It's official: BlackBerry Bold hits AT&T on November 4 for $299.99
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Oct 22nd 2008 11:00AM
posted Oct 22nd 2008 11:00AM
[Thanks, Joe]
Update: And the press release just slipped out, too -- $299.99 on a two-year contract. Yikes!
about damn time :)
Price is 299 per marketwatch website news
Rogers in Canada is setting at 299 on a 3-year. So 299 for ATT is fair, but may drop lower to compete w/ iphone
In the UAE we have the Bold for about $60 per month for the device and data usage with a 2-year contract; in other words, the Bold is for "free" with the contract. Also available by the two tele operators, Etisalat and Du. The bad part is that it costs about $700 for the Bold without any contract, but who is crazy to buy it without a data plan!
300 bucks for a phone on a two-year contract with AT&T? You're better off flying to Chile or any of the other places where this has been on the market forever, you might save some money
/sarcasm
How much does a plane ticket cost from USA to Chile? Over $299? Ever hear of math?
The prohibitively expensive contract price is what scared me away from the iPhone 3G/AT&T 2-year deal, too. They must be able to get people to pay for it, but there are so many options I'm surprised AT&T can get away w/ it.
@ Kris
Ever hear of closing a sarcasm tag?
I can't imagine anyone's online-sarcasm detector could simply breeze over someone ACTUALLY typing /sarcasm.
Buuuut then ya did.
So will Verizon follow suit with a Storm release date?
I hear November 9th for the storm: www.stormrundown.com
The guy Verizon at best buy said the 16th last night. I'm not sure how much weight that holds though
We at BB haven't heard anything about the storm yet, much less BB's date for getting it.
$299 with 2 years contact eh?
sounds like a much better deal than Rogers here.
ugh.
the fuze is supposed to come out on the 4th it better still happen and not be pushed back
I am totally in agreement with you. I have been a BB user for almost the last 2 years and I love it. But I'm just really digging on HTC's phones!
People are balking at $299 and they wonder why phones like the Touch HD dont come to the US? Face it, its being cheap that has deprived the US of top tier phones and judging by this report that is likely to continue for a long time to come. Stop moaning and accept the fact that US consumers are NOT willing to pay for the best phones.
Seems to me that Apple sold quite a few iPhones @ $500/$600.
We're not balking at the price, just at what you get for it. I'd pay $300 for a Touch HD 'cause it's hella sexy and meets my needs and better.
timbemo, theefman said "best phones" and not the iPhone.
Sadd: Ha Ha! So true.
No one really bought it until the cheap asses could at $199 or $299 and even then they think that is some premium price.
$299? WTF what are they smoking.
Crackberry of course.
I'll be the 1st one to point out the many problems which a regular Joe the plumber might run in when getting this:
a) Date might change (for the 1000th time)
b) Activation issues
c) 3g connectivity problems.
I'd rather go for a phone that offers a lot without much hype.
What activation issues? BlackBerrys do not have a proprietary activation process.
I agree what activation issues would their be? My last BB I just popped in my sim card and I was done. I imagine this will be roughly the same thing.
I also doubt there will be 3g connectivity issues, at least nothing worse than what we already see with the iPhone.
If Joe the Plumber lived in the Netherlands, than he allready know:
a) no date problem...available for several networks
b) no activation issues
c) crisp 3g connectivity
Everybody dance now!!!
Everybody. Dance. Now!!!!! - Gob Bluth
Classic episode! Especially when Lucille went driving while high on marijuana!
$299 doesn't seem so terrible to me. If this is a "must have" phone for people who are heavy business users, then $299 (compared to the iPhone's $299 for more of the consumer segment) is a justifiable amount. I'm looking forward to the Storm and won't balk at a $299 price point for it either.
Shhhhhhhhhhh!!!
I'm waiting for the Storm too and I don't want them to think we are ok with $299. I want it to swing more towards the $199 price point but honestly [Whisper] I would pay $299 for it too. [/Whisper]
~ Slim ~
Shhhhhhhhhhh....
[Whisper/sings] just wait till you see my storm, wait till you see my storm [/Whisper/Sings]
@Slliim,
It (Storm's Price) better be < $200, coz then at least I'm not going for it. With verizon's 'expensive' data plan, no WiFi, and what not (they say some features might be locked), ~$300, I don't see a point.
@arke
what high priced vzw plans?
plus its rev.a evdo, so no need for wifi
and this phone was designed for vzw/voda. thus it wouldn't be locking things
Why are you guys complaining about $299 on a 2 year?
If you've also been complaining that Canada and other countries already have this phone. This is the price we've been having to pay:
https://www.rogers.com/web/Rogers.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=Wireless_BuyFlow_Portlet_Definition&Wireless_BuyFlow_Portlet_Definition_actionOverride=%2Fportlets%2Fconsumer%2Fwireless%2FphoneBuyflow%2FshowPage_ForPhone&Wireless_BuyFlow_Portlet_DefinitionproductId_Detailed=9000R&_pageLabel=WRLS_BuyFlow
and that is on a 3 year...
so really, you guys have it good.
I just checked and you can't even put it on a 2 year, 1 year or monthly contract.. its either $299 for a 3 year or you buy the whole phone for $599.
Just an example of how Canada is getting shafted when it comes to cellphone companies.
I dont like the "2 year contract" part... How much would it cost contract-free..?
the guy above you just said its 600 without a contract
im just surprised theyre charging the same as HTC for the fuze which is a much better phone in my opinion
@ Brian
That is $600 here in Canada. I'd be expecting something similar in the states though.
keep in mind that CAD 600 is closer to USD 500 thanks to the recent economic downturn.
@ Brian
The above comment is the Canadian price with Rogers. I am interested in the price in States.
@ John
You are right. xe.com says:
600.00 CAD = 479.978 USD
Around $500? I'm starting to like the Bold! It's got real button too.
Wow. $299? Not highway robbery mind you, but doesn't seem to make sense when an iPhone costs $199.
I realize that most business savvy folk would probably prefer a blackberry over the iPhone (or at least those who want a real keyboard), but I'm not quite sure of AT&T's logic here.
i think the storm is more of competitor for the iphone than the bold is. the bold is for biznass folk where as the iphone is not.
the only problem I forsee is with the economy taking it on the chin will businesses really see buying the bold as a advantage to the bb they currently have. I would wager no and thats why they weren't rolling this out in the summer. thats my theory
i got the bold one month ago in Mexico, $270 us dlls on TELCEL on a 1 year contract... how about that?????.. also.. would totally recommend
ya but you live in mexico....
What plan did you get? because I was told 400 dlls for a plan with 100 min and unlimited data
...and the sales of the Unlocked Nokia E71 goes through the roof.
Its to late for the bold , it might of sold months ago but it just doesn't offer enough features for the cost , add a 5 megapixel or better camera and maybe we have a deal