Skip to main content

Is RIM forcing buggy BlackBerries on carriers?

BlackBerry glitchAn exclusive report from BGR says that RIM is issuing defective BlackBerry handsets to carriers. A “trusted source” reveals that the manufacturer has been able to twist a few arms and convince several carrier companies to approve and sell phones that don’t meet Technical Acceptance standards. Normally, manufacturers test their mobile firmware followed by a carriers’ own round of review. Then the carriers decide whether to approve or reject the OS software.

RIM is taking matters into its own hands by “putting an enormous amount of pressure on carriers” to let the next few BlackBerry handsets fly through the testing phase without a thorough up-and-down. Devices including the BlackBerry Bold 9900 (which is already been delayed until late August or early September) are supposedly being accepted despite any software glitches, and it’s being reported that RIM’s own engineers will be forcefully pushing unfinished OS builds onto carriers. Apparently this shouldn’t be such a huge shock because it’s somewhat standard practice for RIM: The brand’s penchant for handing over half-baked product could be behind BlackBerry’s notorious buggy software and random rebooting.

Recommended Videos

It was recently reported that RIM would miss upcoming product launch deadlines, and also be pushing back the release of any smartphones running its QNX operating system until the second half of 2012. The company is under considerable pressure, and while it seems outrageous and anti-consumer to think such a legacy manufacturer would put insufficient products on shelves, its declining market share, shaken investor confidence, and underwhelming performance this year could be behind these tactics.

While BGR reports it’s buggy phone OS builds that RIM’s been peddling, some of the problems plaguing the PlayBook also raise a few eyebrows. 1,000 faulty BlackBerry PlayBooks had to be recalled last month, and in April Verizon was wary of selling the tablet. Carrier distrust doesn’t necessarily mean a product is buggy, but given the current rumors surrounding RIM, it doesn’t inspire confidence.

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
I tested the Huawei Watch 5, here’s why every watch needs Health Glance
60-second health check in progress on the Huawei Watch 5

Huawei has just unveiled the new Huawei Watch 5 at an event in Berlin alongside a plethora of smartwatches and other audio products designed to bring access to a wide variety of health features to a range of users. 

The new Huawei Watch 5 has several impressive features, including the next generation of Health Glance, which checks nine health metrics in just one minute. The Huawei Watch 5 isn’t the first Huawei watch to have this feature, but an upgraded X-Tap sensor and a few additional metrics make it the most comprehensive implementation of this feature yet. 

Read more
Apple Music just made the move from Spotify easier than ever
An iPhone 15 Pro Max on a wooden table displaying streaming apps Amazon Music, Qobuz, Apple Music, Tidal, Sonos, and Spotify.

Apple is beginning to roll out a new tool that makes it easier to shift from Spotify to Apple Music.

In fact this new addition allows people to shift from any streaming service over to Apple Music with more ease.

Read more
AirPods Pro 3 edging closer to launch as promising sign spotted in Apple’s code
Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C and MagSafe review

A fresh leak may have just revealed that the latest Apple AirPods Pro 3 are due to arrive soon.

While leaks about these new earpods are not new, what is pretty unique about this is that it comes from Apple itself. Well, specifically from some Apple code.

Read more