BlackBerry Bold hits Rogers on August 21st, so get your thumbs worked-out

Well, it looks like that long, painful wait is finally over. According to all kinds of tipsters, the BlackBerry Bold touches down for the first time in North America (in its home country of Canada, obviously) come August 21st (that's this Thursday, in case you don't own a calendar, computer, or have any friends). That's right -- the Bold will land on Rogers (where else?) with a price tag set somewhere between the dark valley of $300 and $400, according to Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie. Reports say the phone will be available from other carriers by the end of the week, though we don't have any definitive rumblings that confirm such heavenly ideas. You'll know more when we do, of course.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:14PM]

that's right. get your thumb outta your ass 'cause you'll need to make room...

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:36PM]

ouch! don't downrate me, Rogers fanboys, i know you'll pay them whatever they ask just to get the latest toy

[E @ Aug 19th 2008 7:25PM]

LOL. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard from a comment before.

[Kaiser-Machead @ Aug 19th 2008 3:14PM]

I know Rogers. They infest my W810i every time I take a trip to Montreal.

[I-phone Is I-sexaayy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:19PM]

everyone quit your job, you will need the extra time to figure out how to work it

[dvsbstrd @ Aug 19th 2008 3:22PM]

You sir, are a hapless twat.

[konshuss @ Aug 19th 2008 3:29PM]

no no, that's just for fanboys with fanboyesque nicknames who are presumably a little slower than the rest of us.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:33PM]

what's going on here?

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:34PM]

hmm.. i was supposed to be named "phanbouyesque" but my plot hath failed

[I-phone Is I-sexaayy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:35PM]

so your going to argue that blackberries are easy to use?

ok, im going to give everyone an example, please be open minded.

i have done this test with my grandmother, she knows how to use a computer, but is slow with phones.

so i handed her my grandfathers blackberry (not sure what model but its about 6 months old) and i handed her my iphone.

one at a time i asked her to open certain applications (i.e. pics, make a call, search through contacts, internet)

anyway, after a minute of the blackberry, i kid you not, she got frustrated, and asked why they made them so hard to use. i then asked her to open the application on my iphone, it took her a minute to adjust to the touch screen, but after that she didnt even need to ask questions, she was doing what i asked her to do easily and without frustration. She even was surprised at how the internet on my iphone was just like the one on the computer, and asked why other phone makers didnt make it easy to use like that. i told her i honestly didnt know

and for my final argument, I assume that blackberry comes with one of those fat starter manuels, that tells you how to work everything? yeah, well iphone doesnt come with a Manuel, honestly. Wanna know why? cuz it doesnt need one, its so easy to use, self explanatory.

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 3:43PM]

Save yer story, they were just arguing that you're a hapless twat.

[VA @ Aug 19th 2008 3:49PM]

I understand usability and simplicity is obviously important, but please take your head out of your ass and realize no one gives a $hit if your grandma can use a BlackBerry or not.

Maybe you should ask your grandma to compare Exchange email on the BB vs. BES email on the BlackBerry, cause that's what RIM does. Email. It's core functionality in itself is not a simple task, let alone making it available 24/7 on the go.

For the record, I worked at RIM and I'm not a big fan of them at all. But I-phone Is I-sexaayy is a good example of someone who got an iPhone and became iGay with it.

[G @ Aug 19th 2008 3:54PM]

Of course the iPhone doesn't come with a Manuel!

He's returned to Barcelona!

[konshuss @ Aug 19th 2008 4:46PM]

i think if your got your grandmother a Manuel instead she'd be a bit less frustrated.

anyway take your fail and gtfo.

[I-phone Is I-sexaayy @ Aug 19th 2008 4:56PM]

well you all can keep denying :)

iphone will has and will outsell any bb device, rimm will soon be out of bussiness.

too badd

:)

[generally @ Aug 19th 2008 5:48PM]

I know that you may think Apple is doing the right thing now by making their devices simple. However in a few years nobody is going to care about simplicity -- they'll want efficiency.

We are in a currently technical age where we have to accommodate both the tech-savvy and the tech-clueless. You have your grandmas who can barely work a phone, and then there's the rest of us. But look at kids these days: they are practically network admins by age 11! The tech-clueless are becoming more and more scarce, and the tech-savvy are becoming the norm. These kids are going to know how to use command line and hotkeys. They are not going to settle for a slow interface.

Apple seems to make things that are simplistic and pretty, but inefficient. In the near future, this minimalistic fad will end and people will actually want to get work done.

[MIKE @ Aug 20th 2008 2:18PM]

@Iphone is isexxy

You're an idoit... there I said it, we're all sitting here thinking it.

You honestly think the iphone has outsold blackberry? RIM has over 14 million subscribers, versus Apples 4 million. RIMS revenue are more than double what they were last year.

Why is Blackberry so popular, its simple.. its cheaper than Iphone, easier to use, more efficient and it works.

How much is steve jobs paying you to sit here and preach the likes of apple. are you going to start a new religon? Apples witness and go door to door "recruiting" people to join you and your crazy mixed up beliefs?

[John @ Aug 19th 2008 6:48PM]

The funny thing is you can tell he's typing this on an iphone, because the constant doubled characters and all.

[E @ Aug 19th 2008 7:33PM]

@ Generally: You obviously don't have young kids or even teenagers for that matter. They all want - and are getting their parents to buy - Macs...

[I-phone Is I-sexaayy @ Aug 19th 2008 9:13PM]

E has a point

[sanriver12 @ Aug 21st 2008 12:18AM]

I'm new here... how can i block this "I-phone Is I-sexaayy" guy ???

[grull27 @ Aug 19th 2008 3:20PM]

And AT&T's release date is stil unknown.

[Phoenix @ Aug 19th 2008 3:21PM]

Engadget, this article wouldn't help someone without access to a PC ANYWAY.

Fail.

[tiuk @ Aug 19th 2008 3:43PM]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[Tyson @ Aug 19th 2008 4:46PM]

Unless someone printed it to show to a friend...

[Jeffery @ Aug 19th 2008 5:37PM]

One of those friends Engadget assumed we didn't have?

[ralph @ Aug 19th 2008 3:27PM]

Fartworthy but when will ATT get it? Will ebay go down in price now?

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:28PM]

you're really trying to push this new fart meme of yours, huh? i know the readers here are young, but THAT young?

[ralph @ Aug 19th 2008 3:35PM]

Yes I am, it's not a name its a state of being. You don't like it?

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 3:37PM]

http://www.beanogas.com

[heshmati4 @ Aug 19th 2008 3:28PM]

A leak Rogers ad said that the bold will be $399

I hope it's not $399/$349 on AT&T! $299 should be the max, but if RIM really wants to complete with the iphone, they should price it at $199....

[Syphon @ Aug 19th 2008 3:29PM]

Where's the AT&T release info + pricing??
-_-

[konshuss @ Aug 19th 2008 3:31PM]

I wish Rogers would quietly go away. anyone familiar with their latest marketing scheme "MyHomeAdvantage" ? it's just a repackaged version of their old plans and tiered services at higher prices with less product delivered, ie high speed internet.

I loathe Rogers.

[tiuk @ Aug 19th 2008 3:44PM]

Sadly, they're the one carrier we can guarantee will be sticking around for quite some time.

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 3:45PM]

"BlackBerry Bold hits Rogers on August 21st"

Says Rogers, "Ouch, damn BlackBerry throwers!!"

[Jubei @ Aug 19th 2008 3:49PM]

So, this is the famed BOLD from RIM that will trigger the downfall of the iPhone. The final BOLD product still ships with the "cheap imitation" plastic chrome trim, and "cheap" plastic screen. Bold indeed.

[Eddie @ Aug 19th 2008 3:55PM]

...er what?
Its a business phone meant for heavy email. Who gives a crap about the iPhone.

[VA @ Aug 19th 2008 3:51PM]

**
Maybe you should ask your grandma to compare Exchange email on the **iPhone** vs. BES email on the BlackBerry

[helloUser @ Aug 19th 2008 3:58PM]

Will there be obsessive sheep-like coverage on the Blackberry Bold like there was on the iPhone with about 46 articles in the first hour alone? I expect the same kind of coverage, but i doubt it, and I think we all know why.

[RobertT @ Aug 19th 2008 4:48PM]

Because noone cares?



J/k

[mcgrewventures @ Aug 19th 2008 4:16PM]

When do I get it on Verizon???

[Tyson @ Aug 19th 2008 4:46PM]

never its gsm. thats why I'm jumping ship.

[atbnet @ Aug 19th 2008 4:51PM]

The Bold will arrive on Verizon May 2009.

The BB Storm will be on Verizon in October.

[cardboardbox @ Aug 19th 2008 4:17PM]

Does anyone know if T-mobile will have the Bold? I can't find confirmation anywhere...

[Tyson @ Aug 19th 2008 4:47PM]

good question...

[mcgrewventures @ Aug 19th 2008 4:20PM]

Oh, and I hate my yellow teeth.

[cocaine666 @ Aug 19th 2008 6:29PM]

I saw one in the PATH train in NJ today. The thing is frigging huge but the interface seemed a lot cleaner and quicker than my current bberry.

[Montevale @ Aug 19th 2008 7:39PM]

iPhone is a great device but it is asking to embrace a keyboard screen.
Typing on a blackberry is much more natural and this is the strength of the device. Once you get one it is almost addictive how comfortable these things are, they don't call them crackberries for nothing.
Keyboards we love to use for our computers are all tactile.
I don't really see any "flat screen" keyboards there for general computer use.
Apple has a great screen on the other hand but Jobs is way too proud to admit that a physical keyboard would be of a great compliment to the device.
Blackberry has a great keyboard and is not really designed for surfing the net to begin with. It does what it promises to do "messaging galore" and it does it GREAT... not just ok, well, very well it does it GREAT!!!
I don't know anyone who switched from blackberries because of the messaging system flaws, they switched because they were using it for other purposes aka surfing the net getting some programs that only run on Windows mobile etc.
When you work on a blackberry things just work. Rim doesn't actually overpromise and this a very rare thing in today's market.

[Middilay @ Aug 19th 2008 7:43PM]

Here is the only question I have...

Don't computers make the best e-mail machines? And, if so the closer you can get to a computer wouldn't that be the best thing going. Now, if you can transcend that into a handheld device again wouldn't that be the better of choices?

I have had multiple BB's and now have the iphone. The mail is just like having it on your computer. (mac or pc)

What amazes me is the non acceptance of technology marching along. BB was cool when handhelds couldn't pop a thing well or look like true e-mail. It is all very late 90's. I suggest all the people concerned about the long lived BES starting planning elsewhere for tech fix. whether it is Iphone or not technology marches on and the BB is simply old hat. You just simply can't polish a turd. And, to the poster regarding 14 million subscribers... Pretty sad given they have been at it for almost twenty years. Not to compare but the Idevice has been out for just over a year total and only a small portion of the world. I think it would be unwise to compare the little company from Waterloo before the wave hits and people realize what they could have vs don't with BB.

Interestingly the direction Rim thinks we want is flip phones that look like KRAZR's with Pearl Balls. Try typing anything on that piece of shit and you will eventually kill yourself anyway.

[Wormbolt @ Aug 19th 2008 8:01PM]

You don't understand computers and stuff, do you?