The all-touch BlackBerry Z30 is the new flagship smartphone from BlackBerry and features a 5-inch display, 2880 mAh battery, and the latest version 10.2 of the BlackBerry 10 operating system.
Available in Singapore from 10 October at S$828 (without contract).
BlackBerry’s new flagship: Z30 with 5-inch SuperAMOLED display, 1280 x 720 resolution at 295ppi.
Key new features of the BlackBerry Z30 include the BlackBerry Priority Hub, which can learn what conversations and people are important to you – making it fast and easy to find the messages and information you need.
Hands-on
I tried out the BlackBerry Z30 and found the bigger screen useful in digesting information and browsing the Web.
The BlackBerry 10 interface made it useful to interact with the phone, offering one-swipe access to the most commonly needed information, such as notifications, messages, settings and app switching – making multi-tasking easy to get round.
Version 10.2 of BlackBerry 10 OS makes things even more efficient by prioritising conversations and notifications in the Priority Hub, and allowing previews of messages as it arrives from within any other apps, and even immediate replying to BBM messages again within other apps.
The BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 will be made available for the BlackBerry Z10 as well.
Physically, the BlackBerry Z30 measures 140.7 x 72 x 9.4 mm and weighs 170g.
BlackBerry Natural Sound creates an immersive experience for music, videos, apps and games, and makes BBM Video chats sound more natural and realistic, with nuances and variations in tone clearly audible.
With the largest battery ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, you can get up to 25 hours of mixed use, and BlackBerry’s new antenna technology dynamically tunes reception to give better connectivity in low signal areas, and improves data transfer speeds and reduces dropped calls.
Finally, the device comes with BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, which includes hundreds of refinements plus many new features that help the user get more productive.
The BlackBerry Z30 comes with a 5-inch Super AMOLED display, 1280 x 720 resolution at 295ppi.
Research In Motion (RIM) President & CEO – Thorsten Heins – launched the new QNX-based BlackBerry 10 operating system and unveils the full-touchscreen Z10 and physical keyboard-equipped Q10 smartphones.
RIM is also renaming itself as BlackBerry from today.
Shareholders’ response to the launch inside. All images in this article were screen-grabbed from webcast of the event.
The first manifestation of the new BlackBerry 10 – the full-touchscreen Z10 (left) and physical keyboard-equipped Q10 (right).
The basic premise of the new “BlackBerry experience” is about extending connectivity to everything around users – connecting the phone to the car, sound system, healthcare system etc.
Availability of Z10
Jan 31: UK
Feb 5: Canada (C$149)
Feb 10: UAE
Feb 21?: Singapore
March: USA (pre-orders without pricing from today)
* Q10 may be 1 month behind.
Three overarching innovations to enable this are the BlackBerry Hub, Peek and Flow.
Hub is akin to the People Hub of Microsoft Windows Phone operating system and consolidates all people related and social network information and updates in one place.
Spanning from the Tanjong Pagar Rail Station to the old Bukit Timah Rail Station, the ‘Green Corridor Run’ presented by BlackBerry’ aims to raise awareness of this historical stretch of greenery and woodland.
Green Corridor Run on Sunday 27 January 2013, presented by BlackBerry. Photo from www.greencorridorrun.com.sg.
BlackBerry today announced it will be the lead supporter for Singapore’s inaugural 10.5 km ‘Green Corridor Run’, taking place on Sunday 27th January 2013 at 7.00am.
Date
27 Jan 2013 (Sunday)
Time
7 am
Venue
Tanjong Pagar to Bukit Timah Rail Stations
The ‘Green Corridor Run presented by BlackBerry’ is the first race to be held entirely on the ‘Green Corridor’ taking participants through a green oasis within the heart of the city.
The event, which has already confirmed over 4,300 runners, aims to raise public awareness of this green pathway formerly known as the ‘Rail Corridor’.
Early bird discounts
With limited spaces available, those interested in participating in this historic event are encouraged to register now.
The first 1,000 people to register using the discount code ‘ACTION’ will enjoy 25% off the normal $55 entry fee.
The route will allow runners to experience one of Singapore’s least known natural wonders and show their support for keeping the area as natural as possible, benefiting many generations to come.
The Green Corridor Run follows the course of the old rail line, starting at the historic Tanjong Pagar Rail Station.
It runs parallel to the AYE before heading North via Buona Vista, passing near Holland Village and through the lush Clementi Woodlands, before finishing at the old Bukit Timah Rail Station.
Why conserve the Green Corridor?
Even before the Malaysian government handed back ownership of the rail line to Singapore in July 2011, the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) had put forward a proposal and initiated a campaign to keep the railway lands as a continuous green corridor.
The campaign has so far been successful and the rail line has been removed and replaced by turf to enable the community to exercise and commute along this natural corridor through the city.
Once the beginning of a rail network that was planned to extend all the way to Russia, this uninterrupted stretch of ecological and culturally significant land has been re-surfaced to allow the community access to a ‘Green Corridor’ through the city.
The rail corridor was once home to the KTM rail line that connected Singapore to Malaysia and was the beginning of the Oriental Express for those journeying into the heart of Asia.
It has been out of use for many years and this has allowed the surrounding area to flourish with greenery and natural habitat.
Now the line is an uninterrupted stretch of ecologically and culturally significant land.
What does the online fashion/lifestyle retailer and the enterprise secure smartphone of choice have in common?
BlackBerry and ZALORA join hands to present a “Fashionably Bold” event.
A strong sense of style and the gut to make Bold fashion statements with their products, which is why both enjoy a growing following among the young and trendy in the region. And BBM is the buzzword that keeps them connected.
(L-R) Valerie Lim, mentor to the models with stylist bloggers Irene of Moonberry, Vanessa of Wardrobe Trends Fashion, Sophie Willocq.
BlackBerry and ZALORA co-hosted a stylish event in Singapore to put forth a fashion show showcasing a unique set of looks developed by leading online fashion bloggers and inspired by BlackBerry’s Bold line of smartphones.
Promotion for fans
To celebrate the partnership between BlackBerry and ZALORA, anyone purchasing any BlackBerry smartphone through the various authorized partners, will receive a 15% discount from ZALORA Singapore, the island’s one-stop online shopping destination across fashion, beauty and home & décor.
Charles Dufourcq – Country Director for RIM, Singapore – looking fashionably bold.
“The individual styles inspired by the BlackBerry Bold portfolio truly showcase the diversity of the many collections on ZALORA,” said Terence Pang, Head of Marketing for ZALORA Singapore.
A vibrant and thriving night out
Local standup comedian, Kumar, being fashionably bold.
I popped in at the event (at 72-13 Mohammed Sultan Road) in the evening and the turnout was fantastic, thronging with both BlackBerry and ZALORA fans.
Everybody had a great laugh with local stand-up comedian Kumar’s act.
The fashion show was refreshing because the eight female and male models were not pros but lucky winners who had been chosen from an online contest earlier, based on the best poses that they had sent in.
They received their very own photo-shoot, makeover and runway tips from Miss Singapore Universe 2011, Ms Valerie Lim, who also choreographed the Fashionably Bold show.
Totally Fashionably Bold!
“Fashionably Bold showcases the popularity of the BlackBerry Bold portfolio in Singapore, while celebrating the lifestyle statement that both our black and white smartphones make. It is a celebration of functionality coupled with a unique sense of style that BlackBerry smartphones have,” said Charles Dufourcq, Country Director for RIM, Singapore.
Here’s a selection of interesting tech events happening this week (14-20 October 2012). It is not an exhaustive list and represents only a sampling of events that gives a taste of the tech pulse in Singapore.
What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore?
This week sees the continuation of buzz building up to the General Availability of Windows 8. Intel, Samsung, HP and Sony have already showcased their respective offerings. Next week, Microsoft will be releasing Windows 8 on 26 October 2012.
Event listing on tech4tea.com
You can see this selection of events in the right sidebar.
Event organisers can submit your events for listing to johntan@tech4tea.com – but there are no promises that your event will be featured.
Audiophiles can look forward to the launch of Swiss Piega handmade speakers by Atlas Singapore, while photographers finally see the Lytro light field camera officially launched in Singapore.
The much anticipated Samsung GALAXY Note II and GALAXY Camera will be launched at the Ritz-Carlton; while BlackBerry and ZALORA join hands to present a fashion show inspired by the BlackBerry Bold smartphones.
On the enterprise side, Progress Software and NCS are talks about growth in big data and the realtime analytic industries, while DPM Teo Chee Hean opens Techventure 2012.
Finally, wrap up the week with a bit of fun and learning at Canon Imaging Academy, shooting out-and-about Singapore and learning about shooting stock photos along the way.
15 October (Sunday)
BlackBerry JamHack 2012
5-city, 3-day, 40-hour hackathon organised by 5 developer groups & communities in Asia Pacific, supported by RIM.
Culminates in App Pitches on the last day on 15 Oct.
Venue: Delhi, Bangalore, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila
15 October (Monday)
Realtime analytics for business
Progress Software and NCS talks about growth in big data and realtime analytic industries.
16 October (Tuesday)
Lytro launch
Official launch of the Lytro light field camera in Singapore.
Venue: Clarke Quay
17 October (Wednesday)
Samsung launch of GALAXY Note II and GALAXY Camera
Launch of Samsung’s latest products in Singapore.
Venue: Ritz-Carlton
17-18 October (Wednesday to Thursday)
Techventure 2012
This year’s theme, “Äsia.Innovation.Renaisance”, highlights the economic transformation in Asia and opportunities for businesses from technological innovation.
Venue: Marina Bay Sands
18 October (Thursday)
Fashionably Bold
BlackBerry and ZALORA collaborates on a fashion show inspired by the BlackBerry Bold smartphones.
Venue: 72-13 Mohammed Sultan Road
19 October (Friday)
Piega launch by Atlas
Swiss Piega launching a range of exclusive handmade speakers in Singapore.
Venue: Atlas Showroom @ Windstedt
20-22 October (Saturday to Monday)
Singapore iStockalypse
iStockphoto and Getty Images are partnering with Canon Singapore to organise this 3-day photo-workshop to shoot Singapore.
Theory on Saturday, followed by portfolio review on Sunday and out-and-about shooting on Monday.
RIM has announced the details to two initiatives to attract developers to the BlackBerry 10 platform: the US$10k Developer Commitment initiative and Built for BlackBerry initiatives.
RIM BlackBerry 10 US$10K Developer Commitment.
First announced during BlackBerry 10 Jam Singapore, the US$10,000 Developer Commitment initiative is offered to developers that meet the following criteria.
US$10K Developer Commitment
Developers must certify their apps through the Built for BlackBerry program and submit them prior to the launch of BlackBerry 10.
RIM Built for BlackBerry developer initiative.
Over the period of 12 months from launch of BlackBerry 10, if the app earns at least US$1,000 on its own but less than US$10,000, RIM will pay the developer the difference between the revenue earned and US$10,000.
Developers are only eligible to receive this one time. In the event where the app earns less than US$1,000 or more than US$10,000, the app is not qualified to be part of the program.
Built for BlackBerry
The Built for BlackBerry program will be initiated this September and allow developers to submit their BlackBerry 10 apps for third-party review.
From productivity apps to lifestyle apps to games, developers will be able to submit their BlackBerry 10 WebWorks or BlackBerry 10 Native app to the Built for BlackBerry program, and when cleared through the review, will receive the “Built for BlackBerry” quality status.
The “Built for BlackBerry” designation will convey to customers the added level of evaluation an app has gone through and that it meets RIM’s high standards for quality and performance.Developers will be able to display this title on their website, on the BlackBerry App World storefront, and anywhere else they market their apps.It is a means for professional developers to differentiate their apps on BlackBerry App World.
The BlackBerry Bold 9790 is now available in Pure White in Singapore. RRP S$608 (incl. GST). SingTel sells it from today. M1 and StarHub from 7 September.
The Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9790 is available in Singapore TODAY!
Powered by BlackBerry OS 7.1, the Bold 9790 Pure White has both a touch screen and BlackBerry’s popular QWERTY keyboard. It also has a precise optical trackpad.
Available from SingTel, M1 and StarHub.
The smartphone comes with 8GB memory and card slot for up to 32GB of additional storage..
BlackBerry 7.1 OS incorporates a new feature called BlackBerry Tag.
By simply tapping the NFC enabled BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone against another NFC enabled BlackBerry smartphone, customers can instantly invite a friend to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM)
Or exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos, and other multimedia content.
They can also pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth device.
The BlackBerry Bold 9790 can also boost a customer¹s productivity with Mobile Hotspot, which allows them to share their cellular connection with up to 5 Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.
RIM has unveiled the new 4G LTE PlayBook. Available in Canada on 9 August with 32GB and a more powerful 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. Prices TBA.
The new PlayBook comes with much needed cellular connectivity.
The 4G LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook will make its debut in Canada next Thursday, with availability in other countries in the following months.
Cellular connectivity
LTE
700, 1700 MHz
HSPA+
100, 1900, 1700, 800, 900 MHz
Given the incompatibility of 4G networks in different countries, it could be some time before a version compatible with your country becomes available.
In the meantime, the new PlayBook will at least bring much needed cellular connectivity (on 3G) for users from countries which do not have a 4G network yet (or who have incompatible networks).
Available in Canada on 9 Aug.
Research In Motion (RIM) had announced earlier that the PlayBook will eventually run on BlackBerry 10 OS.
So the 4G LTE should be upgradeable from the current BlackBerry Tablet OS when BB10 becomes available next year.
Apart from the 4G LTE connectivity and CPU speed-up, the hardware for the new PlayBook remains the same – which is a testimony of how advanced it was to begin with when the original PlayBook was launched last year.
RIM has announced that the BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now available in Singapore at S$328. Get it from authorised BlackBerry partners including local carriers SingTel and M1.
BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now available in Singapore for S$328.
The Curve 9320 has the traditional half-body screen cum signature hardware keypad design of BlackBerry smartphones.
BlackBerry Curve 9320
OS
BlackBerry 7.1 OS
Screen
2.44″ TFT
Resolution
320 x 240, 164 ppi
Battery
1,450 mAh
Processor
Single-core, 806 MHz
Camera
Rear: 3.2mp
Front: Nil
Video
VGA, 640 x 480
Memory
Int: 512 MB
Ext: 32 GB microSD
Size /mm
109 x 60 x 12.7
Weight
103 g
Price
S$328
Customers can interact with their social network in real time, using preloaded apps for Facebook and Twitter.
The new Social Feeds 2.0 app is also preloaded, allowing customers to post updates to multiple social networks simultaneously and capture updates from news sources (RSS), social apps and instant messaging apps all in one consolidated view.
The integrated camera includes a flash and supports video recording, and pictures can be tagged with their location thanks to the smartphone¹s built-in GPS.
The budget smartphone includes a built-in FM radio, allowing customers to tune into their favorite local stations.
