[dstrauss]

According to BGR, only two more months:

BlackBerry BIS 2.5 presentation, OS 4.5 not coming xxx8217;til September! : Boy Genius Report

Just peachy; OS 4.5 by September, only TWO MONTHS after iPhone 2.0 and iPhone 3g. Let's see, what would it be like if we started flying Lockhead Tristars again after the Boeing and Airbus?

[Garz08]

You never know, it still could hit certains carriers before then.

[JSanders]

Wirelessly posted (8310; The Juggernaut)

It HAS hit certain carriers already

[NJBlackBerry]

But wait - does that mean that the two carriers (at least) that have released it jumped the gun and released buggy beta code?

[akosnitzky]

Wirelessly posted (Verizon 8830)

What role does marketing play in all of this? Or

Do you all think its technology?

[Technocracy]

Some carriers may be more thorough than others doing their internal testing. Now, some decisions may also be driven by the appeal of being first to market and, therefore, profit.

Time shall tell...

[akosnitzky]

Some of these delays is making the iphone a bit more attractive.

[MBW]

It doesn't take a genius to know that there's nothing genius about BG raising a hubbub when he's shooting in the dark.

Here's how the system works - and anybody can guess what phase it's in right now.

RIM submits each new handset to each carrier for approval. The carrier tests it rigorously (not so much because they truly care about their customers, just because taking returns is a pain in the rear - especially that part of the rear that houses a wallet, given the cost of never regaining a customer who cancels a contract).

When the tests are over, the firmware gets burned en masse, the phones go into the field in the carrier's branded boxes and we have a release.

My guess - I'll even say my belief (from what I read elsewhere and hear from the AT&T PR guys) is that it's in a final qualification stage and not being delayed for any sub rosa marketing agenda - BlackBerries have even more clout with carriers (from numbers & sales revenues) than the bigger-fruit brand, so blow off the suspicions of intrigue.

I'm guessing - raw, Las Vegas-style guessing - that the approval will come mid-July and the announcements along with first unit availability by then end of July. If it's a few days later, BG will become intolerably sassy.

[SteveO86]

Well the article 4.5 will be offically out for the models listed in the presentation by Sept., so 4.5 will probably be rolled every few weeks. Sept is the dead line for the 4.5 to completely rolled out on the given models.

My only question is what about the CDMA Berries' 8830, 8330, and 8130.. I would kill for 4.5 for my 8830

[flash24]

I'm not gonna believe anything til it's actually out officially.

[PPCMD]

The longer AT&T holds out on upgrades and the Bold's release the more iPhones they could sell because of it or so they would think.

[akosnitzky]

I wonder if it hurts the marketability of CDMAs from certain companies. I am rethinking my relationship with VZW as a result of this experience.

[mike2160]

4.5 I got the other day for my 8830. It works fine for me and was easy to find .33. Glad I did'nt wait for vz to release it. Was thinking about getting a curve. Could this be part marketing? It's like having a new phone now.

[Shane Pitman]

It seems like the 4.5 release is a different story everywhere you look. I've more or less quit looking in anticipation and have resigned myself to just getting it when it gets here and not worrying about it until then.

[nyne7lac]

Originally Posted by Shane Pitman

It seems like the 4.5 release is a different story everywhere you look. I've more or less quit looking in anticipation and have resigned myself to just getting it when it gets here and not worrying about it until then.

I've come to the exact conclusion.

[tbird57]

Originally Posted by PPCMD

The longer AT&T holds out on upgrades and the Bold's release the more iPhones they could sell because of it or so they would think.

I take it you can't get it for AT&T phone? or can ya??

[michael12005]

The new Apple i phone will not sell as well as predicted for 2 reasons:

1) You still cannot change your own battery and

2) AT & T

[PPCMD]

It would seem both of those reasons were NOT enough to hold back the buyers for iPhone 1 so I do not see those as reasons to hold them back again. I also do not see someone going in who is 100% die hard on the iPhone picking up a BlackBerry instead, the iPhone can be considered by some to be the the phone be seen with. The BB Bold will also be an awesome phone but RIM must do a much, much better job of delivering its value to the masses.

[ArgonNJ]

Originally Posted by michael12005

The new Apple i phone will not sell as well as predicted for 2 reasons:

1) You still cannot change your own battery and

2) AT & T

You don't understand the true force of Apple's marketing machine, do you. Whether you like the product or not, Steve Jobs knows how to market and is responsible for the one of the greatest business come backs of the last few decades.

[dstrauss]

Originally Posted by michael12005

The new Apple i phone will not sell as well as predicted for 2 reasons:

1) You still cannot change your own battery and

2) AT & T

1. How many people do you know that own two batteries, much less carry the spare battery wherever they go?

2. No worse, no better, than Verizon or Sprint. Would it be nice to have the iPhone on everyone's platform, like Blackberry, sure. However, it is clear Apple focused on a "world" phone (therefore GSM) and that leaves out Verizon and Sprint for the time being. AT&T is actually showing some restraint to my eyes because the new pricing is really no different than any of their smartphones (in other words everyone gets screwed equally).