BlackBerry Bold 9000 unboxed on video
We can't help but feel the BlackBerry Bold 9000's much-anticipated launch ended up being just a tad bit anti-climactic. Maybe it's a Canada thing, or maybe we're just haters. Or maybe we hate Canada. While we mull that over, you might as well have a look at CrackBerry.com's video unboxing of the new phone, complete with some comparison shots and, um, unboxing. Oh, there's an iPhone versus near the end, so don't go anywhere! Video is after the break.

















But does it play Tap Tap?
I didn't think it was that bad. And I've made plenty of fun of people on Engadget.
I think we're just upset about the ATT 3G roll out problems.
Excellent video; great pacing-- professional without being forced.
Still not as good as the iPhone though.
[ducks]
...
I wish engadget just stops the "versus iphone" and "iphone killer" shit.
that was crackberry not Engadget, but as a windows fanboy I am forced to agree, :)
Seriously, enough with the iphone vs...everything. Its a good phone, we get it. It wouldn't surprise me if next I saw "Dell's netbook vs. Iphone". I'd like one day to go by where I see no Iphone articles on engadget, now THAT would surprise me. How about a Blackberry bold vs. Blackberry cuve : why it's actually better...instead of a Blackberry Bold vs. a phone that is completely different in every way to include target audience (Iphone).
Usually, I'd agree, but in this case it was Crackberry who drew the comparison. Engadget just mentioned it. I suppose the tech sites will stop comparing it when the masses stop wanting to see the comparison.
But how does your comment compare to one typed on an iPhone?
What's all this hating aboot?
All of a sudden, it is a US-eh vs. Canadah
huh? no its not. its about iPhone taking on everything.
Since most people use Windows, they are naturally Windows defenders. An enemy of my enemy is my friend, as it were.
Pathetic, I know, but most on here will bash Apple incessantly, except, of course, Apple customers.
Grow the F up.
You guys hate Canada because our 3G network is bigger and better than your 3G network. Sour grapes! :-)
unboxings are some of the most pointless things ever
We'll he did do a better job than most unboxer, he showed a bit of difference and similarities. So he showed the evolution of the devices and even gave a tip of whats to come. So it wasn't really like an unboxing, but more of a teaser for the blackberry versus iphone... did RIM get it right?
Unless you're waiting for your salary in anticipation of buying the device in question.
A few see it as gadget pr0n. Most might consider it useful just to see what you get in the package after spending $300+ on a bleeding edge device.
In unboxing videos, you get a chance to see how does the end product actually look like, and which accessories do you get, instead of just taking peeks at useless rendered pics of it online. On the other side, most unboxing videos on YouTube are pure crap, since 90% of the video shows the unboxer struggling with the packaging and sticking scissors in it while the camera goes off focus every few seconds...
C'mon canada is nice!
Hey turkeys... No Canada vs. U.S. stuff. Okay? I mean, first we burned down your White House some 200 years ago, but that's between friends, eh? And then we invade U with CrackBerries and beer. But hey, it's okay. It's all abooot being friends. ;-)
in was the England that burned the white house down... Canada didn't even exist for many decades after that
And beer in the states costs less than 1/4 of what it does in BC
It's the other friendly party favour that Canada mostly supplies the states with
?..
Did it occur to you that the people who .. didn't like the Americans..set fire... decided not to join the Union...?
Same people, bro. The 'New World English' became Canada. Eh.
As for beer prices, check the alcohol content homie.
as far as many are concerned... Canada still doesn't exist...
@mike and Ryan R
The White House was attacked and burned by the 'English,' the majority of whom were Canadian. So we can lay claim to that.
They are not the same people. Canadians were those who settled in 'New France' and British controlled territories. After the French lost control of Canada, the names changed to Upper and Lower Canada. True, some disillusioned colonists came from the US, but Canadians are not to be blended together with the 'Americans.'
You can't compare price of our beer either. You are probably thinking of American brands, which are riced slightly higher, but we have Canadian brands that are priced much lower. As far as alcohol content goes, true, Canadian beers, on average, contain more alcohol (but only slightly so), it is measured differently between the two nations. American labels are usually by weight and Canadian labels are by volume. For example, A 3.2% beer in the U.S. (by weight) would be equivalent to a 4% beer in Canada (by volume). However, U.S. beer is labelled according to state laws, which unanimously dictate that the maximum alcohol percentage be labelled. As such, a 5.4% beer in the U.S. (by weight) may legally contain as little as 1% alcohol by weight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_beer
Wow that was unboxed way faster than the iPhone.
Don't you just love it when people get to the point?
You can tell Kevin is so anxious to play with the Bold he's rushing through the video. You can hear the excitement in his voice too. Hope they release it soon in US.
the 9000 isn't worth the $599.99 that rogers wants for it. If you sign up for 3 years the let you have $200 rebate it's bullshit once again it's the reason camadians are slow
camadians hey... interesting. What about Anericans?
I always get it confused. Is it the Americans or the Anericans that are loud, rude, and obnoxious? :)
It's the Anericans. The subtle spelling difference tends to confuse the rest of the non-Anglophone world, so we Americans tend to get blamed for all the stupid stuff the Anericans do.
I moved here from Canada and they think I'm slow, eh.
Blackberry.....always the bridesmaid, never the bride!
More like the father of the bride that has to pull a 60-hour week to pay for his flaky daughter's $10,000.00 wedding to some slacker.
seriously, my coworker seriously thought blackberry was made by motorola... I told him its Canadian junk, not as bad as motojunk. lol does it do video streaming yet? damn curve, RIM u need to get ur shit together
Tomorrow is the last day I can return my iPhone 3G. I really want the Blackberry Bold. I don't know if I should return my iPhone 3G. What do you guys think?
iPhone FTW!
Keep the 3G, you'll have more fun with it.
Keep the 3G?
The 3G, of course.
If you love Blackberry Messenger and typing texts, you'll probably want the Blackberry...otherwise I'd recommend the iPhone 3G which I'm picking up later this week.
"Maybe it's a Canada thing, or maybe we're just haters. Or maybe we hate Canada."
What a good start. I see the "new" Engadget is shining with humour. Would "or maybe you're just a bunch of idiots" add to the fun?
Lol you're all probably aware, but there ARE a huuuge amount of Canadian readers over here =). We patrol these sites daily lol.
Its kind of a way of brewing our jealousy for all the gadget glory that happens beneath us, while our major 3 carriers continue their price dominance streak.
@Dahk
Amen. Goddamn Rogers (insert name of Telus or Bell in place of Rogers if you so choose.)
Am I out of touch with pop culture or does anyone else find it weird he's got 4 skins for one device?
Its a symbol of "status" in some countries....
agreed. its one thing to buy a skin for a device, but to buy like 4 colored skins?
Some people prefer devices with four skins.
It's idiotic, flame-war-inciting posts like this (among other reasons) that make Gizmodo such a superior site to Engadget. Sigh.
Now now children, I know you've both got "independence" these days, but you're both Britain's offspring!
Now stop fighting. America, you need to get more like Canada. At least Canada writes home sometimes!
Screw you I'm a Newf!
@grull27
Keep the 3G. After using it, especially if you have the MobileMe sync stuff, me thinks the Bold will seem quite gimped compared to the iPhone.
$400 on a 3yr plan is a little steep for everyone I cant see this phone selling well.
$399 on a 3-year is expensive, but we Canadians are already use to those prices. If you bought a BlackBerry before at current pricing, chances are you'll buy it again if you're looking into a new device.
I got to play around w/ a bold two days ago when a RIM rep came to visit my store. Highly digable unit that US residents will hopefully see mid September. Video playback looked fantastic, and the new theme coupled w/ a better screen, makes it much friendlier on the eyes. For an iPhone comparison, no one is going beat Apples audio quality when it comes to playing music for a while, but the Bold has a much heavier and solid feel than most any smartphone, a sign that durability is still a big factor for these devices. Also, the rep mentioned that that leather back will also be released in other colors, available for purchase just like the skins, or cases.
When is this son bitch comin out in the good old usa.
This Bold is very nice. The only thing I wish it had was a touchscreen. Other than that, I can't say I have any complaints from what I've seen.
I no longer buy phones without touchscreens because there's so much more you can do and you can do many things so much faster and efficiently with a touchscreen than without it. Instead of scrolling to what you want, you just go right to it, and often, you don't need two hands to perform tasks like some might think (sometimes you do, but often, you don't). And a touchscreen, as so many of us know, allows for much greater functionality software-wise... Two of the main reasons I carry and use an AT&T Tilt.
Now if they'd integrate that into a Blackberry, that would greatly free up the phone to do so much more. It's the last component I'm waiting for them to add. They're so close now to having it all.
But so far, they've done a really nice job with the Bold.
I secretly think you HATE Canada and that's the reason all you contests are USA only. LOL j/k.
Rogers has done a fine job of screwing up the launch anyways, and their price point is just nuts at the moment for the Bold and @Cassini, the touchscreen berry should fix your issues when it launches, but that'll be a CDMA exclusive for a bit
Nice Video,
Can't wait to get one of these.
Why do people keep calling the "BB Bold" an iphone competitor? Its just another blackberry. There hasn't been an iPhone competitor yet, tho maybe the Touch Diamond... but really its still WinMo so its teh fail. But still, the damn instinct is closer to an iphone competitor than any blackberry. Blackberries should be compared to Treos and Moto Q's. N00bs
I have an irrationally unconditional hate for Blackberries.
I love seeing the BB right next to the iPhone. One looks at the iPhone and you can see the difference in modern design. While the BB looks tired, old and clunky, the iPhone looks modern, 22nd century, high end and simply beautiful to look at and use. Thanks for the video.
That's a lotta hatred bro. If you ever travel to the year 2100 and come back, PLEASE don't tell me that the coolest stuff they have is an iPhone.
Oh and make sure you have a look at the Bold's screen in real life. It's jaw-dropping gorgeous. Maybe not 22nd century gorgeous, but damned nice.
Trying to compare an iPhone 3G to the Blackberry Bold is similar to a Playstation 3 vs. Computer comparison. Fun vs. Function. I jumped on the bandwagon with the iPhone and it was a fun ride, but after a year the fun wore off and you find yourself stuck without functions Apple refuses to add, such as voice dialing, teathering, and voip apps. The Bold is far from perfect, but I dare say it's more business user friendly and something I would rather carry in the long run.
Also I would like to point out how nice it is to use a device where I can remove the battery. =)
Cheers from the North
the us is just jealous of our abundance of beautiful ladies. canada, our home and native land, eh!
Dear Engadget,
I have recently purchased a box of assorted donuts and would like to know where I can send my unboxing video so you can post it and visitors to your site can respond to it with iPhone comments.
Yours, Wormy
There's no question about it. The iPhone 3G kicks a jelly's ass when it comes to 3G reception. Cut and paste is a split, though.
I wish Sprint would pick the Bold up. =]
It's fascinating how many people are posting the "pro-business" nature of the Bold and other RIM products as the reason they buy them, yet their "business" apparently isn't busy enough to keep them off of tech blogs. Comedy.
i still like the iphone better
the free market seems to agree :)
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/22/analyst-45m-iphones-in-2009/
It comes with a travel charger, a set of earphones and a case? All I got with my iPhone is a charger, earphones and a toothpick.
Ahem. Glorified paper clip.
I need to get me one of those soon! My regular phone is not cutting it anymore. I see a blackberry in my future...although maybe the touch screen model
Was the video sped up a bit or was he really that frantic during the unboxing?
Or perhaps I'm just old and find it strange to see someone moving that fast...
you cant really compare a blackberry and the Iphone, they are completly diffrent. The Iphone is great but I personaly think they are a bit unpractical as a phone. It can do alot of cool stuff but I wouldnt want one, its just not practical as a phone. Touch screen? cool but Id like a keypad more when im typin etc. I own a ipod touch and its really great but I would not like to have the Iphone. I want my phone to be a phone and not an entertainment system. Not bashing on the iPhone, just sayin Id prob take the blackberry.
sorry if my English is bad, hope u get it anyway
I just like flippin gadgets. Period! YES, I have and love my iPhone 3G, BUT I also like my Centro for having a2dp (via 3rd party app) and I love my Blackberry Curve also. I do some sim switching from time to time, sure. But it's nice to be able to have options when in the mood to use something diff. for a few days just because I can. Many times I'll take my cento to the beach instead if 3g iPhone so it's not as crcial if it gets wet or something. SO, I think the "iPhone against every other gadget the world" argument is old and really wish people would understand it's personal preference, period! STFU already!!!
I don't know why you felt you had to make a stupid jab about an entire country, but obviously you haven't seen the crappy offerings that Motorola has churned out for the last few years. I think RIM could teach moto more than a few things about engineering a smart phone these days. Maybe thats why moto is laying off hundreds of engineers and is close to going tits-up while RIM has been doubling in size every year.
Stupid $#@ing comment system. This was meant as a reply to Nightmare on page 1.
I must be the unluckiest person in the world. I was given a BB Pearl as a gift and the trackball stopped working after three months. I was given another after turning it in to ATT and the second one had the same problem. The trackball stopped going side-to-side and only goes up and down. If cleaned the ball and I did not mistreat it. It's virtually useless.
I can't be the only person having this probelm, but I never hear about it from RIM fans. I like the BB, but I can't risk something like that happening again. Any thoughts?
Although I am impressed with the Bold overall appeal and solid email capabilities, Xperia's HD screen and look and the HTC's Android interface, I will not make a purchase until I can hold and compare these phones in my hand, one at a time.
Also, the latter two final specs aren't yet solid. I look forward to doing my own personal test with speed, Video Clips, Music and of course, Cell Phone operation amongst other things that matter in a phone (to me).
If I plan on spending my hard earned $$$, it had better work pretty damn good.
It is all a matter of taste and preference. Although not a fanboi of the iPhone at all, I do want to thank Mr. Jobs for being such a megalomaniac that his pursuit of the iPhone (even when he didn't own the trademark for the name and released it with a lawsuit hot on his heels, which takes some balls), by launching it, we are all going to benefit from the innovation to come in the next few years because the Carriers, for too long, tried to dictate to the consumer, what Cell Phones we needed.
The current innovators (other than Apple) are giving us a glimpse of what is to come in the near future, thus turning the tide for consumers. Android will be the first test of an open OS and may spur even further innovation in hand held devices.
looks good
I want the blackberry 9000 in Greece which is where I am based. Does anybody know if I can just buy one from Canada and put in my current Vodaphone SIM card? How does this thing actually work? is it bound to the local contract or can I use my Greek contract and still have all the benefits? or does the local network need to be blackberry enabled or something? This it might not be because the Greeks are not into blackberry at all for some reason. There is only one simple model in the shops....
So anybody knows about this? For an enlightening answer I'd be very grateful.