How fast can you say knock-off? Since Research In Motion has signed new partnership deals to increase its presence in mainland China, we decided to take a look at its competition. No, not Apple. We're talking about the "BlueBerry 8900," one of the black-market bastards RIM will have to contend with. It wasn't that hard to get one. All it takes is about $65-and a friend in Beijing, preferably one willing to haggle in Mandarin. But how does the unit stack up against the real BlackBerry 8900? Doug Steiner enlisted the help of Alok Ghosh, one of the tech wizards who help keep Scotia Capital's trading room running, to evaluate the product.
Don't be fooled by the name on the screen-nor the upside down RIM logo on the battery cover-this is a "BlueBerry." But to the untrained eye, the keyboard, splash screen, convenience keys and trackball all mimic the BlackBerry 8900.
How many TV stations can you pick up with your BlackBerry? The answer is none. But the BlueBerry's NTSC TV tuner (and optional HDTV chip) means you can watch Buzz Aldrin on Dancing with the Stars while you chat with your broker. A COM port redirector also allows you to tether a laptop for Internet connection.
Drawbacks? There are a few: The BlueBerry does not feature RIM's world-class operating system; it has no push e-mail (it checks for messages on a set schedule); no specialized encryption (BlackBerry's Enterprise Server is famed for its security); no ability to install third-party apps (like you might find on BlackBerry's App World). All that, and it's buggier than a Winnipeg outhouse.
Imagine our surprise to find that the phone actually works-with any GSM carrier-right out of the box. And unlike the BlackBerry 8900, it has space to accommodate two SIM cards, with two radio receivers- a boon to business travellers, who can pick up a pay-as-you-go card and shave a few bucks off their roaming bill.
So, does RIM have a problem on its hands? Unlikely, says Gus Papageorgiou, one of Scotia Capital's technology analysts. "This is a great knock-off," he says, "as long as you do not actually touch it, look at it from closer than five metres, try to send a text message or switch out of the home screen. The folks running RIM can still sleep tight at night."