Of proximity sensors and the BlackBerry 88xx series
Proximity sensors are going to start appearing in a number of mobile devices because they can add intelligent functionality simply and cheaply. You’ve probably heard about the sensor in the iPhone that turns the screen and touch digitizer off when the phone is brought close to the face while on a call. One of the coolest and least understood (at least by me) features of the RIM BlackBerry 8830 has to do with the holster case. My case came with the Verizon bundle so I don’t know if all 8830s come with the case or not but if you have an 8830 and don’t have the BlackBerry holster case then you should get it. When the 88xx is slid into the holster the phone automatically locks the keypad and turns the screen off to save battery and prevent the phone from accidental events. You’ve probably had a phone in your pocket that inadvertently pressed buttons and called someone accidentally. This 88xx holster prevents those things from happening.
I have to admit I’ve spent more time than I should trying to figure out how that works. I came to the conclusion that it was activated either through pressure on the trackball when the phone goes into the case or by the magnetic closure on the holster case itself. Research on the RIM site indicates it’s a lot more sophisticated than either of those scenarios as the case has a proximity sensor embedded that detects when the phone is inserted. This is not only useful for saving battery life as I mentioned above but RIM has extended the functionality by making many events configurable in such a way that an event will react differently depending on whether the phone is in the holster or not. Here’s an example. I like to have the phone’s ringer at a medium volume level when I’m using the phone but it can be difficult to hear when it’s in the holster and the speaker is covered. With the proximity sensor able to tell when the phone is holstered, I have configured the phone to ring louder when it’s in the case. Simple yet very effective. Virtually every setting (and there are many) can be programmed to do different things depending on whether the phone is holstered or not. I am finding this incredibly useful and hats off to RIM for making what may be the first intelligent case for a phone. Here’s what RIM says about this technology:
Proximity-sensing technology:
- Saves power and maximizes battery life by automatically shutting off the screen
- Canactivate different notification settings for phone, email and otherapplications based on in-holster and out-of-holster profiles
The case is only $30 so it’s a great deal all around and the craftsmanship is top-notch. It comes in a variety of colors for the fashion conscious and there is a tote version for those who don’t like belt clips.
I don’t know about the BlackBerry 8830, but on the 8700, the sensor is basically magnetic. You can test this by bringing a magnet (like the clasp magnet) up to the base of the BlackBerry on the front right near the space key on the keyboard. As soon as it senses a magnet, the screen goes blank.
All BlackBerry holsters and cases have a magnet at the bottom (in addition to the clasp magnet) that senses when the phone is placed in, and then it knows to be in the holstered state.
My blackberry R957 (the original device from Blackberry with the “tall” form factor that all are currently based on) had that feature as well. I got it in 2000. Definitely an awesome idea.
Just a magnet in the case. Been available for years. Since I throw phones in pockets and backpacks naked, it never did much for me. I much more appreciate RIM’s thoughtful email and web-centric keyboard shortcuts in being able to use the spacebar for @ and . when typing.
Even the old RIM 950 devices (predecessor to the Blackberry) used a magnet in their cases to put the device into sleep/locked mode.
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Pretty sure it’s just a magnet, same on my Curve. Also, you can get the same case in a variety of colors from amazon for about $17. It really is a nice case. Note that it doesn’t prevent you from forgetting it in a cab if you set the device in the seat next to you.
Even if it’s just a magnet in the case there must still be a proximity sensor in the phones for it to do anything. Some kind of sensor reacts to the magnet and thus a setting is made.
Yep, it’s a magnetic sensor, just like the Nokia 770. (Though RIM has had it for significantly longer, of course.)
The only flaw is that the 7100’s default fabric holster was so amazingly crappy that I couldn’t bring myself to use it. Now that I’ve moved onto the Pearl and the fancy leather holster, it’s great because I don’t even need to enable the “Lock In Holster” option. Just being in the holster (or close enough to a magnet, which I’ve done in a pinch,) makes the phone secure enough for me.
(Also, while the Pearl is a pain to unlock, the 7100 unlocked at the slightest provocation just to make random irritating phone calls.)
The magnet serves other purposes as well. When you holster your device and the magnet is found, you can change the way that the profiles work. A great example of this is you can leave the phone on Normal mode (which rings), but when it’s in the case, you can make it vibrate (still in Normal mode). I LOVE this feature. BlackBerry has definitely done phone profiles correctly. Other vendors need to look at this to see how they’ve done it.
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Where can I get more info on the 8830? I read some posting about how you can configure the ring for in-holster and out, but the book I got doesn’t mention that… (maybe I didn’t get the full manual?) – - – I have a friend with a 7xxx series that has configured his screen with weather etc… can these things be done with the 8830 too?
Tnx.
Michael, go to the profiles and scroll down to the bottom (Advanced). Under those settings you’ll find in-holster settings for every type of notification the profile supports. You can set it different for each profile.
Thanks James! The book is so general… maybe most users don’t like to get into the ‘guts’ of things like I do.
Thank you!!