Last month RIM officially announced BlackBerry Tag, a new way for BlackBerry smartphone users with supported devices to connect with one another and share multimedia content. BlackBerry smartphones with NFC will also be able to issue payments (like a credit card) but Tag is meant to allow sharing of content between users. From IntoMobile:

After checking out their new smartphones, RIM gave us a sneak peek at BlackBerry Tag, which will really start putting near-field communications to work. Just as described, BlackBerry tag will allow users to quickly and easily share content between BlackBerry devices; by putting them butt-to-butt, you’ll be able to transfer ringtones, voice notes, contacts, images, videos, calendar items, documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, browser links, and whatever else third part developers chose to support. It seems like the NFC itself is mostly just used to initiate a Bluetooth transfer, but that’s still pretty great considering how much of a pain it can be to pair up devices.

Very cool and very useful. Besides for being able to share documents and multimedia content, I’m sure developers will come up with creative ways to take advantage of BlackBerry Tag in apps and games. If you’re a developer you can check out this blog post at the Inside BlackBerry Developer’s Blog for more info.

via IntoMobile

RIM today announced that the BlackBerry Curve 9360 and Bold 9900 are the first SIM-based smartphones to get MasterCard PayPass handset certification. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since BlackBerry devices are among the most secure handsets available, if not the most secure. Both the Curve 9360 and Bold 9900 are equipped with NFC so once it’s ready to go, all you have to do is swipe your device over a PayPass scanner to issue a payment. Some highlights from the press release:

• Carriers globally will now have access to the first NFC smartphones certified as MasterCard PayPass™ approved devices
• France Telecom – Orange amongst first to benefit from MasterCard certification awarded to RIM

For more info check out the full press release below. Congrats on the certification, RIM!

FULL PRESS RELEASE!

Following up on RIM’s official announcement for the BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370, Sprint today also announced they’d be offering the Curve 9350 starting September 9th. According to their press release, the Curve 9350 will be available for $79.99 with a new two-year agreement or eligible upgrade after a $50 mail-in-rebate. Key features of the Curve 9350 include:

• BlackBerry App World™, the official app store front for BlackBerry smartphones offering customization, fun and productivity
• Near Field Communications (NFC) support for a secure exchange of information between NFC-enabled devices over a very short distance
• 5MP camera with HD video capture, flash and zoom
• 512MB RAM
• 2GB microSD card included, with support for up to 32GB microSD card
• BlackBerryPlayBook support with BlackBerry Bridge™ (BlackBerry Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World)
• DataViz Docs To Go^® Premium suite preloaded, for editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from anywhere
• Wi-Fi^® (802.11 b/g/n)
• Bluetooth^® 2.1+EDR support

For more info go to sprint.com or check out the full press release below!

FULL PRESS RELEASE!

RIM today announced the long-time rumored next-generation BlackBerry Curve smartphones powered by the BlackBerry 7 OS, the Curve 9350, Curve 9360 and Curve 9370. The rumored codenames for these devices were Apollo and Sedona for which plenty of info, photos and some video was leaked. Here’s some official info:

The new BlackBerry Curve smartphones are slim, stylish and simply beautiful. They are ergonomically designed with a comfortable and iconic keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical trackpad for easy, one-handed navigation. GPS and Wi-Fi® support are also included, as well as a 5MP camera with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and instantly shared on social networks. The microSD/SDHC slot supports up to 32 GB memory cards for additional media storage.

In addition to supporting the new BlackBerry 7 OS, the new BlackBerry Curve smartphones feature a range of powerful hardware enhancements including upgraded processors, displays and memory, and built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that is enabling many exciting capabilities, including the ability to pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

The BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370 are expected to be available from carriers in Canada this month and from other carriers around the world beginning in September. For more info see the full press release below!

FULL PRESS RELEASE!

Moving right along with the BlackBerry Bold 9900 launches, RIM today announced the launch of this new BlackBerry 7 smartphone in Indonesia. According to the press release the Bold 9900 is expected to be available in late September for 5,999,000IDR from PT. Teletama Artha Mandiri, PT. Comtech Cellular, and PT. Selular Media Infotama. For more info go to id.blackberry.com/Bold9900 or check out the press release below.

FULL PRESS RELEASE!

So far the only device confirmed to get Near Field Communications (NFC) capabilities is the BlackBerry Bold 9900. It was assumed all the new BlackBerry 7 smartphones would get NFC but so far this isn’t officially the case. Thanks to some leaked photos sent to BerryReview, we now know that the rumored Curve 9360 might also be NFC-enabled. Check out the photos below and let me know what you think in the comments!

MORE PHOTOS!

AT&T is no longer the only U.S. carrier to officially announce they’ll be offering the new BlackBerry 7 smartphones. Sprint just announced they’ll also offer the new devices, specifically the BlackBerry Bold 9930 and Torch 9850. From the press release:

Both new smartphones are powered by the next-generation BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 7, a performance-driven operating system designed to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity. Both smartphones also feature Liquid Graphics™ technology, a key new feature powered by BlackBerry 7 to deliver incredibly fast, smooth performance and a highly responsive touchscreen experience. They are also both powered by a 1.2GHz processor, offer 5MP cameras and are World Phone capable.

“Sprint’s incredibly loyal BlackBerry customers will appreciate the benefits of the BlackBerry 7 user experience on these two new smartphones – BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “BlackBerry 7 is an evolution that extends the ability to support our customers domestically and internationally as they juggle their busy personal and professional lives with one easy-to-use device. We are excited to continue our strong relationship with RIM through these new powerful devices.”

RIM officially announced the new BlackBerry 7 smartphones this morning where they said over 225 carriers are completing certification programs for the new devices. Let’s hope more carriers join the BlackBerry 7 smartphone club with their own official announcement soon! For more info read the full press release below or check out some specs and images here for the Bold 9930 or here for the Torch 9850.

FULL PRESS RELEASE!

It’s great to see RIM continuously providing info and tips for developers interested in the upcoming BlackBerry 7 OS. From new simulators and screen resolutions to key features/info for the Bold 9900 series and more, developers should definitely be ready to bust out some apps if they take advantage of all the documentation and tips. If you’re a developer who’s interested in building apps for devices running BlackBerry 7, RIM is hosting a webcast tomorrow that includes info on what you need to know to get started:

• How to quickly port your current BlackBerry® platform application to BlackBerry 7 and key considerations when designing your app for the new BlackBerry 7 smartphones
• BlackBerry 7 API Overview: Includes new hardware enabled features on BlackBerry 7 devices such as Magnetometer, Near Field Communications, Augmented Reality, OpenGL ES 2.0 as well as APIs that enhance the Super Apps experience
• Q&A with RIM application development expert

This webcast will start tomorrow June 29th at 2PM EST with Paul Bernhardt (Application Development Consultant @ RIM) as the presenter. For more info or to attend click here for the webcast’s registration page.

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