Here's some cool news for the hardcore BlackBerry users and enterprise travellers out there. The folks at Celio Corp have hooked us up with an exclusive video first look at their BlackBerry driver support for the REDFLY Mobile Companion. If you haven't heard of the Celio REDFLY before, it's essentially a dummy monitor/keyboard for your smartphone that allows for an improved typing and viewing experience. Previously the REDFLY has been available to Windows Mobile-powered devices.
The BlackBerry connects to the REDFLY either over USB connection or via Bluetooth and from there it is the actual BlackBerry operating system that shows up on the REDFLY's screen. You're still using your berry - just via a much bigger screen and even bigger/faster to type on keyboard. Currently the REDFLY comes in two models, 7" or 8," and has an MSRP of $199 and $249, respectively. Celio says we can expect the BlackBerry support driver to become available in early Q4, which should mean it's just a few weeks away. Watch the video above to see it in action.
Now for the big question... what do you think?! Netbooks are getting smaller these days and tethering with your BlackBerry is easier than ever, so the immediate Wow factor maybe isn't what it would have been a year ago. I do think one of the big draws to the REDFLY, especially in the enterprise space, is that you can improve the BlackBerry experience (pound out massive emails quickly) without having to leave BlackBerry's secure environment, similar in fashion to what Bayalink achieves with their Liberty product. We'll definitely give this a CrackBerry hands-on review when it becomes available.
