RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700
(Credit: RIM)This post was updated on October 21 at 8:30 a.m. PDT with official pricing from AT&T and T-Mobile.
On Wednesday, Research In Motion unveiled its newest smartphone, the RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700. It will replace the original BlackBerry Bold 9000, which debuted in November 2008, and offers a sleeker design, double the Flash memory, and updated features.
The most noticeable difference is the smartphone's size. The Bold now measures 4.29 inches tall by 2.36 inches wide by 0.56 inch thick and weighs 4.3 ounces compared with the original Bold's 4.48 inches high by 2.6 inches wide by 0.59 inch deep and 4.8 ounces. It's comparable in size to the RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630, and in fact, the two share the same 2.44-inch HVGA (480x360) display and have similar 35-key QWERTY keyboards.
However, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 replaces the trackball navigator with the touch-sensitive trackpad, which was first introduced on the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520. For those who fear change, you should rest easy knowing that we found transition from trackball to trackpad to be quite smooth, since the latter is extremely responsive.
The Bold 9700 is equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack and features a slightly revamped leatherette back. Overall, RIM is hoping the sleeker design will appeal to both men and women, since the BlackBerry Bold skewed a bit more to the masculine side.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers more than cosmetic changes, however. The smartphone is equipped with a next-generation 624MHz processor and has double the Flash memory at 256MB (expandable up to 32GB via the microSD slot). Like the recently announced BlackBerry Storm 2, the Bold will run BlackBerry OS 5.0, which brings such improvements as threaded text messaging and a faster browser and BlackBerry Maps application. The camera has also been upgraded from 2 megapixels to 3.2 megapixels.
The Bold 9700 is a quad-band GSM phone that also integrated Wi-Fi with UMA support, Bluetooth, GPS/A-GPS, and 3G support (UMTS/HSDPA 800/850/1900/2100; UMTS/HSDPA 900/1700/2100). Given the supported bands, we know you're already thinking about possible carriers and availability, so here's the dish.
RIM expects the BlackBerry Bold 9700 to be available from carriers worldwide starting in November, including AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T said the smartphone will ship in the coming weeks for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a mail-in rebate. T-Mobile's version will also cost $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and be available in time for the holidays; and yes, the Bold 9700 will support Wi-Fi calling. We hope we'll get review units soon, so we can let you know whether it'll make a nice little holiday treat or not.
On Sale Now: $199.99 - $479.99
View the latest prices for RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 (AT&T)
On Sale Now: $199.99
View the latest prices for RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 (T-Mobile)
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET)
On Tuesday afternoon, AT&T will release a software update for the RIM BlackBerry Bold that will bring several enhancements to the smartphone. Such improvements include the ability to manually choose between a 2G or 3G connection and added support for AT&T's visual voicemail service. In addition, you'll get download icons for MobiTV, Mobile Banking, Tetris, and Scrabble, as well as some other "general handset optimizations."
BlackBerry Bold owners can get the software update several ways. You can download it over the air by going to the Options menu on your device, selecting Advanced Options, and then Wireless Update. Alternatively, you can get it from BlackBerry's support site or via BlackBerry Desktop Manager by downloading the update from AT&T.
I'm now the proud owner of a BlackBerry Bold.
For a while, I was trying to decide if I wanted to ditch my iPhone 3G for the Bold. After some research and hands-on time with Research In Motion's beauty, I decided that it was in my best interest to escape from Apple's grips.
But there was a problem: the BlackBerry Bold is expensive. If you're not eligible for a two-year upgrade, the Bold will set you back $550 at the AT&T store. If you're new to AT&T or eligible for the upgrade price, you pay $399.99.
I didn't want to spend that much on a mobile phone that replaced another expensive gadget. Plus, I wasn't eligible for an upgrade. So I decided to head down to the AT&T store to talk with a representative to figure it all out. And much to my surprise, he and I determined that I would end up paying just $30 for the Bold.
Here's how it worked:
... Read moreDon Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Who should the BlackBerry Bold take on?
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)OK Crave readers, I need your help. The CNET Prizefight ring is setting up for a few final battles before the end of 2008, and one contender just waiting for its chance in the spotlight is the RIM BlackBerry Bold. Now usually, the editors make the decision about which two devices to compare, but frankly, I'm having trouble choosing the right competitor. I've got some ideas, but thought it would be nice to get your feedback as well.
I've already received a lot of reader e-mails wondering how the Bold stacks up to the iPhone 3G. However, I'm a little hesitant to compare the two since I think the phones are intended for different audiences (business versus consumer) and have different design elements (QWERTY keyboard, touch screen, and so forth). Plus, there are plenty of other worthy smartphones out there. The iPhone is not the end all, be all. But hey, if I get an overwhelming response for the iPhone, majority rules and I'll be happy to oblige. Either way, let me know what you think in the comments section below by Thursday, and I'll choose the winner on Friday.
Also if you're wondering: yes, there is already a iPhone versus RIM BlackBerry Storm prizefight in the works, so grab your seats for that showdown, which is coming next week.
RIM BlackBerry Bold
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Obviously, there are some more important events happening on this Tuesday, but in case you're interested in hopping in one line to the next, the RIM BlackBerry Bold is now officially available for purchase through AT&T.
The highly anticipated smartphone can be yours for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates and discounts. The carrier reports that there have been lines 20 to 25 people deep at some stores in New York, Boston, and Chicago. Has anyone gone out to buy their Bold today? If so, did you have to wait in any lines? Let us know.
For more information on the device, please read our full review of the RIM BlackBerry Bold.
Update, 7:30 p.m. PT: According to Engadget Mobile, you can get the BlackBerry Bold for free (!!) through LetsTalk.com after a mail-in rebate. However, as Gear Diary found out, you will also need to sign up for a $79 1350 Rollover plan as well as a BlackBerry plan ($30) and unlimited messaging plan ($20). In total, you're looking at a $129 monthly cell phone bill. Worth it?
RIM BlackBerry Bold
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)It's been a good six months since Research in Motion first announced the RIM BlackBerry Bold (aka RIM BlackBerry 9000). Originally slated for a summer release on AT&T, the launch date kept getting pushed back...and back. Frustrated with the delays and wooed by other new smartphone releases, we moved on (and so did many of you) and nearly gave up on the Bold. However, now that we finally have it hand, the love affair has begun all over again.
Read our full review of the RIM BlackBerry Bold to get all the details and check out our hands-on photo gallery.
RIM BlackBerry Bold
(Credit: RIM)This is it! This is the news we've been waiting for since May. On Wednesday, Research In Motion announced that the long-awaited RIM BlackBerry Bold will finally be available starting November 4 at AT&T for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after a mail-in rebate.
Though the smartphone was originally slated for a summer release, as we all painfully know, the Bold was delayed time and time again. Part of it was the lengthy carrier certification process and most recently, RIM said it held off on the release to make sure the 3G experience would be the best at launch (after witnessing the iPhone 3G debacle). Hey, whatever the story, we're just glad to know we can finally get our hands on this sucker in a couple of weeks.
So despite all the delays and with new devices already on the market, are you going to get one?
On Sale Now: $199.99
View the latest prices for RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T)
RIM BlackBerry Bold
(Credit: RIM)Perhaps you're like me and starting to wonder if the RIM BlackBerry Bold is just a mythical creature like Bigfoot--spotted in the wild a number of times but yet to be captured, or in the Bold's case, released. The smartphone was announced way back in May for AT&T, but we have yet to hear about an actual availability date. Oh, and trust us, we've asked RIM numerous times for just a teeny tiny hint and have been met by the same answers: "this fall" or "very soon."
We do think the launch is close, but if you're looking for something a little more concrete, here's something to nibble on in the meantime. On Monday, the Boy Genius Report posted screen shots of what looks to be Best Buy's computer system, showing an in-stock date of October 26 for the Bold. BGR goes on to say that the smartphone will have a price of "around $600" (come again?) and will be released a week or two ahead of AT&T.
Again, this is all speculation so take it for what it's worth. Personally, I'm tired of waiting and have already moved on and set my sights on the RIM BlackBerry Storm. Anyone else?
The rumored RIM BlackBerry Javelin
(Credit: Engadget Mobile via CrackBerry.com)When it comes to smartphones and cell phones, one size does not fit all. So while it might seem like everyone wants the BlackBerry Bold, Research In Motion knows better. Enter the RIM BlackBerry Javelin. This rumored smartphone is like the little brother to the Bold. It drops the HSDPA support but offers EDGE, Wi-Fi, and GPS.
The Javelin is also said to have a 512MHz processor and 256MB of flash memory under the hood, while rocking a 480x360-pixel resolution display like the Bold. Some say the Javelin is in line to replace the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 in T-Mobile's lineup, but there has been no official word from RIM.
(Source: CrackBerry.com via Engadget Mobile)
RIM BlackBerry Bold
(Credit: RIM)Amid all the iPhone 3G and App Store talk today, another rising star in the smartphone world got its FCC wings today. Yes, the much-anticipated RIM BlackBerry Bold received FCC approval, bringing it one step closer to a real-world debut. We already know that the Bold is headed for AT&T, but the exact availability date has been in question. Some sources, such as the Boy Genius Report, say it will be released some time in mid-August.
Many are already calling the BlackBerry Bold an iPhone competitor, which frankly bugs me. While I certainly understand the inclination to do so, given that they share similar features, including 3G support, Wi-Fi, and GPS, I think they're intended for two different users. The iPhone 3G is very consumer-centric, while the BlackBerry Bold is largely business focused. But hey, I'll play along. Either way, it's just good news that the Bold finally cleared the FCC and we're all that much closer to getting the BlackBerry Bold into our hands.
[Source: Engadget Mobile]
