up with the OS 6 (which will be featured in the BlackBerry Onyx 9780). This brings more media related features as well as a new interface that should appeal to general users a lot more, the platform is also geared more towards user interface designs that rely on touch screen input.

This is because Research in Motion has positioned their BlackBerry handsets in a very unique niche in the mobile phone industry –for serious users. And by serious, we are referring to business clients and more importantly, hardcore text and email users. Of course, modern BlackBerry handsets are also equipped with cameras, video recording capabilities, media playback, game apps and a whole load of other features, but these are all extras. BlackBerry users choose this brand to answer very specific mobile phone needs.

However, it seems that RIM is no longer happy with their niche, and it is finally time for the BlackBerry OS to expand. Looking at the upcoming features for the BlackBerry 6, it is easy to see the new direction that RIM is planning to take.

The BlackBerry OS 6 seems to be fully loaded with all new media playback features. This will enable users to access and enjoy media content better than previous versions of the OS. The most significant change will have to be with the user interface. The button and control layout for listening to music or playing video files on the OS has been changed to make controls easier and more focus is given on the content.

Album art and other details are now viewable during playback, and controls have been changed to incorporate more conventional touch controls such as the use of swiping and other gestures. User images are now more organized, and users will be able zoom in and out using pinch motions. RIM has also added in onboard editing and sharing tools as well.

The initial demonstrations and leaks regarding the Blackberry OS 6 points out that the OS is running properly and is not bogged down by anything at all. In fact, one could even say that the new OS is a sign that RIM is leaning more towards the more common designs and styles for a mobile platform.

In many ways that is actually a great thing. The new UI looks plenty inspired by the Windows Phone 7 with the addition of more dynamic elements, the smooth transitions and the overall look. With functions however, this is still very much a BlackBerry smart phone.

The BlackBerry Messenger is now more hip looking with the new look and it has also been enhanced with additional media content attachments. Users can now send media such as videos, music and images to contacts through the messenger. Universal search is also now part of the OS. This makes finding specific contacts, content and even conversations easy. The feature will be present throughout the entire handset too.

RSS feeds for both news and social networks have been improved, making it easier to see the latest updates without having to jump across several pages. Updating a social network profile on different sites can also be done instantly.

Lastly, the new OS will be giving the users enhanced browsing. The layout now more stylish with the thumbnail pre-loaded views of the sites that is currently open.

BlackBerry Protect is basically a simple online service that allows existing BB users to sign in their device and have it accessible through the Protect network. This means that as long as you have access to the internet, your phone can easily be access to create alarm sounds (through a call or a text message), be locked or, if really needed, wiped clean.

It is security system that provides BlackBerry users with a backup plan in case they lose their handset. This is one service that businesses are really going to like as it allows users to instantly wipe the data from their devices. As RIM mostly targets enterprise clients and offer business solutions on their mobile phones, the average BlackBerry handset is bound to have valuable business related information –and some even have access to existing company infrastructure based networks as well.

Right now, the service relies on a web based remote access scheme. Users will have to make an account online and register their device. After doing so, a user will need to keep their login to the Protect service secure as it will allow the holder of the account to have full remote access to a device. The service includes simple functions like locking the device, to turning on the GPS and locating the device manually. The service is still in beta right now, but it is expected to be available to all users by the end of the year.

The sleek black body makes for the signature BlackBerry look, and as usual, the phone looks dominating and important. The phone features a track pad alongside with the normal keyboard, which helps you to control the phone easier. It also makes normally slow tasks faster, allowing you to have more control over the phone and what you use it for.

The phone also comes complete with 3G. This is incredibly useful if you need to stay in touch via the internet whilst on the go. It also allows you to easily connect to such sites as Facebook, myspace and twitter. You can also browse the general internet, on any site you choose, providing the web page doesn’t have to many un doctored images on.

The phone comes complete with a 2.0 megapixel camera, which is perfect for taking high quality pictures whilst on the go. Perhaps you need to photograph some notes or letters you need to remember, of perhaps you want to treasure a favorite moment with that special someone. Whatever photograph you take you can edit it in the BlackBerry photo editing program.

A video has been released on the internet of the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 in action. If you want to see a short demo, check out The BlackBerry Pearl 9100 tour for a great demo of some of the phones most common features and performances, and also check out some of the great BlackBerry deals online.