With all the buzz about our new friend the 9800 Slider, we seem to forget about the ol' 9670. Today this little guy landed on video courtesy of driphter.com and gives us a new look at all it has to offer (be it good or bad). This is the first real look we've had at the device aside from a few blurry pictures, so time to decide once again if you love it or hate it. There is also a good look at the OS that shows off the front screen as well as the OS itself. Hit the jump for both videos and be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts.
Videos of the BlackBerry 9670 in action - hardware and showing off BlackBerry 6
Source: Driphter.com
Via: MobileSyrup
Reader comments
BlackBerry 9670 makes its video debut
I soo hope uscc will get this I love the full keyboard and the flip style! Finally something new I don't like sliders they seem to look cheap to me! Would much rather a flip or handheld I hope we get this a lot of customers will love it.
.. why was the video removed :/ thats odd? "terms of use violation"
This looks way better then the preview. Nice system look to. May be next time just make the whole top the track pad to us the extra space the strech the key board. Or make it another speaker, lock buttons? Instant access to to E-mail, SMS, and browser. Maybe just add tree more conveyance keys but you really need to use the extra space next go around. But nice the outsides touch. I like how flat is is good job.
The 9670 like 9800 are starting look better with every new leak. I still think that the 9670 designed is uninspired and the 9800 looks bulky. Blackberry 6 is looking promising; however, I wish their was the ability to customize the menus even more. We are still left with the same boring looking icons.
Oh and if it is Sprint Exclusive that will make it even more desirable lol
it doesnt look at bad kinda big but not bad.
i like the charging pins on the bottom i wish and hope the 9800 will have that.
I know it got razzed pretty good here in pre release poling, but if typing on it is ok, i'll be movin to it and abandoning my Flip, my semi-good-really-quite-like-the-design-cause-it-goes-in-my-jeans-pocket-with-no-worries-but-the-performance-is-abhorent-Flip.
Here's hoping.
mslpp
Ok, maybe it'll be mine. I guess it all depends on if its available on Verizon or not. Call it the Trekie in me, but I've always liked clamshells except for the lack of a full qwerty keyboard. This phone looks sexy as all Gittout to me. I want it. I want it bad! If available on big red it shall be mine! :)
This is one ugly phone, I'm getting a Samsung Galaxy S when it comes to T-Mobile. It has all the features I wish my 9700 had and looks WAYYYY sexier!
os6=os5 with new icons...Everyone that is all excited must be watching different videos than me. A theme can give me new icons
i just threw up in my mouth.....
LOVE the light around the trackpad!!
remember guys this is a early build...
but it doesnt look to promising for os6 for our 9700s if this phone had 512mb and only 296mb was avail :(
Yeah, we can only hope that the OS can be slimmed down some. Honestly, I like the improvements we wee in OS 6, but for the life of me I can't see where that extra 100MB or whatever comes from?
As for the phone, it doesn't look that bad to me except for the area around the keypad. It just looks cheap and toy-like. I was trying to think of a use for that space and can't really other than maybe a couple stereo speakers at the top or something...lol! I think the best thing would be to just use a more appealing material there and give it some sort of interesting design or something. I dunno...
Embarrassing.
It is surreal reading all the comments of people being excited about OS6. From what I have seen it looks only slightly more advanced than OS5. Taking baby steps for the last few years is just embarrassing. A clam shell is plain sad.
I will keep my 9700 and hope for the best with OS6. I love my keyboard but hate the lag, the slow browser and horrible web video streaming. I can't watch theses videos on my phone without getting upset at how bad it looks and sounds.
Aside from bad multimedia, this 9700 is barely handling all the business apps the company I work for requires without lag. I thought that was one main strength of a Blackberry? Hmm. It must be all our users who are at fault.
And the OS looks surprisingly like my other phone with Android OS...
AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED THAT THERE IS "FINALLY" A LIGHT AROUND THE TRACKPAD......I WAS ONE THE MANY PEOPLE WHO WONDERED WHY THEY DIDN'T DO THAT WITH THE 9700 OR EVEN THE 8520, LIKE NOKIA DID WITH THE E72 & EVEN THE UPCOMING E73. AND I'M SURE IT WILL BE LIKE THAT ON THE UPCOMING "ONYX 2 DELTA", WHICH I CANNOT WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON. I JUST HOPE IT COMES OUT FOR T-MOBILE BEFORE AT&T, LIKE WITH THE 9700, LAST NOVEMBER.
It's not for me but the clamshell looks very functional and the new os is pimp.
So if I do my math correctly, after watching the video, free application memory is shown to be 295.6 MB. So the device clearly has 512 MB on-board to play with. What does this all mean to us 9700 owners?
Well, basically it means that once we have OS 6 installed on our devices, we'll have about 40 MB left for applications. Not too shabby.
Now, if they could only develop a way to install apps onto removable memory, we'd be all set.
But nothing there sways me to liking this device still. I wanted to throw up the first time I saw this phone and lost respect for RIM even making it. I will not lie, after seeing the video it looks somewhat better but its still horrendous looking to me. I am patiently waiting for the 9800 to make its way to shelves. Once I am able to test that, if I like it, I will get it. RIM needs to stop disappointing and doing what the carriers tell them and make the phones they want to. They also need to improve on their browser.
I do not like how spread out the contact edit page was... It seems kinda dumbed down for the masses with big simple edit boxes and buttons... but.. too much scrolling...
What a piece of junk
ever since the slider vid was posted last week, personally all other blackberry devices have been rendered irrelevant in my mind (well until the Storm 3 is leaked). Don't get me wrong, I love BB and its messaging features (e-mail, BBM, etc. though I have always wanted unlimited characters on text messaging), which is why I have loyalty towards them, but I can't help but be over these other RIM devices.
I was going to buy the EVO from Sprint but seeing this I am going to wait.
Not my cup of tea, but props for past diversity brought forward(ie. old looking model, 2010 time scape).
Nice way to give a business look some personality!
Of course there's going to be some bias people saying this and that but if you look at it, how many companies are actually coming out with high tech clamshell phones? None. I give big ups to RIM for tapping into a lost market. This will be perfect for my kids. Of course I'm looking forward to the 9800. =)
OS6 as well as the clam shell seems to be a great purchase. Much better than previous software versions....this may be premature, but good job RIM.
I think I'd be pretty happy. The clamshell form factor would work as I often have to take my phone to places where it can get sand all over it and scratched up. The keys look bigger than the ones on my Curve 8310, and I like that keyboard already.
Looks like it could be a good phone for hacking out long messages and documents which I need to do often. The extra space beneath the keyboard I think would improve the ergonomics over the 8310 for me; I used to like typing on my 7290 because it felt bigger in the hands, less fiddly.
I'm balanced between the Slider and this at the moment for my next BB. Curiously the more I hear people slate this phone, the more I want to buy it!
I would get this phone if it had the world abilities of the 9650 or the 9630...
the drip has posted a video on the clap
Before the trackpad made it big I was wondering if it was going to have a light of some sort because at the crack of dawn that thing aint visible, but at you know where it's at.
Watch RIM revamp all their current line of phones with a lit up trackpad, give it a different model number and also call it "NEW" and put on the shelves for us to buy, and we will buy it just for that nice little light... unless we can interchange trackpads! :D That would be nice.
Indeed, this device is the ugliest BlackBerry I have ever seen. I don't think even a girl would buy this, this sh!t looks like it was found at the very bottom of an ocean reef.
1) Terminate whoever is in charge of research on consumer trends and what they want.
2 Terminate whoever makes the decision on memory in Blackberry devices. The OS should NOT run on App memory since it degrades over time, especially when the OS leaks.
Had more but gave up
clam shell????really???i just jumped on a deal for an iphone 3gs 16g because of things like this RIM...i kept my curves and gave to family members, but i got the iphone because I have waited years for a better phone from RIM and they give us sliders and a clamshell...A poster above stated it looks like a jitterbug and damn if they arent right about that one!!awful RIM, just awful..
not an apple fanboy, just couldnt wait any longer....
The phone was made purposefully for a target market. Rim just appeals to a wide swath of users with a huge assortment of phones and prices.
That being said, they couldve done better aesthetically
Nice, glowing trackpad. I always liked how the trackballs looked and the trackpad's not going to get dirty. :P
Not actually impressed with this device,....this might appeal to the ladies more, but i dont know, it being a flip phone doesnt seem like a smartphone...more a fashion item to be honest...everyone to their own taste I guess
Yeah, it's pretty ugly.
I personally like the single piece form of blackberrys.
yeahhhhh facebook 1.8
yeahhhhh facebook 1.8
im really not into blackberry flips but i guess this one is kinda kool...i wont give up my 9700 for it though
im really not into blackberry flips but i guess this one is kinda kool...i wont give up my 9700 for it though
Didn't you say in the beginning of your software review that you were going to come back to some points on the external screen? You lied to me!
Oh well, I personally think this device is going to bomb hard. What a waste of RIM's time and resources.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Storm2, but FFS, why is the hardware severely lacking?! There isn't any real reason for it at all. I've seen GSM watch phones with almost as much power as the Curve 8530 generation of phones...
I'll give RIM the release of the Storm3 to wow me, but if they are still going to make glorified calculators by that time, then I might have to jump ship. :(
That's not their business model... that's Apple... RIM is about EVOLUTION not REVOLUTION. Always has been and that is very unlikely to change.
If the WOW is important to you then do yourself a favor and switch now. There has never been a better time... the new iToy is out in two weeks and there is a new Android handset every other week and a new super handset every other month.
amazing how blackberry after all these years still brings something that is looking great, not only the device, but OS 6, it really looks well, only thing i'm worried about is that the device would be to big to put in you're pocket, that it wouldn't feel comfortable, that would make it a real ladyphone, comfortable for in a handbag! :)
Davy, Belgium
How about adding a faster processor. RIM's devices are ideal for business but they just run way too slow. I know everybody is tired of the memory leaks and having to wait ten minutes for your phone to reboot. They should also have at least 8GB of internal memory.
Although this is nice...clamshells are not for me!!!
However, can anyone tell me when BB 9800 Slider will come out?? i'm hearing a lot of conflicting stories--this month?? Don't think so because of the upcoming Iphone 4 has taken up all the attention of the Smartphone World. Or maybe the 4th quarter? I really hope not!!! i'm so bored with my BB 9000....need change!!!!
He said at around 4min into the video that Sprint was the carrier listed on the phone.
Anyway! Not liking the phone, but I am liking OS6.
what phone company is getting the NEW CLAM flip
not wowed by OS6. Think I'd rather just keep OS5.
+1
Garbage! i love you RIM but the more i see where your headed the more i can tell this is a conspiracy to make your company fall flat on your face. I have owned blackberrys for so long now. I have have always said just wait, "Watch"! how RIM is gonna take over. and nope i was dead wrong. Why RIM? i tired of this. RIM you are not listening to the consumers aka customers. What RIM is doing is forcing these products done our throats and its not fair. Do something Big RIM for real, Corny clamshells and Sliders aren't going to cut it these days. With HTC and Google and Apple and Samsung and Nokia and Sony Ericsson creating awesome phones and sometimes questions your motives RIM. Stop feeding us crap and having these cornball dudes trying to hard to sell a product that is a ancient style. STEP IT UP RIM!!! or else your going to loose alot of buyers.
there getting there information about what consumers like and want from some source. Im not sure what the source is or who but they are obviously not the majority of users on here.
Contrary to popular belief, the Crackberry Nation is not representative of the vast majority of BB users and buyers. We're the power users and most likely only represent maybe 5% of the BlackBerry buying public....
Would I be right in believing that the reason they are not showing the OS6 Browser in these tests is that the webkit thing would have to be activated at RIM's end in order to work properly and not just to be installed on the device?
If the device does not have the correct service book then the browser icon does not even appear.
Works for me. Always was comfortable with clamshells, but didn't like the Pearl. If Telus gets it, I'll buy.
Driphter.com!
this is one ugly looking device... are we in 90's... c'mon RIM, you can do better..
Oh wait RIM does... still stuck in the past.
Some people would still rather a flip phone.
I just threw up in my mouth a little, well actually allot. This is the fugliest BB to ever wear the BB name.
SO FAR OS 6 DOES NOT SEEM TO ALLOW APPS ON THE SD CARD..... AM I CORRECT?
WHAT IS THE RESOLUTION OF THE MAIN SCREEN? DOES RIM KEEP FRACTIONATING THEIR PLATFORM?
HOW ABOUT A 3D CHIP? MORE FRACTIONATING MAYBE?
Thank you for your edit. Much appreciated.
The form factor ...the waste of space. It still looks like a jitterbug and that's not acceptable.
At least they produced the Slider to combat this crap.
I agree-- JitterBerry. Blech.
Ill still wait for the Dakota vs the Pearl Flip on steriods.
A nice upgrade for those still using a Motorola Razr ;-)
even testing them, played through headsets wired or BT?
Can you comment on whether wifi was just B & G or was N an option?
In the review he showed touch screen may be included for the external screen at the time of final release. With the front screen being the larger size that it is, I think this would be a great move by RIM.
The internal screen is suggested as not being touch activated, which is probably OK because of the trck pad and the full BB keyboard.
So this "may" end up with an external touch screen that is large enouph to probably be comparable to the BB Storms and it will be touch enabled; an internal screen that is large enouph to probably be comparable to the BB Storms with a track pad and a full qwerty keyboard; BB os6; and improved memory.
This could work for a lot of people.
STILL a generation or 2 behind android and IOS4.
Could you show this on a picture if not the browser?
Can you please elaborate on the boot time and boot sequence compared to OS 5? Can't believe I am the only one wanting to know this.
OS6 does look like an improvement...
But this form factor is not for me.
This would be a good device for my wife, since she likes flip phones. OS6 looks nice, slight twist on the same idea. I think the reason that people haven't really shown the browser is because they haven't activated the phone. In the 9800 slider video, he hit one of the media options and it gave him an uncaught exception error or something.
This device looks horrible. It looks like thos little toy cell phones you get for your kids to play with at Toys R Us. It does not offer any signifigant, or even minor upgrades as far as hardware OR software. I hate being a part of a dying breed....
OK, several problems for me.
- There still is not enough app memory. (device)
- The "Launch Bar" is ugly as hell. (OS)
- For me, the launch bar is the opposite of the desired behavior, I like typing on the home page to open the phone app. I never have or will search with the crappy built in search app. (OS)
- Too much waisted space around the keyboard. (device)
RIM needs to play more then catch up if they are going to keep me from switching to an android phone.
The type to search functionality will search contacts too and if you type a number in, it will probably give you the option to dial.
-Thats more app space than my Bold 9000, I like it, yea its not a whole lot, but bashing my head into my desk is a wonderful reminder that enterprise uses don't have a whole lot of apps to use.
-The search part... I remember watching that weird arse OS 6 launch video... showed you the search function in the results were phone numbers >.>
We'll all make sure to call Lowell and make sure that he restructures his device strategy around your personal desires, after all the world will end for RIM if you personally defect to Android...
I get so sick of the "grass is greener in the Android (or iPhone) camp" comments on here. As someone who uses BlackBerry, Android, (and yes iPhone, though not as often), I can assure you that while Android has a lot of things over RIM, it also has plenty of disadvantages. Say goodbye to your 2 day battery life, your near instant email (unless you use gmail), having a decent hardware keyboard, and oh if you are on AT&T there is no way their new 2GB data pan will work for the average user because they Google does not compress your data... to name a few.
Wow, I'm glad he did the OS6 review, it looks GREAT...but I'm not a fan of the clamshell style...luckily I'm on AT&T and I'll probably be getting the 9800...
That's a pretty "half ass" attempt of giving credit where credit is due, don't you think? Every other website including Gizmodo is giving proper credit to where this information and pics came from.
I'm assuimg you made or had something to do with the video, but the website name is in the paragraph and sourced at the bottom. Not to mention the two videos. what else do you want? ungrateful that CB posted your vids
Wait, I'm having trouble telling from the huge decal taking up 1/3 of the screen of both videos...is this from driphter.com?
Bwaaa! I must say, the hybrid builders on driphter (one of whom apparently got his hands on this thing) are absolutely relentless when it comes to self-promotion.
loving the integrated search bar in OS6.
it equals fail
it looks cool.I still wanna know if os 6 is going to be on the 9700
yes according to an article on blackberrycool.com a few days ago.
"8 icons! 4 by 4"
thats funny. lol
sorry for the bad math!
Even my grandma said this thing looks ugly.
No hard feeling, but seriously! Bye Bye RIM and Hello Android.
+1 I agree with you
NO browser preview, no apps, no real innovation. As of this moment I am not impressed by OS6. I will wait patiently as all berry fanboys will to actually use OS6, but talk about UN-INSPIRING!
So far RIM, you're a disappointment
So this is the direct RIM is going in... I really want the Iphone4 but dont want the AT&T service so i'll probably get the ipod touch and an android phone
you guys think this phone is a viable option? I think it looks horrible, especially off the release of the sleek iPhone 4. I'll stick with my Bold 9700 over this phone any day of the week.
Yep same here, 9700 is wayyyy nicer no doubt about it :)
Not every RIM device is aimed at competing with the iPhone. I see this aimed at the feature phone clamshell carrying that don't really care too much about a smart phone. My father has a sony flip and loves that style - so I could see this appealing to him and the big screen is good for his old eyes.
its not about competition directly with the iphone its about keeping your consumer interested and not making crappy looking phones from 2-3yrs ago. if you're going to do a flip phone make it hot and worth it.
Flip phones can be hot??
Once upon a time the Motorola Razor was considered hit, believe it or not...
He has 1.8 on the phone.
I'm surprised you're like the only one who noticed. 1.8 was supposed to be released last month, i wonder what the hold up is.
At like 4:15 we see the clock twice and the signal 1xev twice aswell lol!! Is that a bug?
Yeah, I like the look of the software too. Although, I wonder how much additional drain on the battery is created by things like zooming into a screen when you select the icon. Of course that helps give the OS its pizazz.
Device, meh. I just don't see the benefit (IMHO). If I were to upgrade from my Tour (which I don't forsee at least for another year after my NE2 is up), I might consider the 9650 or the Slider. Though for my usage, the 9650 would make more sense.
Is what's listed on the communications settings under the options.
I wish you would have not used a "screen shot" from the video as the "title picture" A photo of the whole device probably would have been more informative?
i really love the software but the device is horrible!
Will we get a review of the browser functionality?
it's intriguing to me that they are leaving out the browser tests on all video reviews of 6.0
is it that good or that bad?
On this video AND the slider vid from china...no one even launches the browser...regardless if it is going to connect or not.
Both just disregard it actually...not even a "here is the browser icon, but there is no service so im not going to try" comment...just straight up blew by it.
Is it bc if the browser connects...then it is easier for the source of the leak to be found out (some james bond type of shiznitt???)
but you would think other apps would reveal the location as well.
It's been a while since you used a fresh device hasn't it? Before the service books are installed (and in the case of these test devices the service book for the browser would not be present at all even if it was programmed) then the browser icon does not even appear.
makes you wonder if RIM even changed the browser.
Not AS hideous as I first thought. Ill go as far as saying slightly appealing. Seems like VZW is much more likely to get this than the 9800 since this one is cdma. Still would prefer the 9800 over this though. Oh well.
I'm pleasantly surprised at the look of the device, pretty sharp! I found it appealing as well...
It is inteeresting but... I'll keep my eyes on the 9800!
Why do these "leaked" videos avoid opening the browser? I am guessing not much has changed or there's still some bugs to work out.
because these are leaked devices that have had their IDs blocked on the BB servers
wifi isn't blocked
The reason why you can't see the browser is because the browser along with the camera and the new youtube app are blocked on these phones to prevent leaks :D
Please do note this is all theory! My best guess involves three parts, 1.) The devices are blocked by the servers, 2.) Even through WiFi the device will still contact the BB server, 3.) the speed of the browser depends on the server (this is the most complicated so I will spend a second) .
Explanation of 3: I theorize that much like the new version of Opera 10, the new browser may get some speed by having the servers assemble some of the webpage on its end before it reaches the device browser. This way the page loads faster on the device. And when you don't have the servers your page still loads fairly quickly but not as quick as with the servers. So why show off something thats key to the device when it can not perform as well as possible. I hope that makes sense. Either way OS 6 looks good but I am looking forward to the 9800 (never like clamshells)
The Browser App just won't open. Its not the server, speed, performance, or anything else. The app is blocked from the phone. It seems like there are phone testers at this point and browser testers too and keeping them separately
definitely makes sense. can't wait for them to be public though...or to be left in a bar or something lol (bad and over used i know)
I'd appreciate a quick glance at the home screen at least :(
I'm still not warming up to the clapper yet lol
Wow, sweet looking device. I'll take the 9800 though.
+1
agree 100%
Really liked 9800
whoa. it kinda cool
to see OS6 running on the (inevitable) Storm3!
the "clapper" has been spotted again! what a hideous device.