Maybe RIM doesn't realize this, but the company is in the process of rebuilding its brand. Actually, based on the current pricing for the Bold 9900/9930, I can tell that RIM doesn't realize this. We had Aaron Baker on during the live show and he said that despite how well it performs, how great it looks, and how much of an improvement the software is over previous versions of BlackBerry OS he wouldn't pay the $350 that T-Mobile is currently charging for the Bold 9900. And that's coming from a guy that was previously a self-proclaimed BlackBerry devotee.
I've been asked if I think the price will be lowered in the future. Honestly, I can't see this price hanging around for long. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but I would wait a few months before I jump on the Bold.
Aaron also talked about his 30-day BlackBerry challenge while he was on the show. As he brought out in his first impressions article, he explained that the web browsing experience on the Bold 9930 is "a million times better" than it was on previous BlackBerry devices. He admitted that he has a hard time keeping one device for 30 days, so this challenge would be difficult no matter which OS he was using. When asked if he would pay the current asking price for the Bold or if he would recommend it to others, he said that die-hard BlackBerry fans, or even those who enjoyed previous BlackBerrys, will definitely see major improvements, but those who are used to Android and iOS, BlackBerry OS 7 is still lacking in a few departments. Aaron has now posted his full video review of the 9930 so check that out to see his final judgements on RIM's latest flagship device.
Like most people out there, I am frustrated by the news that HP is basically giving up on webOS, at least from an HP point of view. There is a possibility that HP will license the OS or even sell it and allow another manufacturer to give it a shot. There's even been talk that HP will use webOS on other products besides phones and tablets, though at this point it seems that the only other product HP could use it for would be printers since they're also shutting down their PC and laptop sector.
webOS was not perfect, but the potential it had was astonishing. I'm baffled as to why HP bought Palm if they clearly had no intentions of giving it the time, attention, and resources webOS required. As many have said before me, it was a sad day for Palm and webOS.
By now you've likely read all about the Grid 10 and Grid 4. We discussed the features of Grid OS during the show. For obvious reasons, Grid OS has been met with much skepticism and doubt. Personally, I'm willing to give Grid OS a shot. My reasoning is that Fusion Garage, the makers of the Grid 10 and Grid 4, had no reason to take another shot at the tablet market after the debacle that was the JooJoo. So if you're going to force it, which is sort of what they're doing, then you'd better be sure that you do it right. I think Fusion Garage realizes that. I think they realized the mistakes they made with the original JooJoo and have learned from them. (Note that CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan was sure to announce a specific ship date for the Grid 10.) I also admire the fact that FG didn't hide behind the hardware of the tablet, but instead showed such confidence in the software that the Grid 10's dual-core processor and extremely high-resolution display took a backseat during the announcement. For these reasons, I'm willing to give the Grid 10 and Grid 4 a fighting chance.
51:14 - Google acquiring Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion
54:20 - Apple used inaccurate images of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in European suit?
Apple reportedly using more tweaked images in Samsung suit as it seeks EU ban on all Galaxy devices
If you'd like to watch PhoneDog Live, we broadcast every Friday at 5 p.m. ET from our Ustream channel. You can watch it directly from Ustream or from our Facebook page. This week's show is available to watch on our YouTube channel.
![Verizon's 4G LTE network growing once again on September 15th [UPDATED]](https://news.wirefly.com/sites/phonedog.com/files/styles/blog_entry_block_views/public/blog/featured_image/2011/08/169215-main-xlarge-vzw4glte.jpg?itok=hjOOzRAz)
