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macnn/electronista

03/28/2008, 1:55pm, EDT

Friday, March 28th

BlackBerry 9000 to sport new UI, design

The first photos of an active BlackBerry 9000 have surfaced via Engadget and reveal both a major revamp of the phone's software in addition to its new hardware design. Instead of the vertical, Windows-like interface seen on current models, the 9000 will have a highly stylized strip interface that resembles a cross between the initial Google Android interface and Sony's Cross Media Bar. Transitions and other animations will also be sleeker than on RIM's earlier phones.

The images also confirm a major overhaul of RIM's design, is now rounded and sports a wrap-around chrome trim similar to the iPhone. Captures of the phone's screen reveal 3G, HSDPA-based Internet access as well as Wi-Fi and a sharper screen resolution.

No carrier branding is visible, though the phone is known to be in development for Vodafone and is near-certain to appear on AT&T and Rogers in North America. Recent leaks have suggested that the new BlackBerry may not be ready until July or August.

From left to right: Curve, 8800, 9000




Filed under: gadgets
Other story tags: sony, Google, BlackBerry, RIM, Android

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220805 03/28, 2:09pm, EDT Article is wrong
It still has the icon grid view, as shown by the video on that Engadget page.

posted by Maneki Neko

220807 03/28, 2:25pm, EDT looks like
an iPhone-inspired form factor with the rounded corners and smooth metal trim with half the screen area traded off for the keyboard...

posted by legacyb4

220811 03/28, 2:50pm, EDT closing the gap..
NOT!

posted by Rezzz

220829 03/28, 4:56pm, EDT Chrome trim...
similar to the iPhone. Might as well say, just like the iPhone's chrome trim.

I think the handset looks nice. Very sleek-looking. RIM definitely knows how to design functional handsets with keyboards.

posted by Constable Odo

220841 03/28, 6:45pm, EDT re:oops
I meant for 6000$ -> 1000 processors.

H O L Y C R A P !!!

posted by chucker

220857 03/29, 12:33am, EDT I guess the WOW is here
Yep, this WOW is right up there with Vista. LOL

Worry about how it looks, make it look like the market leader so no one will notice how much it sucks. :-)

posted by Eldernorm

220862 03/29, 6:58am, EDT Back to the future
Massive improvement in the look of the hardware though pretty easy when you simply copy. The screen however looks like graphics I produced on a rostrum camera which were designed to look like 'computer graphics' circa 1987. Seems I was ahead of my time at least in the RIM world. In the real world I suspect not and if this is the best they can do decline and fall is inevitable.

posted by spyinthesky1

220867 03/29, 11:34am, EDT Missing the mark.
RIM is missing the mark with this device by offering HSPA but no video calling. They offer every other feature to please the consumer such as WIFI, GPS, real-time push email and global HSPA broadband like browsing speed, just no video calling ability. By the time this comes out Apple should have the next iPhone out which covers all of which the Blackberry 9000 tries to offer and more.

posted by imagine engine

220875 03/29, 7:30pm, EDT Another knockoff
Knockoff = poor attempt at copying the popular iPhone

posted by dliup

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