It's official: BlackBerry Bold hits AT&T on November 4 for $299.99

The hopes and dreams for a "summer release" have long since faded, but at least AT&T's finally agreed to a hard date for the hotly-anticipated Bold: November 4. The news comes courtesy of the company's earnings call -- not the most obvious place to slip in news this big -- but at least it's coming straight from the horse's mouth.

[Thanks, Joe]

Update: And the press release just slipped out, too -- $299.99 on a two-year contract. Yikes!

[zingo75 @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:06AM]

Price is 299 per marketwatch website news

[tom @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:15AM]

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

[Saad Rabia @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:02PM]

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!

[Valicore @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:12AM]

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

[Kris @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:52AM]

How much does a plane ticket cost from USA to Chile? Over $299? Ever hear of math?

[Low Impact Development @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:16PM]

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.

[Jon Nelson @ Oct 22nd 2008 2:11PM]

@ 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.

[Rollins @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:13AM]

So will Verizon follow suit with a Storm release date?

[Stormy @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:24PM]

I hear November 9th for the storm: www.stormrundown.com

[Tyson @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:22PM]

The guy Verizon at best buy said the 16th last night. I'm not sure how much weight that holds though

[egloskerry @ Oct 24th 2008 2:37PM]

We at BB haven't heard anything about the storm yet, much less BB's date for getting it.

[initialxy @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:17AM]

$299 with 2 years contact eh?
sounds like a much better deal than Rogers here.

[Brian @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:17AM]

ugh.
the fuze is supposed to come out on the 4th it better still happen and not be pushed back

[pekosROB @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:41AM]

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!

[theefman @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:19AM]

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.

[timbemo @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:23AM]

Seems to me that Apple sold quite a few iPhones @ $500/$600.

[Valicore @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:41AM]

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.

[Saad Rabia @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:04PM]

timbemo, theefman said "best phones" and not the iPhone.

[sr @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:35PM]

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.

[Wii @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:21AM]

$299? WTF what are they smoking.

[Baron @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:22AM]

Crackberry of course.

[narmak5000 @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:22AM]

Everybody dance now!!!

[Brian @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:44AM]

Everybody. Dance. Now!!!!! - Gob Bluth

[gad get @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:15AM]

Classic episode! Especially when Lucille went driving while high on marijuana!

[Abhishek @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:24AM]

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.

[Shawn Pauley @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:27AM]

What activation issues? BlackBerrys do not have a proprietary activation process.

[Kevin @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:34AM]

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.

[core @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:39AM]

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

[Colin @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:25AM]

$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.

[Slliim @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:24PM]

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 ~

[Ysleiro @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:40PM]

Shhhhhhhhhhh....

[Whisper/sings] just wait till you see my storm, wait till you see my storm [/Whisper/Sings]

[Arke @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:41PM]

@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.

[Sofunnytom @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:29PM]

@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

[Canoo @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:31AM]

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.

[Canoo @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:35AM]

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.

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:38AM]

I dont like the "2 year contract" part... How much would it cost contract-free..?

[Brian @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:45AM]

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

[Canoo @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:49AM]

@ Brian

That is $600 here in Canada. I'd be expecting something similar in the states though.

[John @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:57AM]

keep in mind that CAD 600 is closer to USD 500 thanks to the recent economic downturn.

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:58AM]

@ Brian

The above comment is the Canadian price with Rogers. I am interested in the price in States.

[Canoo @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:09PM]

@ John

You are right. xe.com says:

600.00 CAD = 479.978 USD

[Yusuke @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:06PM]

Around $500? I'm starting to like the Bold! It's got real button too.

[DeaconGTG @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:52AM]

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.

[narmak5000 @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:03PM]

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

[mxberry @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:57AM]

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

[narmak5000 @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:04PM]

ya but you live in mexico....

[cgnvl @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:03PM]

What plan did you get? because I was told 400 dlls for a plan with 100 min and unlimited data

[Ryan @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:58AM]

...and the sales of the Unlocked Nokia E71 goes through the roof.

[digitallysick @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:58AM]

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

[joseph @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:18PM]

too bad my iphone 3G could never last half a days use. my bold goes strong for atleast two days with heavy usage for me with my wifi turned on and over 2 MB connection all the time. I had to be careful to use my iphone because around 12 it would be half way dead, i would take the Bold over it anyday. Top notch phone that has one of the best keyboards out there and one helluva screen