BlackBerry

Today is a good day for Verizon Wireless subscribers. The company just announced a slew of new phones; there's one for the Android geek, one for the music lover, a push-to-talk phone, and don't worry…they didn't forget the BlackBerry die-hards.

DROID ERIS by HTC

The new DROID ERIS by HTC is the second Android phone in the Verizon line-up, (the DROID by Motorola was the first). The DROID ERIS features a 3.2 inch touchscreen and trackball interface, 5.0 megapixel camera, 8 GB microSD card (up to 16 GB supported), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5 mm headset connectivity, Integrated GPS, a digital compass, Full HTML browser with Flash Lite capabilities, and is compatible with Google services like Google Maps, Gmail, Google Search etc.Read more

Verizon Wireless announced today that the BlackBerry Storm2 will be available beginning Oct. 28 at Verizon Wireless stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The BlackBerry Storm2 gets an upgrade with the BlackBerry OS 5.0, including new SurePress "clickable" display technology and built-in Wi-Fi.

The Storm2 features a 3.25-inch display at 184 ppi, 3G and global connectivity support, Wi-Fi, 256 MB of Flash memory, 2 GB of onboard media storage, a microSD/SDHD memory card slot with a 16 GB card (included). A 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, Image Stabilization, flash and video recording, 3.5mm headset jack, built-in GPS are also included.Read more

The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 will be in stores from both AT&T and T-Mobile in time for the holiday season. It will be the first 3G-powered BlackBerry smartphone available from T-Mobile, and also the first smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) that includes built-in support for both 3G connectivity and voice calls over Wi-Fi.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone includes support for 3G HSDPA networks around the world, a next-generation (624 MHz) processor, 256MB Flash memory, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g).

It also has a full-QWERTY keyboard, a touch-sensitive optical trackpad, 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording; and a music and video player. A hot-swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot gives you additional storage for multimedia files. A 2GB memory card is included with support for 32GB cards. Read more

The BlackBerry Tour is one of the hottest smartphones available today. You want to be sure it is protected, right? Who to turn to other than OtterBox? OtterBox has announced two new protective cases for the popular BlackBerry Tour - the Impact Series and the Defender Series.

The new Impact Series case for the BlackBerry Tour incorporates a self-adhering screen cover to protect it from scratches. It also safeguards against shocks and bumps with inner coring that dissipates impact away from the smartphone.

The case allows complete user interaction with the headset jack, USB port, speaker, microphone and camera. It also includes an installation card for easy application of the protective screen as well as a microfiber cleaning cloth to keep your smartphone and case looking new. Read more

Protect your smartphone from your busy day with the OtterBox Defender Series case. This new OtterBox case for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 incorporates three layers of protection against scratches, dust, shock and bumps:

• Layer 1: Thermal formed protective clear PVC membrane covers the key pad. Clear PC sheet covers the screen. Protects against scratching, as well as dust intrusion (layer optional depending on the level of ruggedization desired - it is not protected against water)
• Layer 2: Hi-impact polycarbonate shell
• Layer 3: Silicone skin absorbs bump and shock

Read more

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Walmart will be selling the BlackBerry Curve 8520 at the heavily discounted price of only $48.88 with a two year contract on T-Mobile. That is the cheapest I have ever seen a BlackBerry offered. In comparison, T-Mobile will be selling the 8520 for 129.99 when it becomes available in August.

The new BlackBerry Curve 8520 is geared more toward social networkers rather than business folks by featuring the ability to load photos etc. directly to Facebook, plus dedicated keys to access music and video clips fast. It also has an optical trackpad and 2 megapixel camera. The downfall on the 8520 is it does not offer 3G speed (but does have Wi-Fi).

Have you ever run across a BlackBerry (or any other smarphone) this inexpensive? If so, let me know about it by leaving a comment below.

[Via Dealerscope]

Griffin's case line-up is as diverse as the BlackBerry family itself. Available today are the Elan Clip for BlackBerry Bold 9000, Elan Form for BlackBerry Storm, FlexGrip for BlackBerry Pearl, iClear for BlackBerry Curve 8300, iClear for BlackBerry Pearl, and Screen Care Kit for BlackBerry Storm.

Elan Clip

Griffin's Elan Clip case combines quick access with the security of a belt clip. The case features an elegant genuine leather outer case, wrapped around a durable polycarbonate shell for protection that looks great. The built-in belt clip swivels, too.

Elan Form

Elan Form provides two layers of protection for the BlackBerry Storm 9500 and 9530 in a slim, no-clip design. The premium black leather outer layer is bonded to an impact-resistant polycarbonate inner shell that slides snug over the Storm.Read more

Research in Motion (RIM) has a new accessory for your BlackBerry that lets you listen to your favorite songs over your car's stereo – the BlackBerry Visor Mount Speakerphone (model VM-605). This Bluetooth-enabled device also helps you keep both hands on the wheel by streaming calls from your BlackBerry through your car's stereo system. It supports voice activated dialing, caller ID, and gives you verbal notifications of who's calling.

It's easy to use, too. Just clip it to your car's visor with no installation required. The BlackBerry Visor Mount is available at www.shopblackberry.com for $99.99.

Verizon Wireless just announced that customers can now pre-order the BlackBerry Tour for $199.99 (after a $70 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement) online at www.verizonwireless.com/tour. The BlackBerry Tour will be in stores on July 12th, 2009.

The BlackBerry Tour is a 3G world phone, and features RIM's push-based mobile solution for e-mail; IM, SMS, MMS messaging and social networking; a 3.2 megapixel camera with geo-tagging and video recording; advanced multimedia capabilities; built-in GPS; full HTML Web browsing; and support for Verizon Wireless' Mobile Broadband Connect tethering service. It also supports V CAST Music with Rhapsody and VZ Navigator services. A model of the BlackBerry Tour without a camera will also be available.

For information on Verizon Wireless' plans for BlackBerry smartphones, visit www.verizonwireless.com.