Tag Archives: RIM

BlackBerry 10 Vs. Android OS and Apple iOS?

blackberry-10-repair-ifixyouri

RIM (Research in Motion) has announced the upcoming launch of BlackBerry 10 which they have disclosed will be launched on January 30, 2013.

The demonstration of BB10 in its final avatar will also take place at launch ceremonies in different countries across the globe. At the same time, RIM will also make known the availability of the first two BB10 handsets.

A Look at the BlackBerry 10

It is still not known whether the price will be announced on the same January 30th, or if carrier partners of RIM will reveal the price separately. RIM revealed in October that as much as fifty carriers worldwide were involved with the lab testing of BB10.

RIM had earlier deferred the launch of is new Operating System from late 2012 to early 2013. RIM had informed that the development of the new OS was taking more time that was initially anticipated.

Standing Up Against the Competition

Until very recently, Blackberry held the top spot among smartphone platforms in the country. However, in the last two year or so, it has seen a steady drop in its support base as many of its earlier patrons have shifted loyalties in favor of touch devices such as Apple iPhone or devices using Google Android OS.

According to a comScore estimate, RIM has experienced, as of September, a10.5 percentage point drop as compared to its position a year back and at present claims no more than 8.4 percent of the country’s smartphone market. This is in stark contrast to its performance of September 2010 when it claimed as much as 37.3 percent of the smartphone market.

Blackberry 10 Savior or Sinker?

RIM is expecting BlackBerry 10 to slow the rapid downward slide and pose a strong challenge to both Google Android and Apple iOS. An early look at the system was provided by RIM in September. In spite of generally positive reactions, it nevertheless failed to create any deep stir among critics or enthusiasts.

Included among BB10’s new and attractive features are a universal email inbox, christened BlackBerry Hub; BlackBerry Messenger; SMS support; and notifications from social network sites. For switch between apps, a card based method of swiping, named BlackBerry Flow has been introduced to the new OS.

Critic’s Opinion

Critics have however expressed concern over the quality of BB10’s third party app store and many apprehend that the store will not feature enough popular applications to challenge effectively the hegemony of Android and Apple. RIM has however announced that BB10 will contain most popular applications from across the world.

The only thing that we can be certain of with launch of any new smartphone device is that sooner or later it will be in need of repair and that’s where the experts at iFixYouri come in. Whether it be a cracked screen, water damage or aother unforeseen instance, these trained professionals can repair your device.

The RIM Tablet: A BlackBerry PlayBook Review

blackberry-playbook-ifixyouri
The Blackberry PlayBook has finally come of age. After gaining average reviews and failing to attract iPad-like customer excitement during its launch, a huge price drop and a profoundly revised OS seems to have worked. The PlayBook has a graceful and beautiful interface that is so simple to use that it actually rivals those of Android’s Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime and Apple’s iPad2 in this front.

The current price of BlackBerry PlayBook is $199 for 16GB, $249 for 32GB and $299 for 64GB. This is relatively lower compared to the 8GB Amazon Kindle Fire that goes for $199. Arguably, the Kindle Fire is a better media machine with its online-based ecosystem of music, books and movies. Apple’s third generation iPad gives the PlayBook a run for its money with its glut of compelling apps. The PlayBook on the other hand has a dearth of the same.

User Interface, Hardware and Design

The BlackBerry gadget measures 5.1×7.6×0.4 inches and weighs 14.4 ounces. Its front panel consists of black glass while the back panel is soft and tapered. The Playbook’s 1,024-by-600-pixel display is more vibrant and brighter when compared to the Kindle Display.

Hardware

The device lacks a home button. However, it more than makes it up for this by allowing users to employ an easy sweeping motion from the bezel to the display center. At the top edge of the PlayBook, there is a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, volume rocker and power button. It is also equipped with an accelerometer and a 6-axis internal gyroscope.

The device has a built-in internet-tethering feature that enables users to use the gadget’s signal as its hotspot via Bluetooth. Users do not pay extra charges for this feature. As a result, the Wi-Fi only PlayBook is an excellent deal for users.

Ports

The bottom edge has a micro USB connector, HDMI output and a port for magnetic charging similar to the one found on the Apple MacBook Pro. It is compatible with the optional RIM’s dock accessory although it only comes with a micro USB cable and charger as standards.

Graphical Interface

The graphics of the BlackBerry PlayBook are colorful and sharp. So is its overall layout. Despite having fewer apps when compared to its competitors, the existing apps are easy to launch and you get to see background activities without much hustle. At the bottom of the interface, a dock holds five icons, which displays more icons when expanded upwards.

Tech Specs

The device has more than enough hardware power to power its apps. The gadget boasts of a dual-core TI OMAP4430 CPU, PowerVR SGX540 for graphics and 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 chip that comes with a dual-channel memory controller.

Browser & Apps

Finally, the BlackBerry PlayBook lays claim to a magnificent web browser capable of fast performance, intuitive interface and a full support for Flash 10.1. Its PlayBook OS 2.0 comes with the all-important native email, calendar support and contacts.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry PlayBook is a practical tablet computer and reasonably priced compared to other similar gadgets. However, I’ve heard reports that many PlayBooks are malfunctioning. This isn’t a problem considering they can be fixed by BlackBerry PlayBook repair experts iFixYouri, but the manufacturer still has some work to do before the gadget can claim the bragging rights in the tablet computer space.