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RIM today announced two new phones in its BlackBerry line-up — the Bold 9790 and the Curve 9380. Both devices run RIM’s latest BlackBerry 7 operating system.
BlackBerry Bold 9790
The BlackBerry Bold 9790 slots just below the Bold 9900 flagship, it features a 1GHz single-core processor with 768MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage (versus the Bold 9900 1.2Ghz processor with 768RAM and 8GB on board storage). You also get a micro SD card slot that support cards up to 32GB.
Other than that, the Bold 9790 features a smaller 2.45-inch capacitive touch screen compared to the 2.8-inch capacitive screen on the Bold 9900. The Bold 9790 has a lower resolution display as well, pushing 480×360 pixels with 246dpi versus the 640×480 screen on the Bold 9900 that pushes out 286dpi. Another notable difference is the camera. Both devices feature a 5MP camera but the Bold 9790 shoots videos in VGA resolution (640×480) while the Bold 9900 shoots 720p videos.
BlackBerry Curve 9380
The BlackBerry Curve 9380 is the first touchscreen device in the Curve family. It features a 3.2-inch 480×360 display, a single-core 800Mhz processor and a 5MP camera that shoots 720p videos, and that’s pretty much it.
No details on pricing has been announced, RIM says the Bold 9790 and the Curve 9380 will enter markets around the world in the coming weeks. You can expect local operators to offer plans for the devices when they arrive in Malaysia. We have a strong feeling that the Curve 9380 is coming to U Mobile when it hits Malaysia but this is yet to be confirmed.
If you bought a Sony Ericsson Xperia this year than this is probably as close as striking the lottery as you can get.
Sony Ericsson has confirmed that its complete line-up of Xperia devices launched this year will all receive Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates. The Xperia phones listed below will get ICS but Sony Ericsson have not confirmed a timing. So while this is awesome news, you might be in for a long wait. Let’s hope it won’t be too long.
Xperia arc
Xperia arc S
Xperia PLAY
Xperia neo
Xperia neo V
Xperia mini
Xperia mini pro
Xperia pro
Xperia active
Xperia ray
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman
So, Sony Ericsson users, you excited about this?
The HTC Sensation XL goes on sale today, no surprises there. DiGi is offering the device with its DG Smart Plan package for as low as RM1,399, no surprises there either. What is a surprise is the device’s pricing. At RM2,099, the HTC Sensation is spec-for-spec, too expensive.
For RM2,099 outright, you get 4.7-inch 800×480 pixel Android Gingerbread device with a single-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor with 768MB RAM. Of course there’s 16GB of internal storage, an 8MP rear camera with 720p HD video recording and a 1.3MP front camera as well.
But to price the HTC Sensation XL above the Motorola RAZR at RM1,999 and the Samsung Galaxy S II at RM1,899 and even the Samsung Galaxy Note at RM2,299 — all of which have faster processors, more RAM and shoot 1080p videos — will greatly affect the appeal of the device. HTC is banking on the Beats Audio technology for the premium pricing but how much emphasis do you place on sound quality over overall performance?
Update: We forgot to mention the HTC Sensation XE. At RM1,999 outright the Sensation XE brings a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 768MB RAM, 1,730mAh battery and a 4.3-inch Super LCD Gorilla Glass display pushing 540×960 pixel resolution. You also get an 8MP rear camera that shoots 1080p videos, and you get the Beats audio feature as well. So what is the point of this lower specced yet more expensive Sensation XL then?
Also, how much better is the sound quality of the Sensation XL compared to the cheaper but more powerful dual-core devices? We’re no audiophiles but we’re guessing not by much. If given the choice we’d go for the more powerful dual-core devices that with the 720p HD displays and additional RAM. Better yet, we’d wait a little longer to find out how much the Galaxy Nexus is going to cost and maybe just get that.

BlackBerry has a lot of catching up to do in order to stay relevant. To stay in the game, an upcoming device called the BlackBerry London is in the works and said to be running on the upcoming BBX OS.
Rumour suggests that the BlackBerry London runs on a TI OMAP dual-core 1.5GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of storage. There’s a 8MP at the back and a front facing 2MP for video calls. That’s well spec’ed like the rest of todays offering. In terms of design, the London looks similar to the recently launched premium BlackBerry Porsche design device.
According to the source, the BlackBerry London is thinner than the iPhone 4 and it is roughly the same size as a Samsung Galaxy S II. Because of its boxy design, the device is said to able to stand on its sides without toppling over.
There’s no official details yet but an update from BGR indicates that it will be released sometime in Q3 2012. That’s one year from now and the hardware specification would probably be mainstream or obsolete by then. Come on RIM, you could do better.

When the early photos of China’s Motorola RAZR had appeared, it was a bit of a laugh. It was bigger and the rounded corners made it looked less compelling.
Now more information had surfaced on China’s offering and they are having not one but 2 different RAZRs. The first phone you see above is a CDMA2000 version which loses the Kevlar woven pattern with a subtle back finish. Over at the upper end of the back, you’ll notice that this RAZR has a higher 13MP Camera with dual LED flash. As comparison, the GSM RAZR we get here is a 8MP shooter. There’s also a Dolby Digital Plus marking too which indicates enhanced audio.
The device in the middle is the TD-SCDMA version which we have seen earlier. It also has a higher pixel-count camera at 13MP with assisted dual LED flash. It does look bulkier as it has a larger 4.5″ screen at the front which is also said to be supporting 1280×720 pixels. Despite the larger dimensions, the TD-SCDMA unit is only thicker by 1mm. There’s no word on the actual internal specs but there might be a bump on processor and internal storage.
The HTC Sensation XE is making its way to all telcos fast. Now it is also available on U Mobile for postpaid bundling with their new postpaid plans from as low as RM1,299 with 24 months contract of U88.
For those that want a HTC Sensation XE with lowest commitment, there’s the U28 which comes with 1GB of data. On U28 plan of RM28/month, the Sensation XE goes for RM1,699 with no upfront fees required. For a bit more, there’s U58 with 2GB data and 300 minutes of calls that offers the device for RM1,499. U Mobile’s offering is quite affordable with generous allowance of data.
As comparison, Celcom offers the Sensation XE from RM1,248 while DiGi offers it from RM1,299 as well.
For more information, head over to U Mobile’s phone deals page.
Thanks to tessiemah for alerting us at the comments.
