BlackBerry hedges its bets at Live 2013 – The Verge The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. 2013-05-14T15:33:46+00:00 https://www.theverge.com/rss/stream/4094281 https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1 Dan Seifert <![CDATA[BlackBerry Q5: an entry level BlackBerry 10 handset (hands-on)]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/14/4330230/blackberry-q5-an-entry-level-blackberry-10-handset-hands-on 2013-05-14T11:33:46-04:00 2013-05-14T11:33:46-04:00
BlackBerry Q5

The only hardware announcement made during this morning's BlackBerry Live keynote address was for the Q5, a low-end QWERTY smartphone destined for emerging markets. The Q5 takes the place of the old Curve - it gives BlackBerry an entry-level device that can be sold at a lower price point than its premium line.

The Q5 looks very similar to the Q10, its bigger brother on the BlackBerry food chain, as it has a full QWERTY keyboard and square display. The display is the same 720 x 720 pixel resolution as the Q10, but instead of an AMOLED panel, it uses an LCD unit. In our brief time with it, we didn't notice any problems with the LCD, though it …

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]]> Adi Robertson <![CDATA[BlackBerry announces BBM ‘Channels’ social platform for brands and celebrities]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/14/4330090/blackberry-announces-bbm-channels-social-platform-for-brands 2013-05-14T11:03:11-04:00 2013-05-14T11:03:11-04:00
via d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net

BlackBerry's BBM service was one of the earliest popular alternatives to text messaging, but it's become less vital amidst competition from Apple's iMessage and a variety of third-party apps. Today, BlackBerry has updated it with Channels, a quasi-social media platform. Any user can create a Channel, after which others can "follow" them to receive updates. It appears to be aimed at brands and celebrities: a public figure can send news or status updates to users, who can then like or comment on them. Traditional one-on-one communication is also possible, but only if the Channel owner initiates a chat.

Unlike many new features, Channels isn't …

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]]> Chris Welch <![CDATA[BlackBerry bringing BBM to Android and iOS this summer]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/14/4330122/blackberry-bringing-bbm-to-android-ios-this-summer 2013-05-14T10:57:12-04:00 2013-05-14T10:57:12-04:00
BBM for Android and iOS

BlackBerry has just announced that its hugely popular BBM messaging service is going multi-platform: it will be released for Android and iOS as a free app this summer. BBM will support iOS hardware running iOS 6 and above; the Android version will be compatible with version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above. "It's time to bring BBM to a greater audience," CEO Thorsten Heins said in announcing the expansion, "no matter what mobile device they carry."

Though it's long been considered one of BlackBerry's strongest exclusive offerings, Heins said that his company aims to deliver a "fully featured" BBM experience on rival smartphone operating s …

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]]> Adi Robertson <![CDATA[BlackBerry announces Q5 QWERTY phone for emerging markets this summer]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/14/4329602/blackberry-announces-q5-qwerty-phone-for-emerging-markets 2013-05-14T09:34:34-04:00 2013-05-14T09:34:34-04:00
Gallery Photo: BlackBerry Q5 gallery

BlackBerry has announced a new keyboard-equipped BlackBerry 10 phone: the Q5, designed for emerging markets. The phone has a 3.1-inch touchscreen atop a keyboard, just like the presumably higher-end Q10 that launched earlier this spring. Unlike the more sober Z10 or Q10 phones, though, the Q5 will come in red, white, black, and pink. It's set to launch in parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America starting in July. No price has been given, but this phone appears to be aimed at the same market as the popular Curve, which was meant for a broader base than BlackBerry's more expensive phones.

Unsurprisingly, we also know …

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]]> Chris Welch <![CDATA[BlackBerry 10.1 rolling out to Z10 starting today, will reach US carriers by end of May]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/14/4329688/blackberry-10-1-rolling-out-to-z10-starting-today 2013-05-14T09:32:51-04:00 2013-05-14T09:32:51-04:00
BlackBerry 10 stock

On stage at BlackBerry Live 2013, CEO Thorsten Heins just revealed that BlackBerry 10.1, the updated version of the company's new OS that shipped with the Q10, is coming to Z10 users beginning today. Additions include support for PIN-to-PIN messaging in BlackBerry Hub, HDR photography, deeper customization of notifications, universal search actions, and generally speedier, less buggy performance. Heins said that most international carriers should be distributing the new update by the end of this week, with US carriers slated to receive 10.1 by the end of May. Z10 owners will receive an alert notifying them of the available download, and you …

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