No, that wasn’t a joke. According to @Salomondrin, RIM is working on a new BlackBerry that is codenamed “Mr. T”. Here’s what Sal had to say about it:

Mr. T is a QWERTY Keyboard Slider the size of a Storm with a full touchscreen.

This is not a rumor anymore, RIM is actually working on this phone full force, although its at a very early stage of development.

Another thing I know about it is that the ON/OFF and SEND/CANCEL buttons are on the screen, although anything can change at this point, except the fact, of course, that we will be getting a Slider from RIM.

Also, its not like a Sidekick, the keyboard here will come underneath the bottom of the phone, BUT then again, anything can change.

This begs the question: Will this be the “Storm 3,” a version of the Magnum (which was rumored to be a touchscreen/keyboard device), or an entirely different BlackBerry?

Also, I’m glad it won’t be like a Sidekick and the idea of a BlackBerry slider is interesting, but will it rock? Let me know what you think in the comments!

via TCGR

BGR put together an awesome review of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, initially covering its hardware in Part 1. The Bold 9700 in Part 1 is a pre-production unit but BG says he’s going to review an AT&T production unit in Part 2!

Here’s what BG goes over in this review:

• Hardware / Design
• Screen
• OS
• Keyboard
• Phone
• Browser
• Speaker
• Battery

The pictures alone are enough to make you drool . Here’s a statement from the review showing that the Bold 9700 is definitely in BG’s good graces:

“So you’re saying the BlackBerry 9700 is the best BlackBerry ever?”

Yes. It’s the finest BlackBerry ever crafted and if you’re asking why it’s so much better than the Tour, it goes back to that CDMA vs. GSM argument as well as the fact that the 9700 is simply a year newer.

Head on over to BGR for all the details and more pictures of this rocking BlackBerry and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Also check out what’s on BBRocks! about the Bold 9700 in the 9700 Archives.

@salomondrin has created yet another video, this time doing a comparison between the BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) and Storm 1 (9530) in addition to giving us his 5 reasons why you should get the Storm 2.

1. Storm 2 is to Storm 1 as Angelina Jolie is to Catherine Zeta Jones (TODAY)
2. Storm 2 has WiFi, Storm 1 does not
3. Storm 1 has 54 MB of application memory and 879.2 MB of total device memory; Storm 2 has 138.9 MB of application memory and 1.8 GB of total device memory
4. Texting, keyboard and screen is better on Storm 2
5. Storm 2 is faster
6. (Surprise!) Storm 2 has a better camera

Pretty awesome. Even the sound the Storm 2 makes while typing seems better.

Who’s planning on getting a Storm 2 once it’s available?

Al Sacco put together a great editorial for CrackBerry where he goes over his top 8 reasons why the Palm Pre’s “got nothin’ on BlackBerry.” Very good read .

Here are his 8 reasons:

• 8 ) Pre, First webOS Device, Could Be Flash in the Pan
• 7 ) Sprint Owns Pre Users Until AT LEAST 2010
• 6 ) Pre as an Enterprise Device? Not So Fast…
• 5 ) No Expandable Memory/Memory Card Support for Pre!!
• 4 ) The Pre’s Not Built to Last-But It Did Cut the Cheese
• 3 ) There’s Only One Pre… For Better or for Worse
• 2 ) The Palm Pre’s App Catalogue Is Weak Like Your Little Cousin
• 1 ) Pre’s Keyboard Is for Pixies and Lilliputians

The Pre is here; Palm recently released the much-anticipated Pre smartphone to the world-and the fate of the company very much depends on whether or not the device is a hit. Palm, former king of the PDA market, is attempting to pull itself back to the forefront of the smartphone game with the likes of RIM and Apple, and the Pre will no doubt be instrumental to its success…or lack thereof.

A while back, I penned a piece for CrackBerry called “Top 10 Reasons Why the iPhone Is NO BlackBerry,” in which I pointed out why Apple’s iPhone might be fine for your kid brother or all the Mac-heads at school or work, even your mom, but it doesn’t hold a candle to BlackBerry when the two are stacked up next to each other (I’ll be weighing in on the state of this ongoing debate soon now that the iPhone 3G S has been announced).

While the Pre is certainly exciting and I look forward to some quality thumbs-on time with it, I didn’t rush out to pick one up this week, nor will I be trading in my beloved ‘Berry for a Palm device anytime soon; the Palm Pre’s simply no BlackBerry.

Read more @ CrackBerry