1. rizzzzoooo's Avatar
    Is it just me or all new bb's starting to look the same. I mean look at the 9700 and the tour 2 side by side and you would have a hard time distinguishing one from another. Add to the mix the new 8900 that will be out soon and now you have a trio that could pass for triplets. Not sure if I like the route RIM is taking with all new new devices. Part of the charm about bb's of years past was the fact hat each series device had a unique look to them. ...
    02-07-10 09:59 AM
  2. Reed McLay's Avatar
    I don't see a problem.

    Research in Motion has optimized the size and shape of the non-touch screen models.

    Why would it be of any interest to an outside observer which one is being used? The only significant difference is the internal cell radio and that is speced by the carrier.

    If being distinctive is important, there are several companies that will can custom colour a BlackBerry.
    02-07-10 10:04 AM
  3. Crackberrykills's Avatar
    Indeed, mod out your BB if you want something different. I don't mind if the BBs look the same really. What I really want, and apparently this is happening soon, is a better browser and an innovative OS. When those things happen, I will be truly happy with my Blackberry. Cheers.
    02-07-10 10:09 AM
  4. rizzzzoooo's Avatar
    Yeah I guess. I figure then why not just streamline the whole process and have one name for all three devices, seeing they cosmetically look all the same. Drop the tour and 8900 names and call them all a 9700 or vice versa. Why call them by a different name? I just don't get it. Again, it might just be me.
    02-07-10 10:09 AM
  5. noaim's Avatar
    Yeah I guess. I figure then why not just streamline the whole process and have one name for all three devices, seeing they cosmetically look all the same. Drop the tour and 8900 names and call them all a 9700 or vice versa. Why call them by a different name? I just don't get it. Again, it might just be me.
    they dont call them the same because there not the same devices... the 9700 has a faster processor then the tour and 8900 there different devices
    02-07-10 10:11 AM
  6. rizzzzoooo's Avatar
    they dont call them the same because there not the same devices... the 9700 has a faster processor then the tour and 8900 there different devices
    Yeah I just realized that after I posted. My bad.
    02-07-10 10:12 AM
  7. Crackberrykills's Avatar
    Well, the model names are quite helpful. Otherwise, I definitely would not know the difference between Blackberry Smartphones. It also makes it easier to market the new devices. And, I wholeheartedly agree, the devices look the same more or less. Yet, the specifications for the different models are quite different.
    02-07-10 10:14 AM
  8. jgodin03's Avatar
    Yeah I guess. I figure then why not just streamline the whole process and have one name for all three devices, seeing they cosmetically look all the same. Drop the tour and 8900 names and call them all a 9700 or vice versa. Why call them by a different name? I just don't get it. Again, it might just be me.
    Just because, those device are far to have the same performance(processor/camera/ram memory/internal memory.

    And it's more easy to see the difference between models if they get different names. Someone who buy a 9700 what the ''exclusive'' name of it, he dont want a curve
    02-07-10 10:16 AM
  9. Crackberrykills's Avatar
    they dont call them the same because there not the same devices... the 9700 has a faster processor then the tour and 8900 there different devices
    Yeah I just realized that after I posted. My bad.

    My post should be ammended to "What noaim posted." But, yes, that is my post in a nutshell right there. The guts of the new BBs are what matter now. Not so much the look.
    02-07-10 10:18 AM
  10. rizzzzoooo's Avatar
    But cosmetics are also important. I mean it does not matter if u stuff a ferrari engine in a chevy malibu...it will still be a malibu! No?
    02-07-10 10:22 AM
  11. crackbobb's Avatar
    A lot of market research and analysis are going into their design decisions. Design aspects that outperform others are adapted for other models.

    Having multiple models is also not just a feature / under-the-hood issue, but a marketing decision as well (target audience), although it can be debated whether making two different models nearly indistinguishable helps with differentiation and placement.

    ...and I just noticed that the above sounds so very much like a textbook response but oh well, lol
    02-07-10 10:29 AM
  12. rizzzzoooo's Avatar
    Point well put.
    02-07-10 10:32 AM
  13. Masahiro's Avatar
    Standardization can be a good thing. One of the main gripes my friends and I share is how the older model BlackBerries use miniUSB, while mine has microUSB. Yes, I know that's not exactly cosmetic, but it's the same idea.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-07-10 02:14 PM
  14. brdl04's Avatar
    Is it just me or all new bb's starting to look the same. I mean look at the 9700 and the tour 2 side by side and you would have a hard time distinguishing one from another. Add to the mix the new 8900 that will be out soon and now you have a trio that could pass for triplets. Not sure if I like the route RIM is taking with all new new devices. Part of the charm about bb's of years past was the fact hat each series device had a unique look to them. ...
    All iphones look the same too.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Ferretling likes this.
    02-07-10 02:17 PM
  15. goth757's Avatar
    i love the way all the blackberry's look and feel now but i do miss the distinction. at my work we currentlly have 53 workers. 33 of them have blackberrys. so far im the only one with a 9700 and ive had almost every one ask me how i like my 8500 or my tour i even had someone ask me where i got the tour 2. only one person reconized that it was a bold, and thats because he was looking to buy one but then the name screwed him up and he accidently ordered a 9000. like i said i love the new style for all the blackberrys but give us something to separate them visually.
    02-07-10 08:36 PM
  16. LuvMyBB's Avatar
    Meh. Once the newness of a given form factor wears off, most of us are more concerned with how it functions and performs. I like it to look "nice", but more that it is well designed and well executed.

    As Reed said, the size and shape are pretty much optimized for a physical qwerty keyboard smartphone. Stray too far from that and you create other issues and a whole new set of complaints.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-07-10 10:27 PM
  17. Beezzy's Avatar
    RIM released a bunch of phones and wanted each of them to have something that different on all of them to see what works. The Bold 9700 is a combination of all the distinctive features from a bunch of different BlackBerries.

    TrackPad - Curve 8530
    Keyboard - Tour
    Display - Curve 8900

    And then on the inside the Bold has the best processor and memory of all the phones.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-07-10 11:25 PM
  18. BlackBerry Guy's Avatar
    All iphones look the same too.
    There's almost no mistaking an iPhone.

    I wonder if it's all part of the plan...having devices that are instantly recognizeable as a Blackberry. Something car manufacturers have started doing too (ie. BMW kidney bean grill, Mazda "smile" front end, Acura blade grill etc).

    The downside is all your products start having more similarities appearance wise, but the upside is instant brand recognition.
    02-08-10 12:05 AM
  19. darkmanx2g's Avatar
    Only crackberry addicts can tell the difference. If you can't tell the difference from 9700 and the 8910 than you have not been around blackberries. Curve have a diff keyboard. I asked my friend that's a cool tour and he said how do u know its a tour. I'm like because it has a bold form factor and your on the sprint network. He was shocked.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-08-10 02:10 AM
  20. bluz's Avatar
    I don't see a problem.

    Research in Motion has optimized the size and shape of the non-touch screen models.

    Why would it be of any interest to an outside observer which one is being used? The only significant difference is the internal cell radio and that is speced by the carrier.

    If being distinctive is important, there are several companies that will can custom colour a BlackBerry.
    totally agree. you can always mod your BB to make it distinctive.
    02-08-10 05:32 AM
  21. pilsbury's Avatar
    How many variations of the iPhone are there?
    02-08-10 06:08 AM
  22. Xopher's Avatar
    If you at the lineup from a couple of years ago (the 81xx, 83xx, and 88xx series), they all had the same look to them. That singular look across all three devices made it easy to recognize that they were blackberrys.

    The same can be said about the current lineup today. The difference is that there are a few more devices in the lineup.

    Another thing to consider is that when the 8800 was being replaced, AT&T had an exclusivity on the Bold 9000. RIM still needed to replace the 8800 series on other carriers without violating the Bold exclusivity. My personal opinion is that this is where the Tour came from. In essence, the Tour and Bold are cut from the same cloth. If it wasn't for their agreement with AT&T, I have a feeling we would only see one device across all carriers.

    The 8900 series isn't in the same league as the Bold/Tour. It's not 3G, and has the Curve style keyboard. I look at it as an upgrade to the Curve 8300 lineup with the look of the newer models.

    So, the 8800 and 8300 series have an update, and the 8100 is soon to have an update. They've added the Storm, and the 8500 series Curve for those who want an entry level device (new features without flash or high-res screen) on a budget.

    The other thing to remember is that certain phones are available on certain carriers. You can't go to AT&T and get the Tour (or Storm). You can go to Verizon and get the Bold. Each carrier will have 3-5 models to choose from.

    Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
    02-08-10 07:06 AM
  23. brdl04's Avatar
    All Bolds should be BLUE, All Tours should be RED, and all others should be YELLOW.

    Then you will be distinct and people will look at you and say " HEY! THAT GUY HAS A BOLD!!! WOW HE IS INCREDIBLE!!! I THINK CHUCK NORRIS HAS A BOLD TOO!!"
    02-08-10 07:51 AM
  24. phonemaster124's Avatar
    I completly agree
    02-08-10 02:39 PM
  25. scorpiodsu's Avatar
    OP, I agree. The changes are very marginal e.g. trackpad or trackball, Wifi or 3G. Instead of RIM making several devices that have some features they might as well just make one device that have all the features and stop calling these minor differences "new". But they won't do that because there are too many addicts that will trade their Curve 8900 for a Curve 8910 (for example) just because it's "new". Even if one has a trackball and the other doesn't their basically the same device and "boo boo the fool" touts it as having the new device when they paid full retail for a minor upgrade. Right now, RIM in stinking up the joint. Seriously.
    02-08-10 02:49 PM
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