Sprint has confirmed that they will not be offering the first BlackBerry 10 device, the Z10, on their network. While the other 3 top US-based carriers have plans to give BB10 a go sometime later this month, Sprint will not be launching it. They do, however,  plan to launch the QWERTY-keyboard equipped BlackBerry Q10 later this year when it hits US shores.

There’s no explanation why they won’t offer the Z10, other than this cryptic statement from a company spokesperson, Mark Elliot: “We aren’t saying there’s anything different about our customers,” Elliott said. “We think our customers will be happy with the qwerty keyboard and touch screen on the Q10.” This could mean that Sprint feels their customer base wants a keyboard phone, or possibly, they don’t have the faith in BlackBerry 10 that other carriers seem to show. It’s most likely that they are passing on the Z10 because they are having some issues with iPhone sales numbers, and adding another touchscreen to the lineup could increase those issues.

Source : Bloomberg

This week at CES 2013 in Vegas, RIM didn’t have a booth and there weren’t any major announcements from partners. This, however, didn’t mean that RIM wasn’t present at the biggest and most important electronics show every year. RIM was meeting secretly with partners and potential partners in backrooms at CES. There were also big confirmations from the 4 major American carriers regarding BlackBerry 10. Read on past the break for  how the confirmation from each carrier came in.

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Research in Motion and Sprint jointly announced today that BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is now available directly from Sprint through its Mobile Device Management Suite. What does that mean exactly? For companies that use Sprint as their cellular provider, they can get BlackBerry Mobile Fusion directly from Sprint and have it as a carrier-billed option. This is a big step for both RIM and Sprint to allow companies more direct access to the Mobile Fusion network. Get all the details in the full Press Release that starts below and continues past the break.

Press Release

Sprint Adds BlackBerry Mobile Fusion to its Mobile Device Management Suite

October 18. 2012

New solution joins expanding Sprint Professional Mobility Services portfolio which simplifies device management and security for businesses

Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced the addition of BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion to its suite of Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions for businesses.

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RIM is running a promotion with Best Buy on the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930. From now until June 9th, you can grab a brand new Bold 9900 or 9930 on either AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint for just $99. That’s right, for just $99 and a 2-year contract, you can get a brand new Bold. They are also running a promotion on the Torch 9810, allowing you to get this BlackBerry for free on AT&T with a 2-year contract. There’s no word on whether these are online-only or if these deals will carry over into the stores, as well. If you’re looking for a new BlackBerry, there’s no better time than now to get one.

• Purchase a new Bold or Torch on sale at Best Buy

End-of-Life (EOL) is a status that we have seen with carriers many times before. For those that haven’t been with us and seen this term before, it means that the item listed as EOL is going out of stock and will no longer be sold through that retail outlet. This time the device that is gaining EOL status with Sprint is the BlackBerry PlayBook. The PlayBook is listed as going EOL in “Late January,” which means any day now. The particular model listed is “7 inch, Wi-Fi only,” which could mean one of four things.

First, Sprint could just be trimming their PlayBook stock so they can quit carrying the PlayBook in their stores. This is a distinct possibility since the Wi-Fi only model really doesn’t bring much revenue for a wireless carrier. Second, Sprint could be selling out stock of the Wi-Fi only model in anticipation of a 4G LTE PlayBook that could be launching sometime soon. A third reason for Sprint’s EOL on the PlayBook could be in preparation for a revamp of the 7 inch model, which could coincide with the launch of PlayBook OS 2.0 in February. The fourth and final possible reason would be the discontinuation of the 7 inch PlayBook in favor of a 10 inch model that would be launching soon. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear more.

Source: SprintFeed
Via: N4BB

It has been a rough week for RIM with the announcements of its third quarter earnings and the delay of BlackBerry 10 until late-2012. However, there is still a bright future for RIM and the BlackBerry. When the BlackBerry 10 devices do hit shelves, they will be on the cutting edge and easily place BlackBerry on the same level as iOS and Android. You can check out this week’s top stories below.

News…

• Takeaways from RIM’s Q3 2012 Earnings call: BlackBerry 10, Co-CEO’s, and Marketing
• Press Release: RIM announces third quarter fiscal 2012 results
• BlackBerry App World version 3.1 – Now available to the masses
• BlackBerry PlayBook Developer Beta OS 2.0 updated
• Sprint tossing the PlayBook back on sale for $199 after the holidays
• BlackBerry Messenger updated to v6.1.0.37 in the Beta Zone
• Fandango app gets updated and added to BlackBerry App World
• Monopoly now available for the BlackBerry PlayBook from EA Games
• BlackBerry OS 7.1 for the Bold 9930 and Torch 9850 now available from Sprint

It looks like the first builds of BlackBerry OS 7.1 are starting to trickle out from carriers. Sprint is the first US carrier to release this update, and they are doing so for both the Bold 99330 and Torch 9850. The build for the Bold 9930 is 7.1.0.163 and the build for the Torch 9850 is the same. If you’re on Sprint you can check your device for available updates. If you’re not seeing it yet, be patient, it takes a little time for these to roll out across the entire system. The largest addition to OS 7.1 is the mobile hotspot feature. Check out OS 7.1 and let us know what other goodies you find along the way.

Source : CrackBerry

While we saw the PlayBook sales come and go, we knew it wouldn’t be long until they came back. As per this leaked document from Sprint it looks as though they will be offer the PlayBook for the low price of $199 for the 16gb model.  The sale us supposed to kick of on December 26th and run until January 7th 2012, which in my mind is just enough time to get your hands on one.

Source : SprintFeed

The playBook sales are a plenty. If you’ve been struggling to find a PlayBook at the holiday pricing and you’ve tried BestBuy and Walmart then head to your local Sprint store, they’ve slashed the price down to $199.99 for the 16gb model. Word is that the sale is set to end on on Cyber monday, with is monday November 27th, so you better act quick.

• Sprint PlayBook weekend sale

Sprint originally planned to release the Curve 9350 back on September 9th but the launch was pushed back due to unknown reasons till October. There was no date stated for the October launch, but now we know. Sprint has officially released the Curve 9350 and you can pick one up today. This device will run you $49.99 with a 2-year contract or $349.99 outright. Hit the link below to grab yourself a new Curve 9350 from Sprint.

• Purchase the Curve 9350 from Sprint

If this leaked document holds true it looks as though sprint will be launching the Curve 9350 on October 2nd. Previously there were leaked documents showing that Sprint had changed the release date of this device to october, and it seems as though things are lining up as planned. So who’s picking up the new Curve? Stay tuned for the feature full review of the new BlackBerry Curve 9350.

Source: Android Central

If you recall back to the early leaked documents regarding what features would ship on the new BlackBerrys, you’ll probably remember the WiFi Hotspot feature that was listed. Well, the launch of the new devices has come and gone without this feature, so where is it you ask? There’s been a lot of talk about it being included into the OS update 7.1, which will bring a lot of improvements and new features.

But the biggest questions is just when will this update be making its way onto our devices, and the answer is soon. An internal document from Sprint has stated that WiFi Hotspot is indeed coming to the new BlackBerry devices soon. Apparently some of the new BlackBerrys actually listed on the box that they support the feature, but Sprint is acting quick and letting customers know that yes, the device is hotspot capable, but it isn’t implemented just yet. So I guess there we have it, hotspot is still on the roadmap, but we’ll just have to wait a little longer.

Source: CrackBerry

Sprint had originally confirmed that they would be launching the Curve 9350 on September 9th but now the device will not be launching in September at all. In a statement on the Sprint Community Blog, Sprint has announced that the Curve 9350 will be launching in October. Sprint had this to say about the delay:

“Due to unexpected circumstances, Sprint shifted the launch of the BlackBerry^® Curve™ 9350 smartphone beyond the planned Sept. 9 availability date. It will now go on sale in October with a specific availability date shared at a later time.”

There’s not much to go on here, but i’m sure there’s a good reason for the delay. It could be any number of things from RIM not having the units produced to Sprint not having the training completed. We’ll refrain from speculation until we hear anything from either Sprint or RIM on this delay.

Via: CrackBerry

It’s Saturday again and you know what that means, BlackBerry fans! Time for a quick recap of all the hottest BlackBerry news from the past week. This week was all about device launches. The Curve 9350, 9360, and 9370 got announced earlier this week and began launching on multiple carriers Friday. RIM also took the wraps off of the long awaited BBM Music service. Check out all the top stories from this week and get ready for another exciting week of BlackBerry news to come!

News…

• Bell BlackBerry Torch 9860 and Curve 9360 now available
• Virgin Mobile Canada launches the BlackBerry Curve 9360
• BlackBerry Curve 9360 released by Telus and Koodo
• BlackBerry PlayBook OS v2.0 images and screenshots leaked
• App World 3.0 updated in BlackBerry Beta Zone
• BlackBerry Curve 9360 and Torch 9860 making their way to Sasktel
• TweetBook now available for the BlackBerry PlayBook
• RIM reveals BBM Music – $4.99/month for 50 tracks plus unlimited sharing
• Sprint Torch 9850 now available in ShopTheBerryFix.com – Only $99 on a 2yr
• U.S. Cellular launches the BlackBerry Torch 9850 on August 26th for $199.99
• Verizon promotional material with the BlackBerry Torch 9850 leaks out
• Leaked AT&T roadmap shows Torch 9860 and Curve 9360 launching in Q4
• BlackBerry Torch 9860 now available on Rogers
• BlackBerry Curve 9350 coming September 9th from Sprint
• RIM announces the BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360, and 9370
• QuickLaunch update brings BlackBerry 7 compatibility
• OS 7.0.0.353 leaked for BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930, Torch 9810, and Torch 9850/9860

Sprint has just announced that they are adding another BlackBerry 7 device to their lineup beginning September 9th. The BlackBerry Curve 9350 will be launching for $79.99 on Sprint that day. So far, Sprint is the first and only US carrier to announce the new Curve but I think that will change soon. Check out Sprint’s full press release on the new Curve 9350 continued past the break.

Press Release

Stunning new BlackBerry Curve 9350 is fast, affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and socially connected

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), August 23, 2011 – The next generation of Research In Motion’s (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) popular BlackBerry^® Curve™ series of smartphones, the stunning new BlackBerry Curve 9350, comes to Sprint (NYSE: S) on Friday, Sept. 9, offering the latest BlackBerry operating system – BlackBerry^® 7. The new BlackBerry Curve 9350 is a fast, affordable, easy-to-use, full-featured and socially connected smartphone that is as beautiful as it is functional.

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