BlackBerry News From The Wire for the Week of 7/19/2010

Earlier in the week we got a gift in the form of BlackBerry OS 6 videos. They showed an overview of the device, its media capabilities, and then the browser in comparison to other mobile platforms. I thought that might be all we got on OS 6 this week, but no, there’s plenty more. We got not only another video, but we got some news on the first device to run OS 6, the BlackBerry 9800 slider.

First solid rumors of a 9800 launch date

padiContent held its Mobile Conference in New York this week, and from it we got some BlackBerry news. MobileBeat was on hand to catch the comments of John Albright of the BlackBerry Partners Fund, who said that the device will launch on August 15. That puts us 24 days away, so it’s time to start getting excited. Albright also mentioned that thousands of developers have the handset already, so we should see a number of OS 6 apps to quickly follow. There is, of course, the possibility of a delay. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened to a highly anticipated RIM device. But, to distract you from that notion, here’s another video, again courtesy of Salomondrin. Tip of the week: Auto-lock your BlackBerry. It saves battery life and prevents you from pocket dialing people.

Will the Storm 3 be a Storm 2 refresh?

We’ve heard plenty of rumors so far regarding the BlackBerry Storm 3, which will presumably see the light of day later this year. When we first heard about it, the details were sketchy at best. Apparently RIM was working on a business-as-usual Storm 3, while they had big plans for a Storm 4 that would be a close follow-up, rather than the year-later release we’ve grown used to. But then Salomondrin got word that the Storm 3 would be that awesome, change-of-pace device. And now this. This is a slide that Engadget grabbed: The moniker Odin Refresh should tell you plenty about what the Storm 3 has to offer. The 3G mobile hotspot sounds intriguing, though that will likely require Verizon’s $65 data plan — though Big Red could have tiered data plans by that point. The refreshed UI and WebKit browser suggest that the device will launch with OS 6, hardly a surprise at this point. So it looks like we’ll have to wait for this supposed super-touchscreen device and settle for another update to the Storm series. Speaking of Storm, it looks like the Storm 2 won’t get OS 6, at least not anytime soon.

Pearl 9100 now available in America

Finally, the Pearl 9100 is available in the States. It’s just not where you think. Rather than hitting either of the major GSM carriers, AT&T or T-Mobile, the Pearl 9100 has landed at Cincinnati Bell. It’s pretty cheap, too, $99.99 with a two-year contract. I still don’t get why AT&T and T-Mobile haven’t yet offered it. I guess we’ll get those answers at some point. Hopefully.

Roundup

• Looking for the official specs for the Curve 9300? BBLeaks has ‘em.
• Blocking messages on your BlackBerry. Because sometimes you just want to be left alone.
• Verizon is pushing its own app store to BlackBerry users, giving you one more app outlet.
• RIM is now giving developers the ability to use non-GPS location data. That should help create some more robust applications.
• If you’re on the lookout for a prepaid BlackBerry, MetroPCS will get the Curve 8530 soon. Unfortunately, it will not include tethering capabilities.