Now that the Bold 9650 and 3G Pearl are both out in the open, we can again turn to some other BlackBerry devices that are still floating in the rumor mill. We've seen various shots of both the 9670 and atlas in the past, and forums member B.I.G.G.I.E has posted a few more for your viewing pleasure. Nothing terribly exciting this time around, but a few more angles and some OS details for both devices. The clam-style 9670 featuring BlackBerry 6 (OS 6.0) and a 5 megapixel camera recently came out of nowhere at us (we've been hearing Verizon asked RIM to build this one as an exclusive for them), while the atlas (as it's labeled here) was the codename for what was the BlackBerry 8910 and is now the 8980 (click link for another related forum post). Hopefully more to come in the near future. Hit the jump for more images.
Reader comments
From the Forums: More BlackBerry 9670 and BlackBerry atlas (8980) Photos Emerge
no. no no no no no. BlackBerrys shouldnt flip... flip phones arnt even really cool anymore... whats the point?
and whts the other phone, looks like the 9700... I think they MAY be making to many phones now...
I'll be pissed if it's not available upon release of the 9650.
That's what I did, should be here in the morning. If Blackberry wants to keep movin towards a tiny keyboard(9700, 9650,, ect.) I will take the touch screen, where I can type almost as fast and have a huge screen for web browsing.-
- http://www.electronicswholesaledistributor.com
Jitterbug?
http://www.jitterbug.com/Phones/
WiFi!!!!! That's all I need to say.
Someone please take that 9670 out back and put it out of its misery with a shotgun. Please.
That clamshell looks like the old WinMo Motorola MPX-200 from 2003-2004. Yuck.
Ahaha, looks like RIM took cues from one of my favorite older dumb phones, the Moto PEBL. It was such a great design, but terrible phone. Now they crammed a BB into it... I am interested to see one of these in person, but am worried about too much use of that shiny material, you'll have to wipe the smudges away every time you use it.
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/zoom.php?p=685&g=2
Thats all RIM had to do, put it on the offical BB site and they majority of sane people would have said HELL NO, and there we are CLAM phone free.
Droid Incredible....tick tock
Whoever design that phone got an F at design school. I hope they don't launch it.
They could have done this so much better. It doesnt matter though, I would be embarrassed to take a call and have to whip out that monstrosity with the fear that I might knock someone in the head when it flips open.
If I go on an airplane, will I have to check it in as baggage?
Where is the Storm 3???
bad move rim .....
About time a new 89xx series phone came out. Too bad this one wont charge on a cradle and isn't 3G. Guess I will just stick with my 8900.
Oh, and the perk of this (compared to the tour and bold) is the separated keys on the keyboard. I can't stand when the keys are flat and touching...makes for many typos.
Its growing on me I think I like it. I might even get it if the outside screen is touchscreen. It really doesn't look very big(the outside screen that is). Hurry up RIM
What I don't get about the flip is that both screens are smaller then what's on their normal qwerty phones. So, what's the point?
I actually like the idea of a phone like this. What we've needed is a phone with a bigger screen, but which is not a touchscreen like the Storm. I can't really tell how big that screen is, but if it is significantly bigger than the Bolds and Tours of today, they will definitely find a buyer in me. I've always liked flip phones; it is a sensible design that protects the inner screen and keypad.
My wife might like the clamshell version. She hates purse-dialing.
Common guys, who gives two craps about how it looks. do you buy a blackberry for people to see you with a cool looking phone or something? It should have some aesthetics but for the most part i say screw them.
This is what these phones need, 1Ghz processors, tons of ram, wifi, high megapixel cameras, and if they have touch screens make them high quality.
I love my blackberry but just wish it had more umph. Most people that i know that switch from blackberry is because the hardware is too slow and not because of what it looks like.
People buy a Blackberry for their camera as much as their looks. Neither are a huge reason for having the device, but nice to be happy with none the less. at the rate RIM is going, they will not be able to macth the specs of the Droid or iPhone platforms. They have had years now to do it and have neglected to even blink at it. they're losing out, not us, we can go to other devices any time we want. They are leaving a lasting impression that will surely put them in the same boat as Palm.
*sigh*
Once again ... with feeling.
Specs mean nothing, you just think they do because thats how they market new devices.
Remember how netbooks jsut suddenly appeared from no-where a few years ago ? And people thought that no-one would buy them because the specs sucked ? And it turned out that 99% of users never needed the extra power anyway...
Well thats where blackberries are. Communication tools. The only things you need so much extra power for are games, and thats not what blackberry is about.
lol so fugly
More of the same with the Atlas and that 9670 is an abomination. RIM is stuck in park and Apple and Android are quickly coming up in the rearview.
Well you can't exactly say that iPhones are innovative. They were when they released, but they have done NOTHING to change up their form factor.
Same for droid. Identical touch screen phones and nothing to really tell them apart.
I don't LIKE this clamshell abomination, but at least its something we haven't seen before (evidently with good reason) but at least its not just identical to its competitors. The Storms have shown RIM that just making the exact same phone as someone else won't win anyone over.
It's definatley quantity over quality. It's also "screw what the real blackberry users want, let's just make a bunch of useless crap". A Blackberry users needs are simple but RIM is not checking in to receive that info. Imagine what 1 RIM executive could do for RIM if they were on this forum alone listening and talking to the users. RIM is a huge dissapointment now and is on a path to nowhere. I have a meeting in a month with our VP and Director of operations. They want to drop the blackberry for iPhone. At this point I have no argument against it besides battery life and virtual keyboard....it's a shame watching Blackberry become a has been.
p.s.
that flip phone is HUGE. could be used as a weapon.
wack and ugly, curve look like bold 9700 and the 9670 is f*ugly, i guess our comment dont mean anything to RIM is not like they go to crackberry and check what ppl have to say... sighs* w/e man RIM is going nowhere... please RIM make a better design OS w/e just make it look nicer sleeker and that can match the iphone and the droid.
RIM = RIP
releasing new devices so frequently.... i hope it's not quantity over quality. I don't like that they are releasing new devices so quickly!
Seriously, has no one heard of wiping their greasy fingerprints off of a device before they snap pics for all to see? Geez, this is the second set of 9670 pics that looks like the photog changed his car's oil right before/while handling the device. Eww!!
But I think its even uglier than I did before. Kudos.
Make it thinner, sharper edges, better material, multitouch external display, give it a sharp business look and I am a buyer.
Hani
That sounds like it would be sexy. I would say scrap "clam shell" and that the lotus head on.
Am i seeing 2 progress bars..?
F UGLY
CHEAP LOOKING
The original rumor, a little less than a year ago, is that the atlas was the 9700 for countries that don't have 3G. Considering that we spotted the first atlas way back when it wouldn't make sense for it to come out now. If it does its just 8900 update
looks humongous next to that curve model. i would have thought it was more compact
RIM's clamshell device is very much on point. RIM is actually behind on design again. Have any of you seen the LG Lotus (Sprint)? There is a market out there that just wants to text without this 9 button alphabet.
Ok what is wrong with RIM?! Another EDGE device?! For crying out loud, even the new pearl is now 3G so why are we still seeing EDGE devices? Does 3G radio chip cost that much more that consumers till have to buy EDGE device while the lowest end of the line phone runs 3G?
Ok I know the Bold 9700 have a kick ass design, but reusing it in two other devices (Pearl 3G and Atlas) seems to turn off the "prestigious" of the Bold line up.
Seems like RIM needs a new group of blood in their engineer/design team
Maybe it's edge because it's not intended for a global launch and is a product intended for markets that don't actually have a 3g network.
I agree with you mate on your stand point. For some reason people think that RIM just makes phones for just the USA and Canada. I have friends in South Africa that sport the Bold 9000 and down there it's still "the s*#t". So all I'm saying is that some people need to stop being tech hogs and stop feeling so entitled as if RIM works for you personally. They have been in the game a lot longer than everyone else, in-fact they were right there in the front lines when "the game" began. So at the end of the day business, good business practice wins out over the cellphone rat race. While we here enjoy the latest and greatest of what they offer a lot sooner than the rest of the world, RIM is still looking out at the rest of the world to bring then up to par to the best of their abilities while still preserving good business practice and an overall good quality of products. That's my 2cents...
Agreed.
I hate to see people not looking out past the end of their gardens. There's more landmass than just the Verizon coverage map...
I remember people screaming about how a rumoured device was awful because it had no wifi, and how RIM was retarded for leaving it out. Then it turned out that it was for the chinese market and the government told them not to put it in.
Don't complain until RIMs on a podium telling you the finished specs.
Seriously this clam shell looks like rim and palms retarded love child.its the ugliest look i've ever seen for a phone/device period.and the new 8980 looks like every other recent blackberry put out since begining of last year.makers like htc are advancing in taking the next step in delivering high quality performance devices while rim is still behind in 90% of the spec list aspect.and not to mention has an out-dated os.i do like my bb but compared to other smartphones its becoming a low-end device.seeing all these other powerhouse devices makes me feel like i wasted 500 bucks on what i have now.when the incredible comes out i'll be burying my bb and not just be getting a smartphone,but an incredible smartphone!
another product of parts bin raidin' from RIM. Also, the OS version numbers and platform version numbers are all over the place. That flip is downright fugly still. Maybe after a proper review and better pics it might loose some of the fugly...
Why would anyone want an EDGE only device now a days? Especially if you're paying the same data price for a 3G capable device. Doesn't make sense anymore. I love BB, but they're starting to push out too many pointless devices.
It seems wrong to call a device pointless just because you don't know the point of it e.g. maybe this one is intended for countries that have little or no 3g coverage so don't just want an 8520 as their only option.
I supremely doubt that this is a finished model... It takes a LONG time to take devices to market, and the chances are that this is an older prototype.
Don't start saying that RIMs dead before the device goes to market... They've been dumping surprises on us so fast recently that all bets are off until the device is in your hand.
Droid Incredible people ...RIM GOOODDD BYEEEE
That's what I did, should be here in the morning. If Blackberry wants to keep movin towards a tiny keyboard(9700, 9650,, ect.) I will take the touch screen, where I can type almost as fast and have a huge screen for web browsing.
some of the ugliest most unoriginal phones ive seen in a while. RIP RIMM
BB flip? I gotta have it! :) it looks sexxy! Wonder if it will come to sprint?
Biggest. Flip phone. Ever.
too big.
The 9670 looks OK on the outside (though a bit plain and boring ala Palm Pre), but when it's open it looks like a 6 year old LG phone or something with a qwerty keyboard stuffed in it. Yuck!
The 9670 looks uninspired. Does the 8980 fit somewhere between the curve 85xx series and the bold 9xxx series? Not sure what to make of this 2 devices.
that thing is huge!!
Looks like a CRT next to the LCD.
Seriously... look at the size of the thing. So this is the Atlas? Very sad. The keyboard portion is like the size of a regular phone, jeez... by far the biggest flip phone I've ever seen.
If RIM is going to approve devices like this then they should hold design contests for the public to participate in. I'm sure you'll get way better designs and they wouldn't have to pay for it. A win-win...
ewww look at the bezel around the keyboard and screen, so much plastic. Especially next to curve, ouch. Curve looks like 3 years newer model next to the atlas.
The Curve IS the Atlas. The flip is the Oxford.
on how well they implement the external screen, I might be able to use that 9670...
why cant this curve have 3G and 512mb of flash memory oh yea i forgot only in my dreams.....? Right RIM!!
The 9560 was supposed to have 256mb.
Now it has 512mb. We never know. Rant when it's released, IF you need to.
The more I see the clam shell, the more I think there may be a market for it. Not for me though.
that 9670 looks really bad in that shot with the 8980
they just keep rolling them out huh?i hope theyre quality
These phones are starting to look like each other except for that clamshell thing. Is everyone at RIM drinking the same kool-aid?
Um... it's THEIR kool-aid! ...of course their drinking it! lol
Usually the kool-aid references are made at the consumers... not the companies.