BlackBerry OS 6.0 coming soon, includes WebKit browser, multitouch
Apple has shown off iPhone OS 4 and now BGR has the first preview of BlackBerry's attempt to maintain their messaging advantage and close the web-browsing and UI gap with BBOS 6.0.
BlackBerry is an email and BBM monster, no two ways about it, but until now we've been able to make fun of their ridiculously bad web browser and their inability (like Android) to store a large amount of large-sized apps (infinite app potential, tiny little onboard storage). And their java-based OS.
The bad news (for BlackBerry-faithful, good news for Apple) is that RIM doesn't seem to have fixed the core problems behind the increasingly outdated OS, but the good news (for BlackBerry, decidedly not for Apple) is that they seem to have done more than enough to make those problems theoretical and almost complete non-issues for current users. (There don't seem to be enough large apps to make the app limit a problem yet either -- we'll see when they get their texture-mapped OpenGL games on).
The biggest news looks to be the WebKit browser, based on the same engine Apple uses for Safari, along with complete OS-wide support for rubber-banding, pinch to zoom, and other multitouch gestures and user interaction behaviors. (Which raises the interesting issue of whether or not Apple decides to sue RIM the way they're using HTC, or if RIM has enough patents to hold them off, like Palm presumably does).
There's a lot more as well, including swipe-able homescreens, RSS in email, etc.
So what do you think? Did either Apple or RIM take a new-OS leap over the other, or will 2010 be much like 2009 -- two devices still top of their respective categories, keeping up but not taking the lead?
[BGR via CrackBerry]
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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KEEPING UP BUT NOT taking THE LEAD
oh yeah MAY 21st is my B-DAY!!! they have it as homescreen date lol
Ughh...
The more competitors do, the better products we see from apple, so this is great.
Meh.
Sorry, still looks like crap.
Too little too late. This is horrible.
@James: Apple doesn't even pay attention to RIM anymore. Neither does anyone else. I know someone who recently bought a Storm just to "support a Canadian company"... I had no idea we Canadians were able to possess blind patriotism as well.
Blackberrys are outdated, the software is horrible, and this is straight up turd polishing. It's crap.
Seriously? Tu.rd and cr..ap are bad words on TiPB? Really??
Just more of the same. Unless RIM is working on a new OS they won't make any real advances or changes until the drops in sales are significant and start hurting their bottom line.
BB 6.0 will still consist of those stufid battery pulls... BAHHAAAAAAWWAAHHHAAAA
That thing still looks mad ugly. I honestly dont care about the bb. But competition is what makes the iPhone what it is right now.
I don't think rim has the it factor for me to really think about them twice. OS 5.9999.99991 or OS 6.0 aren't really anything to look at. Yeah thy're great for email and messaging , which I do admire but they aren't really entertaining and quite frankly are one step away from being just a 'regular phone'.
They need to pull a Palm WebOS move... just execute it better than Palm did. Learn from Palm's marketing/hardware mistakes and also leak something (iPhoneG4 haha). Still rooting for you Palm! Stay in the game! As for BB OS 6.0, I guess its a good update. Reminds me of Apple adding copy & paste, but then again that was just a 3.XX update.
Too bad this will only work well on a touch screen BB and as of now, RIM only has one and its tied to one network. Somehow I think all the usefulness of the new browser will be lost on a standard BB tiny screen using a trackball.
I find it admirable that they've updated their OS, called is a X.0 release and improved their browser. However, there is nothing else that they've done which I am aware of which will help them boost the purchase price of their handsets above 2 for $29.00. IMHO, that's a real problem because Apple is still going to get $199.00 for their Gen 4 handset not just in June but for the 12 months that follow June. And they're going to haul in revenue for apps, music, movies, tv, books and now ads. I also believe that once iTunes in the cloud goes live they'll also bring down the cost of MobileMe like they did with the cost of the most recent version of OS X. If only the given part comes true it means that there is even more distance between RIMM & AAPL both as handset manufacturers and as investments.
I was about to get a Blackberry and now I will buy the next iPhone. Why? Simply because Apple managed to implement ActiveSync support the right way. Blackberrys work fine with an Enterprise Server, but until Blackberry Internet Services don't sync my contacts and calendar with out Exchange server, iPhone OS is the better choice. Don't tell me about BES Express - ever asked an Exchange admin if he would install high integrated third party services on a productive system just for fun...
whilst this is a step in the right direction its still looking very dated.
the problem is their popularity in the enterprise market means they cant alienate their business faithfull, but with their themeing system sureley they can push the boundries and come up with some new style of UI and workflow.
Also lets not forget that OS5 has barley made it onto handsets now networks take soooo long to catch up. SO i'll be loading my 8900 curve (work phone) with os 6.0 in 2012 then!
the biggest question is "how much multitouch?". The iPhone supports 5 individual touch points, as can be seen when using piano apps. The iPad, using Smule's Piano app, supports 10 touch points.
One may say "why would you NEED that many touch points, beyond something like a piano?". The main reason is that the number of gestures increases greatly with each added touch point, and the more methods of control an app can use, the more creative the app can be. Savvy developers are the ones that will discover the uses.
I kind of wish I could move multiple Home Screen icons at the same time, one under each finger, and then use another finger to swipe across screens.
@Rob: "Excuse me sir, could you please help me move my icons to the next screen, I need some more fingers."
I had a Blackberry Curve 8320 on T-Mobile for two years. I enjoyed it, and it held up pretty well. But I had an original iPhone before I got the Blackberry. After my two year contract was over, I went back to AT&T and an iPhone 3GS. It's such a different world. The Blackberry was OK for corporate stuff, but the iPhone is making progress in that area as well. I just don't see any compelling reason to have a Blackberry anymore, unless you have a ton of money tied up in BIS.
You people are fools. Tell me, what is the major difference between the iPhone 2G, 3G, and 3GS other than incremental changes? Wow, copy and paste was added a year ago...WOW! Many things should have been in the original iPhone but Apple intentionally waited to they can scre.w you fools out of more money. It's 2010 and the iPhone still doesn't support multitasking, SD Card, camera flash etc, etc. So sad that you id.iots are blinded by the smoke and mirrors of your iPhones. Wow, it looks so pretty, I want one so bad! Fools!
Now that the iPhone 4 is announced today, let's take a look at what we have on our hands since I own both (Iphone 3G and BB 8520) :
GRIPES: When I am trying to quickly get to the keypad to type a number someone is narrating to me, I'm always zapped and confused and end up hitting the wrong icons. Same with the address book, scrolling to a particular alphabet in a reasonably sized address book is not easy and you have to be nimble and daft with your finger work. Battery life drops like a hot potato once you use either GPS or Wifi.
After having used some 15-20 handsets over a period of 5 years, I used the iPhone for a year..and eventually was introduced to Blackberry. Here is my opinion:
GRIPES: The blackberry OS was initially unstable and for a few days I had to pull out the battery pack at least once everyday. However, soon the problem resolved itself. Boot-up and charging times are REALLY slow and painful to work with. Keypad is HORRIBLE and needs Hercules to help you press the keys. (Maybe just an issue with 8520 since the Bold 9000 has amazingly soft keys) No answering machine software that I could find. I was hoping to find one for BB since its a business device. The ability to record messages in your own phone makes you save on paying your service provider for voicemail. If anyone remembers, some old Samsung models used to have this software built it and it was a DREAM.
VERDICT: I am crystal clear on this --- If I am a working professional, I will always go for a BB come what may. It's functionality blows anything ever built. BB Messenger et all are a boon and iPhone does not even finish second when it comes to connectivity.
However, if your work is not all that demanding or you are a pretty housewife or student, get the iPhone. Its brilliant screen, hordes of free apps and great sound ability will keep you entertained for hours! The accelerometer adds to the effect and of course its good bling value
So how did we compare? We could not! Its dead simple..its like choosing between a Lamborghini and a Rolls...
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