BlackBerry Bold 9650 announced, targets Tour owners' big complaints

RIM has a longstanding track record of refining its hardware with near-surgical precision -- from one generation of BlackBerry to the next, you almost always see a very careful, deliberate evolution, from the Storm2's revamped SurePress tech to the Bold 9700's optical pad and countless examples in between. "Evolution" is exactly how we'd describe the CDMA- and GSM-equipped Bold 9650, the Tour's spiritual successor that ditches the old name to join forces with the remainder of the Bold line. Dimensionally, the Bold 9650 is a dead ringer for the Tour -- it's still 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.56 inches -- but it packs on two-tenths of an ounce worth of weight in exchange for oft-requested WiFi support and an extra 256MB of internal storage (it's now up to 512MB total). The other big difference, of course, is the replacement of the dodgy trackball with an optical pad, continuing a trend that has now permeated throughout virtually all of RIM's lineup. Look for the Bold 9650 to hit American carriers -- presumably both Verizon and Sprint -- in May. Follow the break for a second shot and RIM's full press release!

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RIM Introduces the New BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone

CDMA customers get a bold new choice with powerhouse 3G smartphone that offers premium features and performance together with popular keyboard and trackpad, as well as support for Wi-Fi and high-speed 3G networks around the world

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today introduced the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650 smartphone – the latest addition to the BlackBerry Bold portfolio of premium smartphones. Sophisticated, powerful and feature-rich, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 is a global smartphone for CDMA customers who want to stay connected, productive and entertained.

"The new BlackBerry Bold 9650 is an extraordinary smartphone that we think customers will love," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "Whether at work or at play, the new BlackBerry Bold 9650 offers a truly impressive communications, multimedia and connectivity experience."

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone supports 3G (EVDO) networks in North America and (HSPA/UMTS) abroad and has a full-QWERTY keyboard, optical trackpad and built-in Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g), which makes it possible to talk on the phone while browsing the web or sending and receiving email. The BlackBerry Bold 9650 also includes 512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB microSDHC cards, with a 2 GB card included.

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 fuses form and function in a striking design and, in addition to providing premium phone and multimedia features, it of course delivers the industry's leading mobile solution for email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and social networking.

Other key features of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone include:

• Stylish design (4.4" x 2.4" x .56" and 4.8 oz.) with glossy black finish and chrome highlights
• Large (2.44") high-resolution display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi), able to display pictures, videos and web pages with impressive contrast and detail
• 3.2 MP camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization, autofocus and video recording
• Advanced media player for videos, pictures and music, a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and support for the Bluetooth® Stereo Audio Profile (A2DP/AVCRP)
• BlackBerry® Media Sync for easily syncing photos as well as iTunes® and Windows Media® Player music with the smartphone*
• Easy mobile access to Facebook®, MySpace and Flickr®, as well as popular instant messaging services including BlackBerry® Messenger
• Support for BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones
• Full HTML web browser, streaming audio and video via RTSP
• Built-in GPS with support for geotagging, BlackBerry® Maps and other mapping applications
• Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, speakerphone, and Bluetooth (2.1).
• Support for high-speed EV-DO Rev. A networks in North America, as well as UMTS/HSPA (2100Mhz) and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks abroad
• Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery for 5 hours of CDMA talk time

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone is expected to be available from carriers in the United States beginning in May. For more information visit www.blackberry.com/bold.

[Mike Vick Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:35AM]

This is awesome! Go RIM

[katatonic Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:01PM]

@Mike Vick

Eww..This fat boy is U.G.L.Y.

E71 still rocks!

[morkkerd Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:08PM]

@Mike Vick Been waiting for this, as well the 9650 essex preview. I'm sure BB fans will get this. 1st concept. http://j.mp/blackberry-9650-viewed

[albsure Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:37AM]

deja vu...

[Fornication Under Concent of the Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:38AM]

This, or the Incredible? Hmmm...

[Alexster404 Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:40AM]

@Fornication Under Concent of the
Who would win in a fight?, the thing or the incredible hulk hmmm...

[artshark Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:38AM]

large 2.44 inch screen
lol.

[trainwrecka Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:48AM]

@artshark You'll need to hold it away from yourself to really take it all in.

[StewieGriffin Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:50AM]

@artshark I cracked up when I read that in the press release. Clearly their definition of "large" doesnt take into account other market offerings.

[Alex Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:14AM]

@artshark
To be fair, it is pretty large for a candybar qwerty.

[zephxiii Posted Apr 26th 2010 3:22PM]

@Alex lol really? I would consider the Nokia e61i's 2.8" screen large for a QWERTY candybar than a 2.44" screen.

[anonymousx Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:40AM]

Sweet!

[Luke Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:43AM]

For what BB is intended to be, that's a great phone.

[trainwrecka Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:47AM]

Love the precision of the optical pad, but enjoy the tactile response of the ball... oh well, can't have it all.

[Astaroth Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:50AM]

So, do Tour owners get a free replacement? I really don't see how we don't, considering my goddamn trackball actually goes left when you move it right. Get on it, Verizon.

[cactusblossom Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:51AM]

So tempting. Had the 8700 for years before getting a Droid, but I definitely maiss having a Blackberry.

[KM Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:51AM]

where's the portrait slider?

or a landscape clamshell? :(

[machikakara Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:52AM]

blackberrys still feel outdated i think they need to at least have there phones like the samsung intrepid so the small screen is also a touch screen. it would really help them out on getting more users they are not cool or fun just great email phones.

[awperk Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:16AM]

@machikakara i understand people want to have things that others consider 'fun' and 'cool' so they will feel popular but when it comes down to it, the smartphone is a communication device and nothing does broad communication like the blackberry. I personally use my phone for sms, email, and calling about 90% of the time and that other 10% is twitter or other random apps that are all about the same on any smartphone out there.

[Shenzhov Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:43AM]

@awperk I have to agree with you. After 2 years of having a "purdy" phone and being sick of not making it through half the day with my iPhone, I went back to my old Razor several weeks ago until I can decide on a replacement phone. I found out that there is nothing wrong with AT&T's network, it's the iPhone that drops the calls and has crappy quality.
BlackBerry caters to people who need to get work done in the real world and that's why it will most likely be my next phone. Nothing wrong with selling phones to people who have to have the latest "fashion statement".

[slinky317 Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:52AM]

Sorry RIM, but you lost my business with the horrible 9630. After four Tours, I still don't have a working trackball and now you release a "successor" phone with nothing more than stuff that should have been in the Tour in the first place. Droid in July, here I come.

[alkaline Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:15AM]

@slinky317 i started getting them when they first hit the market. every single phone i got in that first month or two had the trackball issue and had to be replaced. they've been running strong since then though. well as strong as a trackball can anyway.

[albsure Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:53AM]

RIM release the same phone every few months with little bits hacked off or put on them. They all work the same way, all have the same features etc.. It's a beautiful business model really.. marginal cost of production must be near zero since your always making the same shit. Every successive model becomes almost pure profit because you dont have to do any R&D.. the downside is that they are as boring as f*ck... oh well..

[XChrisX Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:57AM]

@albsure Agreed 100%, all of these blackberries look the same. Outside of business these phones are worthless.

[sethmo Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:03AM]

So it is basically a Tour with a trackpad? O/S looks the same. Hey RIMM ... lets start focusing on rolling out that long overdue O/S 6.0. We all know the current 5.1.x O/S version is just a skinned version of 4.x.x.

If work did not force me to carry a separate work phone, there is no way I would own a Blackberry over my Droid(or any other Android device).

[Failbait Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:11AM]

I'm sorry, but not only are thee constant repetitions of the same phones extremely boring, but their usefulness in business applications is far overrated.

[alkaline Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:12AM]

as a Tour owner, these phones are great for business users only. i've been lusting over Android phones for a while and finally caved in - preordered the Incredible. i will keep my Tour for business use, but as a general consumer, it would be the last phone i would consider given the options on the market today. it blows my mind that a general consumer would ever pick a boring BB.

[AndrewT Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:39AM]

@alkaline

Consumers tastes are different? Not all consumers are app-loving people. Of course if you're into apps, you're not going to pick up a BlackBerry but if you're into messaging, Facebook, Twitter, I don't see how you can go wrong with a BlackBerry. It's been 3 years and I'm still on my 8830 with no problems and haven't felt the need to upgrade to a newer BlackBerry because the 8830 does everything I need it to do.

[alkaline Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:10AM]

@AndrewT definitely different tastes and to each his own. personally, i've had BBs for years and never understood why someone would want one or why they caught on with all the kiddies. even the use of simple apps like facebook and twitter are more enjoyable on larger screens. if someone were going out today and purchasing a new phone, i don't see how they would select any BB model over the other similarly priced options. you've had your 8830 for a few years and back then the choices weren't quite the same. i paid $200 for my tour when i got it, the new Incredible (for example) is also $200. if i were a general consumer looking at those options, the choice would be a no brainer.

[captainhorseboy Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:32AM]

@AndrewT lol the facebook app on BBs is atrocious

[Sean76 Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:20AM]

What a great big efffffffffffffin Yawn!!!

[DanKennedy Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:59AM]

Interesting, the photo on the wallpaper is by Marc Adamus, nice to see Marc's work out and about.

[albsure Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:01AM]

This summer is make of break for RIM regarding their pursuit of the consumer market. Iphone HD/4G , Dells Windows Phone 7, Android etc.. all blow the pants of any RIM offering as a consumer phone. I love my Bold for BBM but thats about it. If any one of these companies come out with a fast communicating device I'm gone.

RIM's business trump card is their consumer Achilles heel.. JAVA! Or rather JAVA without a speedy well thought API (i.e Android) means that all their apps will look worse than their equilvalent Iphone/Android/WinPhone 7 app. If OS 6 doesnt change this (cant see it myself, but we have hope..) then maybe RIM can win.

I doubt it will happen because upgrading their app API will mean destroying compatibility with previous models, and that just isnt RIM' style. However, they could end up like Nokia, struggling to tart up an old OS whilst trying to introduce a radical new one. That doesn't really work, that's why MS have gone for broke with WinPhone 7. Sometimes you just have to let go dudes...

[Element0f0ne Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:24AM]

@albsure

++

I own a Tour, and after putting some real time into an iPod Touch and HTC HD2, I've gotten rid of the physical keyboard stigma. I can be just as efficient on a virtual keyboard.

You know what that means? I have no reason to keep my Blackberry. Crappy OS, boring/expensive apps, HORRIBLE web browser, lackluster multi-media capabilities.

Sorry RIM, but "push e-mail" as the touting feature just doesn't do it in today's smartphone arena.

Android, WinMo 7, and iPhone is too far ahead... even if you include existing features, guess what, you're still playing catch-up.

[I Fling Poo Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:14AM]

Sorry RIM, i still want the incredible.

[stp Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:55AM]

Boring. I expected something that would beat Nokia E72 hands down.

[tophere Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:02AM]

That's funny. My biggest complaint about the Tour is that the red numbers are invisible to those of us who are red-green colorblind. That's 10% of the male population. WTF?

[anonymousx Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:20AM]

Remember only the Blackberry & Iphone are the only two that can make wi/fi calls & data. I need no other reason.

[RIMming Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:39AM]

"The BlackBerry smartphone can receive a maximum of 32 KB of compressed data in the message body. This is by design."

Oh good, yet another evolution. Perhaps someone should tell RIM that it's not 2003 anymore and they need to catch up. Having used E63/E71/E72 and BBs I have to say NOKIA is waay ahead of the game.

[bonedog73 Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:33PM]

Can't wait to get rid of my Storm and go back to a real keyboard!

[filzaniazi Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:50PM]

which on is better 9700 or this i want to buy one will it come in unlocked too???

[filzaniazi Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:52PM]

RIMS emailing service is better then nokia, and blackberry is for people who want to email and stay connected 24/7 or chat cuz of its keyboard its not a multimedia phone sheesh if u want one go for a iphone or droid stop even looking at blackberries if you want multimedia phones and anyways no one makes keyboards like RIM its heaven when i type on it!

[jocantonio Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:22PM]

the bad... EVDO...

[ozbot87 Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:32PM]

Very nice, RIM. Bring on the Storm3!

[Stone13 Posted Apr 26th 2010 2:32PM]

Call me when I can sync my ENTIRE inbox without paying for BES or at least when RIM stops truncating my email messages. Hell, call me when they remove their arcane file download size limits. I am a long time BB user for business but after owning a Storm 1 & Tour for personal use, I will not be going back to RIM for a looong time. I'll kee p my jailbroken 3GS FTW........

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 26th 2010 2:51PM]

Haha. Good luck with this.

Android, iPhone, WebOS, no room for this aging dinosaur.

[kjsin1994 Posted Apr 26th 2010 3:37PM]

rim should give me a discount. i have a tour.

[captaind172 Posted Apr 26th 2010 4:39PM]

OS looks dated.

[sonicwind Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:56PM]

does anybody even care about these ugly useless (relatively) phones?

[gadgets Posted May 19th 2010 7:42AM]

BlackBerry Bold 9650 seams to be a quality smartphone and I think it will deserve 400$. We made a preview here, http://www.itsagadget.com/2010/05/blackberry-will-release-soon-the-new-bold-9650.html