BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 5/31/2010

I had some real fears this week. It was a short week, which already means less news to cover. But up until yesterday there was no true lead item. Of course, we rarely go a week without something decently big, not with so many BlackBerry models coming down the pike. Then, yesterday, my wishes were answered. Not only did we get something on a new BlackBerry device, but it’s one we had yet to see in pictures. Welcome, Curve 9300.

BlackBerry Curve 9300 caught on camera

My first thought upon seeing this picture was that the new Curve is either tiny, or the man holding it has massive hands. But then I held my Tour in a similar manner and it doesn’t look that extreme. This looks like a slightly smaller version of the Bold/Tour, which is expected of the Curve series. We first saw the pics on CrackBerry, but per request they were taken down. So I headed to BerryReview, which still had them up. Luis notes a few specs for the 9300, including 256MB of memory and the same old 320×240 display. He also makes an interesting note: the device is set to ship with OS 5.0, but might it not possess the specs for a 6.0 upgrade? That, along with the lower-res screen, might be RIM’s way of keeping the Curve on a different level than its main tier devices. I just don’t see why they’d design a device that couldn’t run OS 6. In any case, this is a 3G model, so it will replace the 8520. There were rumors of a 9330, but given the specs I’m not sure that it would be an upgrade over the 8530. Same screen, same OS. Why even bother? Tip of the week: Check your address book while on a phone call. There are a few ways, including a super easy one with OS 5.0.

Bold 9650 hits Verizon

We’ve been waiting a while for this one. A few weeks ago the Bold 9650 dropped on Sprint, so we knew it was only a matter of time before Verizon released its own version. That hit the Verizon web store today. It will cost just $150, $50 cheaper than previous BlackBerry models, after a $100 mail-in rebate. If you want to buy it from your favorite Verizon retailer or dealer, you’ll have to wait another week. It should hit stores on June 10. You can get it in both camera and non-camera versions.

Developers going for iPhone, BlackBerry

The results of a recent survey by iGR should come as no surprise. It claims that 53 percent of developers are creating applications for the iPhone platform, more than any other. While the iPhone doesn’t have the overall reach of other platforms, its users are far more likely to download applications. Actually, what’s most surprising is that when iGR took the same survey last year, Windows Mobile topped the list. How that is possible I’m not sure, but WinMo has certainly take a tumble, finishing fourth in this year’s survey. RIM came in second, ahead of Android, though those results could change within a year. Still, it appears that developers are valuing both platforms this year.

Programmers that plan to expand into a new field, most often said they will start developing apps for Google’s Android and BlackBerry OS.

Related, Distmo released its latest BlackBerry App World data, which reveals the top free and paid apps. Unsurprisingly Pandora and Poynt top the free section. What does come as a surprise is that two of the top four, and four of the top 10, apps are themes. I know themes are popular, but I figured that there would be enough diversity that few themes would rank among the top downloads.

Loose Links

Really, just one external and some BBGeeks stuff you might have missed.

• Runner? Check out GpsSpeedoMeter. It keeps plenty of stats about your travels.
• CNET reviews the 9105. They say, “we miss the Qwerty keyboard.” I say, “no, really?”
• Why AT&T’s data plans aren’t all smiles and sunshine.
• And don’t forget to check out the latest premium BlackBerry themes.