[TallPaul86]

Through Viigo I found out that Samsung will be releasing their upcoming OmniaHD aka Omnia i8910 which has confirmed ability to record and playback 720p video on its camera.

Dunno about anyone else but that kinda hit home to me just how far behind the times Blackberry are in terms of innovation... I mean the Bold I have (and currently using to write this) is an absolute gem apart from the hit-and-miss software updates!

Now to have this phone with a 624MHz processor, GPS, Wi-Fi etc only to have a 2 megapixel camera? Its pretty unforgivable really in an age where 5 megapixel with fancy lens (for example Carl Zeiss lens on Nokia N-series) and now that Samsung have the ability to record and playback 720p quality video

A blackberry storm with 720p video recording, WiFi and a better camera would be the perfect BlackBerry in my opinion

[dc/dc]

BlackBerry devices are not meant to be media devices, so I don't see it happening anytime soon.

[championart]

I don't think thats true. We are playing in a new era of ball game where every phone is essentially on steroids. Just wait for the bold 2 i think it will definitely upgrade a lot of features to on par with the other big dogs. Thats the beauty about technology one second you have the best specs next minute you are not up to date. RIM has no choice in this matter if everyone else is upgrading there hardware. If they didnt want to they would have to its the nature of business. If thats the case they wouldnt even be using a new trackball to improve on their previous generations.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by championart

I don't think thats true. We are playing in a new era of ball game where every phone is essentially on steroids. Just wait for the bold 2 i think it will definitely upgrade a lot of features to on par with the other big dogs. Thats the beauty about technology one second you have the best specs next minute you are not up to date. RIM has no choice in this matter if everyone else is upgrading there hardware. If they didnt want to they would have to its the nature of business. If thats the case they wouldnt even be using a new trackball to improve on their previous generations.

No, it is true.

While newer BlackBerry devices can handle media quite well and some of them are consumer-focused, they are still, at their core, messaging-centric business devices. This is not changing.

[skeevecr]

I think its incorrect to say that a blackberry isn't a media device nowadays, but you are correct about their core and as such features like cameras will always tend to be included with one eye on their cost to be included, unlike this samsung where its main selling point is this new camera.

Depending on costs, the next higher end blackberries will probably stick with 3.2mp or maybe move to 5.0mp, their aim with such a feature is to keep within the pack rather than trying to compete on that single feature.

One avenue they may look at would be things like this liquid lens stuff since it would give them some benefits with regards to the thickness of a new device, but I can't see them choosing to engage in any kind of megapixel pissing contest with other hardware makers.

[dynot]

Originally Posted by dc/dc

No, it is true.

While newer BlackBerry devices can handle media quite well and some of them are consumer-focused, they are still, at their core, messaging-centric business devices. This is not changing.

Precisely the thinking that led GM et al to near bankruptcy.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by dynot

Precisely the thinking that led GM et al to near bankruptcy.

Not even close to a good analogy.

[dynot]

Originally Posted by dc/dc

Not even close to a good analogy.

Whatever.

Point is innovation is paramount in this industry and if you sit on your @ss you'll fall behind. Only the market will decide.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by dynot

Whatever.

Point is innovation is paramount in this industry and if you sit on your @ss you'll fall behind. Only the market will decide.

I agree with you to a certain extent, but BlackBerry WILL NOT survive if they deviate too far from their core customer base: BUSINESS.

[jeramiejj]

Been with BlackBerry for many years. Their initial intent was Business only.....and they held true for a while. They were not targeting "consumers", but rather "business only". Since then, with carriers hosting the BIS services for consumers, they have broadened their target to that of typical consumers.

I remember when they said " Hell no" to cameras....now we have cameras. Fip phones.....now the Pearl flip...etc, etc.

The main purpose is extention of the business to the palm of the hand and fingertips......if it requires HD and voice input....it will go there.

I myself am impressed they continue to produce a high quality solution and meeting most of everyone's "wants" as well as needs.

[dynot]

Originally Posted by dc/dc

I agree with you to a certain extent, but BlackBerry WILL NOT survive if they deviate too far from their core customer base: BUSINESS.

No one will deny that RIM's primary market is business. But based on what my daughter tells me, BB's are becoming very popular with the younger, non-business crowd. In fact, they even have their own lexicon such as "BBM me when you get home".

Having said that, I personally think the ability to view HD on a 3-inch screen may be a little excessive. If I have to watch HD I'll do it on my 50-inch screen lol.

Besides, wouldn't HD content require huge amounts of storage space or bandwidth?

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by dynot

No one will deny that RIM's primary market is business. But based on what my daughter tells me, BB's are becoming very popular with the younger, non-business crowd. In fact, they even have their own lexicon such as "BBM me when you get home".

Having said that, I personally think the ability to view HD on a 3-inch screen may be a little excessive. If I have to watch HD I'll do it on my 50-inch screen lol.

Besides, wouldn't HD content require huge amounts of storage space or bandwidth?

That's exactly what I'm getting at. I know they have a consumer market, but that is not their core.

The real point is that business users need a device that will last at least for one day on single a battery charge with heavy e-mail, SMS, phone, and web usage. An HD screen, or any of the other media-centric bibbity-bobbity-boo will kill a battery in short order as it does on my iPhone. I for one do not want to be like the Koreans and Japanese who HAVE to carry two batteries with them.

The bandwidth issue is not so important these days with "unlimited" 3G, but storage definitely is. The latest BlackBerry devices have 1 GB of built-in storage, and up to 16GB with MSD cards. A 16 GB card can hold only 4-5 HD-quality (e.g. Blu-ray rip) movies.

[dynot]

Still, HD on a phone is a gimmick IMHO. I realize there are people out there that would like that and I applaud Samsung or any manufacturer who can offer such a phone but I personally wouldn't want to sacrifice battery life for it.

BTW, coincidentally another website today published an interview with Balsillie who states that "more than half of RIM's 25 million subscribers now fall into the non-corporate category". This surprised even me as I thought it was much less.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by dynot

Still, HD on a phone is a gimmick IMHO. I realize there are people out there that would like that and I applaud Samsung or any manufacturer who can offer such a phone but I personally wouldn't want to sacrifice battery life for it.

BTW, coincidentally another website today published an interview with Balsillie who states that "more than half of RIM's 25 million subscribers now fall into the non-corporate category". This surprised even me as I thought it was much less.

I'm with you there.

[matrix2004]

Originally Posted by dc/dc

BlackBerry devices are not meant to be media devices, so I don't see it happening anytime soon.

You are right on that they were not intended that way but obviously that's changing starting with the Storm. I seem to remember a leaked roadmap where it showed a HD Blackberry coming at the end of the year.

[motive]

im one of blackberrys young non-corporate consumers and ive had the bold for a while now. the main things that i love about it is the emails, battery life and most of all the reliability of it. in the last few months almost everybody i know are now getting blackberrys and mainly for the same reasons. emailing, browsing and facebook are getting more and more popular these days and blackberrys are the best at providing all three.

[numetheus]

Originally Posted by motive

im one of blackberrys young non-corporate consumers and ive had the bold for a while now. the main things that i love about it is the emails, battery life and most of all the reliability of it. in the last few months almost everybody i know are now getting blackberrys and mainly for the same reasons. emailing, browsing and facebook are getting more and more popular these days and blackberrys are the best at providing all three.

While I do love my BlackBerry, i will have to say that I also have an iPhone. And BlackBerry DEFINITELY does not do Facebook better than iPhone. The client for iPhone is full featured and lets you do everything from upload photos, browse photo comments and add them, to chat. The BlackBerry client is still extremely limited compared to what Facebook released on the iPhone. It does what most people need, but in no way does what the iPhone version does, or as well.

My BlackBerry is best for email and other messaging though.

[skeevecr]

Originally Posted by dc/dc

I agree with you to a certain extent, but BlackBerry WILL NOT survive if they deviate too far from their core customer base: BUSINESS.

Actually they won't survive if they don't maintain their seeming current plan of still owning the business market while steadily encroaching onto any other markets that they can.

They have moved a long way beyond their initial niche of just being for business use a long time ago even if it improving things for that market is the main thing that pushes BES development.

[skeevecr]

Originally Posted by dynot

Still, HD on a phone is a gimmick IMHO. I realize there are people out there that would like that and I applaud Samsung or any manufacturer who can offer such a phone but I personally wouldn't want to sacrifice battery life for it.

If blackberry history is anything to go by, their cameras will be hd once it can be done without any significant impact on price or battery life, other companies need to push the cutting edge just to try and find a unique selling point for their new phones, whereas rim just need to keep up with the market on a lot of features since blackberry support is their own usp already.

[TheBigNewt]

First off I don't think HD is coming to smartphones anytime soon. The Achilles heel of smartphones is battery life (listen to this Apple and Google, you suck at that so far) and HD will hurt that. The megapixel pissing contest is almost over IMO. They can improve the camera lenses though, but that'll cost money.
The old BB business biz is centered around email and documents/editing and synching schedules of appointments. They have that down pat what with their own servers, etc.
The consumer market (me and my wife for example came to bb with th pearl like a lot of others in 2006) is different. Email is great but other messaging is greater, and camera is huge for my wife. I don't do Facebook but I do forums and news so the browser is increasingly important. The touchscreen device with its big screen is the future of browsing via smartphone. It's no accident the iPhone was the first to have that. I'm sure BB is all over the Storm 2. Not just for youth, but for adults who like that bigger pretty screen for the browser and for pix. When I browse at home I grab my iPod Touch. Messaging is fine on the Pearl. It's smaller. It will always have its users. The future of the browsing BB is the touchscreen (and I rejected the Storm for the 8900 remember that). But you need a keyboard unit or 2 for the rest of the folks too. Banging out txt and email is definitely easier on a keyboard, I don't care what the iPod fanboys say. It's not even close.