We've still got thousands of unanswered questions (well, maybe not thousands, but definitely dozens) about RIM's upcoming
BlackBerry 6 platform -- and it's starting to look like we might be answering those questions at retail by way of this
Bold 9800 slider that's been making the rounds lately.
BGR claims that the handset is lining up for a mid- to late-June release on AT&T, with the carrier having placed a substantial million-plus unit order to lock it up as an exclusive for some undetermined length of time (much as Verizon has managed to do both with the
Storm and the
Storm2). We hate to point out the obvious, but from a PR perspective, June's not the best month to be announcing and / or releasing anything that
isn't an iPhone -- and when you look at the 9800's form factor and the baby steps that BlackBerry 6 seems to make toward boosting consumer appeal, we don't think you can make an argument that this is a sufficiently different market segment the same way you could with, say, the
9700. In other words: we wouldn't be shocked to see this date slip a bit, assuming the rumor pans out.
posted May 14th 2010 1:37PM
This would totally make me jump ship to AT&T...
@Evan
Makes me want to sink said ship
@Evan
This would make me jump ship to Sprint and get the EVO 4G. I'm so sick of RIM outdated phones and the only thing that was keeping me with RIM was Blackberry Messenger...but I'm glad I sold my Tour last month.
@m3nphls
I miss my blackberry. I got a milestone and it was cool for like the first month but im sorry... I like using a phone for a phone. And as a phone user that includes email and msging.
But I will make due with my milestone before I go back to a blackberry just because there is an engadget app (as well as the aSpankBooty app which is hilarious)
what a FUGLY
I really hope this is a sign BB is dropping the TERRIBLE Storm 1/2 screen in the Storm 3. I can't even imagine the RMA #'s on those things.
They rip off the Palm Pre form factor and then stick it on the world's worst carrier. Way to go RIM!
@Evan
Id rather see the Storm2 on at&t and I hate the Storm series
@tmurph
Right, so phone = all forms of digital communication?
Last I checked all anything needs to be called a phone is the ability to place phone calls.
@Evan
Props to RIMM for trying to pee on Apple's June parade.
@Mister Warmth
Its not ripping off when you build it better....
@tmurph I love RIM, and this will surely sell like hotcakes especially in Asia. I just hope they do release the BB magnum though. http://bit.ly/bb-magnum-leaks-opinions
Guaranteed to come preloaded with all AT&T's crap!
Man, we get all the crappy phones!
@Luxury Guy
I have a feeling that AT&T's phone selection may be a strong contributor to the popularity of the iPhone.
I guess one of it's features are "Dropped Calls"?
Nothing says "Good Business Decision!" quite like "AT&T exclusive"!
@BlueSpud45 Worked for the iPhone and to a lesser extent the Bold :)
@Shimmyx20 -- "Worked for the iPhone and to a lesser extent the Bold :)"
It doesn't work out quite so well for the manufacturer... or the consumer.
Why limit where your product will be sold... or prevent certain customers from buying it? Not everyone wants to jump from carrier to carrier to chase the newest phone.
I'll admit... the iPhone is an anomaly... it's sold well one one carrier. But it would sell even more if it was on more carriers. The old RAZR was a Cingular exclusive... for 6 months. Then every carrier got it, and it became the best selling phone of its time.
Just look at the Curve 8300 series... it was on every carrier... and it's the best selling Blackberry.
I'm afraid this is going to be a pretty big flop...I don't want it to be...but I think it'll still happen. I feel like BB devices are starting to get a little stale - and I don't think adding a slider to the mix is the answer. The release date also won't help things either. I want them to succeed, and they obviously aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but I really think they need to refresh their industrial design a bit...and keep the dev going on the software at a rapid clip. We'll see what happens!
I will say I am excited to see it in person and get a feel for this device though.
Bold 9800 slider or iPhone on the same network?
having the chance to use the keypad would be nice.....
Which is cheaper month-by-month?
@Bruce Banner
same price for monthly bill on each. penny for penny.
Palm Pre ripoff on shitty ass cell network = fail.
@DoctarPeppar 6.0 with a new form factor (for RIM) on the carrier that had the most net adds and lowest churn = win
So what's the point of the 9800? I've heard the bigger screen is the same resolution as the 9700 (just rotated 90 degrees), and the chip/memory will probably be the same. Is that even a touchscreen? If not, all the 9800 will be is a 9700 for people who forgot their reading glasses.
@RDaneel Oh - and I am a happy 9700 user, not a BB hater, which is why I'm so confused about this product's reason for existence.
@RDaneel
That's RIM's M.O.
Meanwhile HTC and others are innovating with upgraded components faster stuff etc...
Got an AT&T Bold 9000 operating 5.0.0.610. But I cant wait to give that up for the iPhone 4G. I owned the iPhone 3G before the Bold. So I cant wait to go back home to Apple. BB's are lame.
No slider for me. Had enough of that when I tried the Pre for a few days. I think I'll stick with the 9700.
Really? A portrait slider RIM? A landscape slider with an excellent keyboard would have been much better..
@deepdigits
I llike the portrait slider. Having had a Touch Pro 2, the idea of a portrait slider intrigues me.
me want bold!
My ATT 9000 with its 128MB of RAM and 4.6 OS is getting very long in the tooth. I am ready for an upgrade, and the 9700 is just a bit too dainty. A slider with a touchscreen, keyboard and 6.0 is exactly what I want. Serve it up.
BB/RIM will lose market share faster than any other company in history over the course of the next year.
@tengobotas
As much as many people would like to see that, don't count on it, they are way too entrenched into corporate America to lose such a grasp in just a year. It will take a couple of years, people just need to speak with their wallets.
It's hard though because so many people just love a physical keyboard and BBs got the best ones out there. Until someone else can step out to the plate and go above and beyond what RIM offers, it ain't going no where.
verizon is getting the Blackberry 9650 (tour2 which has been renamed the bold) this month, I will stick with it, it has gps, wifi, 512mb ram , and optical track pad,
This is the definition of ugly!
I don't care how ugly you think it is. That thing is damn functional. It's really all I've ever wanted.
@Alex
That reason is exactly why this phone can succeed - BB is playing to their base and adding enough other features to bring in some new customers, or perhaps keep others from jumping ship.
I have a Palm Pre, and I've never owned a Palm product before. But I can tell it was different enough - and incompatible enough with the old Palm OS - that it alienated much of the base. That base was slowly going away and probably pretty small, so it was a decent decision. BB has what, 30% of the US market? Alienating their base wouldn't be smart. So they play well to it.
think this can be unlocked and used on tmobile?
I still find it to be ugly. But anyways, the important is hardware-software, any word on hardware?
AT&T & ugly crapberry........I think I'll pass that one!
Is it possible the AT&T ordered a million of these sliders and (if the story is true) chose to release them in the same month as the iPhone because they know they are losing exclusivity to Verizon?
EPIC FAIL...
Why is AT&T getting this and when they can't even get the Desire or Legend? I'm still waiting for those two phones to come to AT&T. If AT&T don't get it by end of July I'm leaving and moving to SPRINT for their EVO. Cause AT&T can't do shit for their marketing, they really suck. But it's nice for once they get a good ass phone for us AT&T users. I'm just still mad they can't get any good POWERFUL DECENT ANDROID PHONES.
I wish Sprint was getting this phone. The Blackberries are just far better devices when it comes to some important factors such as:
1. Making calls, call quality, speakerphone.
2. Contacts/Calendar
3. Email (iPhone isn't even close), messaging, sms.
4. One-handed operation and keyboard.
5. BB Messenger
6. Security
7. App, document organization
Granted the iPhone has a better screen for games and video and a far better web browser...but those aren't important to many people.
If your still sliding your phone to get to an ancient keyboard and a stale archaic OS.
Ya Blew it!
Yet another BB I can't sell in my store. Yay?
God help me I think I like this-lol.
I think this would be awesome if it were the next Palm Pre. WebOS the best operating system with Blackberry who make some of the best hardware! would be godlike..!