So, if the PlayBook crisis can’t get any worse for RIM, and that the Playbook is also marked-down several hundred dollars, now some thieves have stolen $1.7 million worth of them, in Indiana. The total amount of units stolen is purportedly 5,000. Yikes. The very sad part is that even the thieves will have a hard time selling a tablet no one wants. At least it’s a few extra tablets RIM doesn’t have to worry about. Via: The Verge

This is one of the most beautiful smartphones I’ve ever seen. It’s sleek, it’s well sculpted, and for some reason unbeknownst to me (and nearly every other blogger/journalist), it’s a BlackBerry “9980″. It contains most of the specs seen in BlackBerry devices like the Bold 9900, which just recently went on sale in the United Sates. This device (and its design) seems to have originated in Beijing, and its creator reportedly has already sold three of these prototypes, which is interesting.

On top of all of this mystery, it may come to the market as a limited edition or luxury version of the Bold 9900. However or wherever it will debut, it’s so awesome looking. Via: CrackBerry

All of the new BB7 Curves have .43-inch depth, a 5-megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM, an 800MHz processor, NFC, and a smallish 2.44-inch 480 x 360 display. The differences include the highest-end Curve 9370, with CDMA/EVDO, Quad-Band Edge support and 1GB of storage. Second is the Curve 9360, as the GSM variant, offering Tri-Band UMTS and Quad-Band Edge, with storage of merely 512MB. Lastly, the 9350 is simply a CDMA variant destined for Verizon and/or Sprint (with the same 512MB storage), much like the 9360 is destined for AT&T and T-Mobile. Hopefully things can go well for RIM, since a decent competitor just called it quits.

Via: RIM PR, TiMN

But now that almost every carrier is charging $249 for a Bold 9900/9930 makes it look pretty bad. And now T-Mobile is making it worse. To snatch a Bold 9900 on T-Mobile this August 31st, you’ll need to shed $299 on a 2-year agreement, with $50 mail-in rebate. Excuse me, T-Mobile, but that’s just not very intelligent (for lack of a better word) of you. PR after the cut.

T-Mobile Launches the BlackBerry Bold 9900,
Its First 4G BlackBerry Smartphone

Featuring the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, the smartphone will be T-Mobile’s fastest BlackBerry to date, leveraging a 1.2 GHz processor and America’s Largest 4G Network

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Aug. 17, 2011 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the upcoming nationwide availability of the first 4G BlackBerry® smartphone to run on America’s Largest 4G Network™ — the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900. Available today in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers and launching nationwide on Aug. 31, the 4G-capable BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever (at only 10.5mm) and the first to offer the perfect union of a high-performance keyboard and brilliant touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. Featuring a range of powerful hardware enhancements including a 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics™ technology 24-bit high-resolution graphics and advanced sensors, the new smartphone is designed to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity.

“T-Mobile is excited to add a BlackBerry smartphone to T-Mobile’s best 4G product lineup ever,” said Andrew Morrison, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “With the new BlackBerry Bold 9900, we are offering our socially-active and business-minded customers a powerful device with a unique proposition — the pairing of a nationwide 4G network with the mobile communications efficiency that has become synonymous with BlackBerry smartphones.”

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is powered by the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, which introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid Web browsing experience that is among the best in the industry. Additional enhancements to this next-generation BlackBerry browser have also optimized zooming and panning for smoother Web navigation and optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences.

“We continue to deliver innovative products for our customers, and we’re excited to offer our first 4G BlackBerry smartphone,” said Femi Lakeru, vice president of business sales, T-Mobile USA. “Since T-Mobile offers 4G speeds in more places than any other wireless broadband network in the U.S., CIOs can trust that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 will give their employees the ultimate combination of speed, productivity and security.”

T-Mobile’s high-speed 4G network continues to expand and is now available in more than 190 markets, reaching more than 200 million people nationwide*. With the addition of the BlackBerry Bold 9900, T-Mobile now offers a wide variety of 4G devices including smartphones, tablets, laptop sticks, a netbook and a mobile hotspot. Running on America’s Largest 4G Network, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 helps make life truly mobile — all at 4G speeds. Whether accessing email, sending an invoice, getting directions or uploading photos, T-Mobile customers stay connected and informed virtually anywhere life takes them.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone continues the tradition of delivering a leading mobile communications experience with a highly refined and integrated suite of phone, email, messaging and social apps to keep users connected and productive throughout the day. Recent enhancements include the newest release of BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger), and an updated Social Feeds (2.0) app. The new Facebook® for BlackBerry smartphones (2.0) app introduces features like Facebook chat and BBM integration that make it easier for users to connect with their Facebook friends in real time.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is also the first device to come preloaded with T-Mobile’s new MobileLife® Family Organizer application. Powered by Cozi, MobileLife Family Organizer makes managing families’ busy schedules easier with centralized calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists, and family journals that allow family members to share updates with each other on the go. Calendar reminders can be sent by text or email allowing customers to avoid missing their kids’ soccer practice or an important shared appointment. More information about MobileLife Family Organizer can be found at http://www.t-mobile.com/calendar.

Availability
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is expected to be available in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers beginning today, Aug. 17. The smartphone is expected to be available at T-Mobile retail stores and at select dealers and national retailers nationwide starting Aug. 31. For more information about T-Mobile products and services, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

T-Mobile’s 4G network has expanded to additional markets, including Atlantic City, N.J., and Florence, Ala. A complete list of all the markets where T-Mobile’s 4G network is live can be found at http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/articles/4g-fact-sheet.

For more information about T-Mobile’s 4G products, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

*T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere

About T-Mobile USA
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the second quarter of 2011, approximately 128 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.6 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the current views of Deutsche Telekom management with respect to future events. These forward-looking statements may include statements with regard to the expected development of revenue, earnings, profits from operations, depreciation and amortization, cash flows and personnel-related measures. You should consider them with caution. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond Deutsche Telekom’s control. Among the factors that might influence our ability to achieve our objectives are the progress of our workforce reduction initiative and other cost-saving measures, and the impact of other significant strategic, labor or business initiatives, including acquisitions, dispositions and business combinations, and our network upgrade and expansion initiatives. In addition, stronger than expected competition, technological change, legal proceedings and regulatory developments, among other factors, may have a material adverse effect on our costs and revenue development. Further, the economic downturn in our markets, and changes in interest and currency exchange rates, may also have an impact on our business development and the availability of financing on favorable conditions. Changes to our expectations concerning future cash flows may lead to impairment write downs of assets carried at historical cost, which may materially affect our results at the group and operating segment levels. If these or other risks and uncertainties materialize, or if the assumptions underlying any of these statements prove incorrect, our actual performance may materially differ from the performance expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We can offer no assurance that our estimates or expectations will be achieved. Without prejudice to existing obligations under capital market law, we do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to take new information or future events into account or otherwise.

In addition to figures prepared in accordance with IFRS, Deutsche Telekom also presents non-GAAP financial performance measures, including, among others, EBITDA, EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EBIT, adjusted net income, free cash flow, gross debt and net debt. These non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the information prepared in accordance with IFRS. Non-GAAP financial performance measures are not subject to IFRS or any other generally accepted accounting principles. Other companies may define these terms in different ways.

So, who was waiting on some more BlackBerry news?

Uh, well, err, if you were, then I’ll kindly let you know that the Bold 9930 will be headed to Sprint for $250 on a 2-year agreement on August 21st, the same day that the full-touchscreen Torch 9850, which is the successor to the less than stellar Storm line will be sold for $150 on contract — after a $50 mail-in rebate. Both devices use BlackBerry 7 OS and  1.2GHz processors, Liquid Graphics technology, world phone capability, and 5 megapixel cameras with 720pHD video recording. Press release after the jump.

BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850
Available for Sprint Customers on Aug. 21

Powered by the next-generation BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry^® 7, a performance-driven operating system designed to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity, BlackBerry^® Bold™ 9930 and BlackBerry^® Torch™ 9850 will go on sale in Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales at 1-800-SPRINT1 and online at www.sprint.com beginning on Sunday, Aug. 21.

BlackBerry Bold 9930

BlackBerry Bold 9930 boasts the thinnest design and widest QWERTY on a BlackBerry smartphone for $249.99 (excluding taxes) with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement.

At just 10.5mm thick, the BlackBerry Bold 9930 smartphone is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever. It features a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the widest QWERTY keyboard available on a BlackBerry smartphone and a trackpad for easy navigation. BlackBerry Bold 9930 also offers Near Field Communications (NFC) support for a secure exchange of information between NFC-enabled devices over a very short distance.

BlackBerry Torch 9850

BlackBerry Torch9850, the first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone for Sprint customers, will cost $149.99 (excluding taxes) with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement, after $50 mail-in rebate via reward card¹.

The sleek BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone features a spectacular, new 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the largest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, and trackpad for easy navigation.

Both smarpthones 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 also offer 1.2GHz processors, 5MP cameras and are World Phone capable.

Key features of both BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850 include:

• BlackBerry^® service with access to up to 10 supported business and personal email accounts, plus BlackBerry^® Enterprise Server support for corporate email installations
• BlackBerry^® Playbook™ support with BlackBerry Bridge™ (Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World)
• Augmented Reality using the built-in compass (magnetometer) to support augmented reality applications

• DataViz Docs To Go^® Premium suite preloaded, for editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files from anywhere
• BlackBerry App World™, the official app store for BlackBerry smartphones offering customization, fun and productivity

BlackBerry 7

BlackBerry 7 introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience that is up to 40 percent faster than BlackBerry^® 6 based smartphones and up to 100 percent faster than BlackBerry^® 5 based smartphones².

BlackBerry 7 also integrates BlackBerry^® Balance™, which separates personal content from corporate content, giving users the freedom and flexibility to use the smartphone for personal email, Facebook^®, Twitter^®, multimedia, games and other apps, while satisfying the need for corporate data to be highly secure and manageable. BlackBerry Balance works in conjunction with BlackBerry^® Enterprise Server 5.0.3, which provides a number of unique IT policy controls, such as wiping only corporate data or blocking work-related content and apps from being copied or forwarded to personal contacts.

BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850 require activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge – a savings of $39.99 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB web or $9.99 per month versus Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB web. (Pricing excludes taxes and surcharges.)

BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850 also offer World Phone capability for international travel to nearly anywhere in the world. Sprint customers have the power to make or receive phone calls in more than 200 countries and access to BlackBerry^®data services, including email, apps and web browsing in nearly 155 countries. Customers can check the Sprint Worldwide Coverage and Rates page to check coverage in the specific location they plan to travel and find voice, text, and data rates. They also have the option of using a third-party SIM for international voice and data services.