BlackBerry Dakota and Apollo smartphones leaked

By Molly McHugh Published January 13, 2011

BGR has gotten its hands on leaked specs and an image of RIM’s upcoming smartphone, the BlackBerry Dakota. If the report is true, RIM may have a hit on its hands. Check out some of the details below:

5-megapixel camera with HD video capabilities, flash, and blur reduction
4GB of storage, 768 MB of RAM
3G mobile hotspot function and Wi-Fi capabilities
MicroUSB port
Bluetooth
10.5mm thin
Will include BlackBerry OS 6.1
2.8-inch screen; 640×480 resolution
Full Qwerty keyboard and touchscreen

As far as the hardware goes, it’s pretty reminiscent of BlackBerry Bold with the exception of a sleeker body and memory and storage upgrades. Perhaps the only surprising element is the lack of a front-facing camera. Nearly every “leaked” smartphone spec includes the ability to run a FaceTime-like function. Clearly, RIM has no interest in jumping on the video chat bandwagon with BlackBerry Dakota.

Recommended Videos

But that’s not all. Some information about another BlackBerry smartphone, Apollo, is also making the rounds. It’s the latest generation Curve device, and while not quite as capable as the Dakota, Curve is a popular line and it should do well. A look at the reported specs:

BlackBerry OS 6.1
Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities
5-megapixel camera with flash
512MB of storage and 512MB of RAM
480 x 360 resolution screen
Bluetooth 2.1
11mm thin

BlackBerry has yet to announce the smartphones or mention possible release dates, but with the Mobile World Congress just around the corner, official word on the devices could be coming soon.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…

Mobile

Classic BlackBerries are finally losing suppport as company shuts down services

BlackBerry Key2. Credits: BlackBerry official.

After kickstarting the smartphone era, BlackBerry's classic devices and services are finally shutting down. No, not the Android-powered modern BlackBerries such as the KeyOne, Key2, and Key2 LE, but anything that ran a BlackBerry-branded operating system. Whether this is a classic QWERTY keyboard powered by BlackBerry 7, or the iPhone-inspired BlackBerry 10, or even the forgotten BlackBerry PlayBook OS -- it's all shutting down this month.
"As another milestone in the BlackBerry journey, we will be taking steps to decommission the legacy services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1, and earlier versions, with an end of life or termination date of January 4, 2022," the company announced. "As of this date, devices running these legacy services and software through either carrier or Wi-Fi connections will no longer reliably function, including for data, phone calls, SMS, and 911 functionality. We have chosen to extend our service until then as an expression of thanks to our loyal partners and customers."
BlackBerry bids farewell to its longtime customers. Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
It's the end of an era for what was once a distinguished product that defined the market a decade ago. Even predating iMessage, the BlackBerry instant messaging service -- BBM -- was a great selling point for the product line. As iOS, Android, and WhatsApp began to dominate, BlackBerry devices began to fall by the wayside.
The company tried to rejuvenate its smartphone business by launching its own touchscreen phones and later its own operating system in 2013, but had little success. Unable to keep up,ity stopped the creation of smartphones in 2016 and licensed services to TCL Ltd. between 2016 to 2020. BlackBerry promised to launch a smartphone by the end of 2021 in partnership with OnwardMobility, but that hasn't panned out.
The company has now shifted its focus to selling software. It briefly had a nostalgia-fueled increase in its share price this year, which later nearly returned to its original price. While the market has been saturated with multiple companies claiming a stake in the smartphone pie, hopefully, BlackBerry manages to return to some form of relevance with its current partnership.

Mobile

BlackBerry rises from the grave: New 5G phone with a keyboard coming in 2021

BlackBerry Key2. Credits: BlackBerry official.

BlackBerry is the smartphone brand that steadfastly refuses to die. The presumed-dead name has been resurrected once again, this time by a new company called OnwardMobility. It will work with manufacturer FIH Mobile to create and sell a 5G BlackBerry Android phone with a physical keyboard, ready for a potential release in the U.S. and Europe during the first half of 2021.

You read that right: A new BlackBerry phone with a physical keyboard and 5G, running Google’s Android software, is coming next year. TCL Communications was the last company to produce BlackBerry smartphones. It did so under license from BlackBerry Ltd., which continues to provide mobile security services, but isn’t in the hardware business anymore. TCL let its license lapse in February 2020 when modern, Android-based BlackBerry phones became a thing of the past. Until now.

Mobile

Nothing Phone 3 will be a true flagship and that means iPhone money

Nothing Phone 3a

The Nothing Phone 3 is set to launch this summer. Now, we have some indication of its price, and yes, it will cost you.

Android Authority explains that CEO Carl Pei has confirmed that the Nothing Phone 3 will be the company’s “first true flagship smartphone.” As such, it will have a flagship price: approximately 800 pounds or nearly $1,000. The Nothing Phone 2 was priced at between $599 and $799, which would be a significant increase.