[andyhavoc]

Thought i share my news findings here, since i hardly seen any news regarding the Skyfire browser for Blackberrys and it's progress on when it's coming out.

So i found an article dated September 22, 2009 from forbes.com website, written by Elizabeth Woyke informing about expanding Skyfire productivity, and there Skyfire for Blackberrys was mentioned and i quote:

"Skyfire, however, isn't abandoning its mobile browser work. It is still privately testing its highly anticipated product, a browser that will be compatible with BlackBerrys. Glueck and Bhandari declined to say when the BlackBerry browser would launch but revealed that a version that works with Symbian S60 fifth edition touch-screen phones would debut soon. Other mobile operating systems, like Google's Android, are also on Skyfire's radar, Bhandari says."

You can read the full article here : Skyfire Looks Beyond The Browser

So there, some news for us to hang on, since any news are better than no news.

Looks like we will see a Nokia S60, 5th edition touch screen Skyfire version first, and then a Blackberry version.

Let's hope they launch the browser soon.

[pkcable]

It's also been suggested that the initial Skyfire BB release will NOT be for touch screens. Although it may work.

[papped]

Odd decision to support s60v5 before BB imo.

I guess they did it since they've already supported s60v3 early on though... Doesn't make it a good move imo though.

[AP1618]

yea i've been waiting forever and ever for this one...

[kjdoug]

I personally don't care about Skyfire anymore...Opera mini 5 runs sweet on my Storm now and loads the full Crackberry.com site in 20 seconds...

[andyhavoc]

I personally don't care about Skyfire anymore...Opera mini 5 runs sweet on my Storm now and loads the full Crackberry.com site in 20 seconds...

Yes, but how about flash support? We all know we are waiting Skyfire for it's flash support, and i know it's even harder for Storm users to wait for the release, since the touch version will even be more delayed than the normal version, so it is fair for you not to care so much. I would too in your position.

I just hoped they would get over with it and release skyfire beta's for non-touch and touch berry's so we can use that long long awaited flash support with our Blackberrys.

Because i have used Skyfire on my previous phone (Nokia e71) and the display of flash content on youtube and elsewhere was almost crystal clear. It was so good, and that is why i'm so hyped about using my Bold with it.

One day, we will have the privilege to taste flash with Blackberrys. Oh, i can not wait.

[scarcocks]

I cannot wait for this either... Most of the time at least with computers I am good at finding something that will work to hold me over until they come out with a regular version of a software. I am finding it frustrating owning a BB but would not trade it for anything, I love my storm.

[codito]

I cannot wait for this either... Most of the time at least with computers I am good at finding something that will work to hold me over until they come out with a regular version of a software. I am finding it frustrating owning a BB but would not trade it for anything, I love my storm.

Have you tried Opera Mini 5? It has tabbed browsing and is pretty great.

[JoelTruckerDude]

Not to mention that RIM just announced they will be adding flash, might not see it before Skyfire browser, but it will come and then Skyfire won't be necessary. Personally have given up on them anyway, why is it they have developed a flash browser LAST for BB's, when in fact BB's have been around as PDA's long b4 the other smartphones, doesn't make a bit of sense to me.

[Ainvar]

Skyfire is just vaporware for the blackberry IMO. I know there has been a leaked copy of it that was disabled after a time. But you dont see anything it is like they hit a dead end on it and decided to start working another platform version.

[muneton17]

i really hope that it will be able to work with the storm although its not for it. Keeping my fingers crossed. Sure hope its released soon. its been a good wait already.

[funkybrunk]

I emailed Skyfire about a possible release on Monday, I received the following form response. I let them know they should probably update their website (it currently says that a public beta will be out "this summer"... its now October).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skyfire for the BlackBerry is currently in limited alpha testing. There is no ETA for an expansion in testing at this time. No release date has been announced for a production version of Skyfire for the BlackBerry.

For the latest information on Skyfire, including availability for new platforms such as the BlackBerry, please follow our corporate blog. Subscribe to Skyfire <http://www.skyfire.com/blog/> with your newsreader for the latest updates.

[scottmolson]

I've personally given up on this browser. So frustrating. Don't dangle the carrot out there, the horse has already starved. I imagine we will see RIM's own flash browser released before and if skyfire ever decides to leave "limited alpha testing."

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Dr.Sadistic]

I've personally given up on this browser. So frustrating. Don't dangle the carrot out there, the horse has already starved. I imagine we will see RIM's own flash browser released before and if skyfire ever decides to leave "limited alpha testing."

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I fully agree with this.

As a side note, Bolt 1.5 is WAY faster on my Tour than Opera Mini 5 is. Tabbed browsing is a nice feature, but it has too many bugs for me to use it as heavily as I would need.

[syquest1]

Geez hurry up with the BB version of SkyFire already. Who cares about the Android or Windows Mobile devices. LOL

[andyhavoc]

I emailed Skyfire about a possible release on Monday, I received the following form response. I let them know they should probably update their website (it currently says that a public beta will be out "this summer"... its now October).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skyfire for the BlackBerry is currently in limited alpha testing. There is no ETA for an expansion in testing at this time. No release date has been announced for a production version of Skyfire for the BlackBerry.

For the latest information on Skyfire, including availability for new platforms such as the BlackBerry, please follow our corporate blog. Subscribe to Skyfire <http://www.skyfire.com/blog/> with your newsreader for the latest updates.

Well ain't that just so un-cool from Skyfire? I mean, they got us all hyped about a browser beta in the end of Summer, and now they don't even know when a beta will be available for our Blackberry's to test on?

I think i'm gonna give'em another month of my life, and if they come out with a beta, that is totally fine, if they still don't come out with a beta, i'm gonna give up waiting for it.

Least they could do, would be to inform us how the progress is going on. I mean from what i vaguely remember, they started announcing the progress of the ongoing alpha version of the blackberry Skyfire browser sometime in June-July? And every 5-10 days they would give us a new version/fixes/features of it and more or less kept us on the loop.

Now nothing. It's been like since mid August that they put the silence on the progress of it, and that is just really not nice of them. A little info on the progress every other week will be nice to have.

So un-cool.

[scottmolson]

I know we are all drooling waiting for flash, at least now we have a good mix of browsers available. Between the native browser and the addition of Bolt 1.5 and the new opera, I am able to open and view almost any site. Not ideal but for now I'm content.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[papped]

If you've used an s60 or WM phone with Skyfire, this shouldn't really be much of a surprise. Their releases are insanely far apart, even on platforms that are already established.

Even worse on a beta (the WM betas ran for quite a long time and I bet they did way more development than they are on BB now).

[lil_sunshine]

I was really looking forward to listening to DRM-WMA NPR Weekend Edition archives on my Storm. But, this is just another one of those apps that the developers will never get to work right on the Blackberry (like Viigo with its downloadable podcasts). I'm not holding my breath.

[wcmarchese]

I was looking up the release of the Winmo and the Symbian versions.
Winmo was Sept 24th, public beta--Symbian was Nov 20th, public beta. Both 2008.
The Blackberry version private alpha was announced in July. Now they might have been experiencing a bit of a problem with that platform becuase of the Java conversion (I believe I had read somewhere once), and were also looking for a Blackberry developer--and still are if you check the website. So this might have posed more of a probelm for them.

But from what I see, it should be any day now. I also noticed service updates/interruptions frequently just before the other open betas, so that might be something to look for, too. Becuase on October 6th there was a downtime. Could be wrong, becuase Blackberry might be on different servers all together.

Any other input?

WCM

[passtheboll]

I REALLY want to try Skyfire. While the BB browser works fine for me now, Skyfire is (probably) going to surpass it. I wish I would have gotten my hands on the leak before it was taken down. I'll just have to be on the look out for the time being. But it really does look like a great browser.