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BlackBerry Bold 9700 official on T-Mobile Germany, November launch confirmed
Perhaps the worst kept secret till now -- outside of Walt Mossberg's embargo slipups -- was that T-Mobile and the latest BlackBerry flagship device were set for a November marriage. Hell, there were even invitations to the party. So, whether you call it the Bold 2, the 9700, or the Onyx, come next month you'll be able to lovingly place its 480 x 360 display, WiFi antennae and all that other hotness in a Curve-sized space inside your pocket. We can expect this first official confirmation to be followed by similar appearances in the US and across Europe as the 9700 begins its ascension to the throne of the BlackBerry kingdom. [Thanks, Richy]
AT&T makes white Bold official: October 18 for $199.99
RIM kinda already spilled these beans last week at CTIA, but just for good measure, AT&T went ahead and officially announced the white version of the BlackBerry Bold today, and it's exactly as we expected: the launch will come on October 18 for the same price as the black version -- so unless they cut the black's price between now and next week, we're looking at $199.99 on contract after rebate. That's a lot to pay for a year-old phone when the successor is seeming weeks away (at most), but then again, we'll admit it, the white accents suit this phone insanely well -- so well, in fact, that it almost qualifies as a new model as far as we're concerned. Are we crazy?
RIM goes pale, shows white Curve 8520 for T-Mobile and Bold for AT&T
We know it's after Labor Day, but that doesn't seem to be stopping RIM from rolling out a couple BlackBerrys in bright white this season -- and who are we to accuse Waterloo of a fashion faux-pas? First up, the Curve 8520 on T-Mobile is now available, complementing the black and "frost" versions that have already landed; perhaps more interesting, though, is direct confirmation from RIM that there'll be a white version Bold hitting AT&T in mid-October. With the Bold 2 seemingly around the corner, recoloring the current model seems like an odd move -- but if they can continue to sell the Bold at a moderate discount a la iPhone 3G / 3GS, there might yet be a strategy there. The version RIM had on hand wasn't AT&T-branded, but... you know, just imagine the silkscreened logo and customized wallpaper, and you'll get the idea. %Gallery-75098%
Video: BlackBerry Bold 9700 on Vietnam holiday from AT&T
Surely you're not tired of seeing the BlackBerry Bold 9700 yet are you. A handset described as "the most gorgeous BlackBerry on the planet" in early previews deserves a few more minutes in the spotlight, be it official or not. Vietnamese site tinh te returns with some of the best leaked shots and video we've seen to date giving us a crystal clear look at the 9700's orange AT&T splash-screen, real pleather battery cover, and squircle trackpad. They've also taken the time to size it up appropriately with previous gen BlackBerries for your comparison kicks. Video after the break, more images just beyond the read link.[Thanks, Nam N]
BlackBerry Onyx poses for the camera
We're not expecting the BlackBerry Onyx to hit before November, but at least a few units have hit the wild, and these are the first in-depth photos we've seen. These shots don't reveal much about the new-look Bold with the optical trackball, but it sure is pretty, ain't it? Now if it only had a useful browser and IMAP support, we'd actually care.[Thanks, Zero]
Video: BlackBerry support coming to REDFLY Mobile Companion, adds only marginal appeal
Listen, we feel your pain, we know you've been dying to find another use for your REDFLY Mobile Companion, and while we're not sure this is it, at least you've got another thing you can tell your friends when justifying the purchase. Celio Corp's announced it'll be bringing BlackBerry support to the Companion C8N and C7 as a free update in mid-Q4 of this year. It works via either physical cable or Bluetooth, and at this point supports Bold 9000, Curve 8900, and Tour 9630, with more phones promised as they're released. Crackberry's managed to obtain a video demonstration, which is after the break if you're interested. It's okay if you're not, we understand. Read - Press release Read - First look
T-Mobile BlackBerry Onyx press image leaks out
The BlackBerry Onyx hasn't exactly kept itself a secret in the past few months, so it's no surprise that we're seeing what looks to be the official press image and release from T-Mobile well before the handset's launch. No big surprises here, really -- it's still a 3G mashup of the Bold and the Curve 8900 with that new optical trackball -- but apparently RIM's preloading it with the Amazon MP3 store, so that's slightly interesting. From what we can tell, it's due in early November, but pricing is still a mystery -- hopefully RIM and T-Mobile have saved the best surprise for last.
AT&T yanks BlackBerry Bold visual voicemail software update
Hope you Bold owners out there managed to snag AT&T's BlackBerry Bold visual voicemail software update while it lasted, because an internal memo leaked to BGR says it's been pulled due to compatibility problems with "network enhancements being deployed." That sounds to us like there's an issue with either those 850MHz 3G rollouts or whatever black magic Ma Bell's doing to get iPhone MMS up and running, but either way, it's one more fire for AT&T's engineers to put out while its customers sit around waiting.Update: AT&T just sent us their official word on the matter -- and they also told us it has nothing to do with MMS or 850. Check it out after the break.
AT&T hits BlackBerry Bold users with visual voicemail
Hey, we knew this was coming -- but we're hearing murmurs that actual AT&T BlackBerry Bold owners are starting to get their visual voicemail updates rolling out to them. The voicemail features allow you to store up to 40 messages at a time, and add numbers to contacts from voicemail. We'll let you know all of the perks of software update v4.6.0.508 when we get it up and running on our own Bold, but hit the read link for AT&T's rundown (warning: it's a PDF).[Via Boy Genius Report]
AT&T's visual voicemail for BlackBerry Bold official this week?
Hey, Bold users: you know how your friends with iPhones keep taunting with you with their world-class cornucopia of fart apps and built-in visual voicemail until you're about two seconds away from slapping the smile right off their faces? Of course, there's nothing that's been stopping you from using Google Voice or some other third-party service to accomplish the same thing, but for the sake of argument, let's just say you'd rather have something more integrated with a first-party feel. Well, you might just be in luck -- word on the street is that AT&T's visual voicemail service for the Bold should finally hit this Tuesday. Why wait, though? Boy Genius Report is saying that folks are having luck activating it right now by calling into customer service, so if you're dying to get this ball rolling, it might just be worth a shot. This particular service has been in the pressure cooker for a good, long while now -- and now that the Bold's getting up around middle age, we certainly hope that AT&T's efforts here are going to spread to other models, present and future.
BlackBerry Bold gets Telstra's Blue Tick for having the signal strength of a champion
Say you're in the middle of nowhere -- in Australia, by the way -- and you have an urgent need to, say, download and view an Excel spreadsheet in your inbox. What's a fellow to do? Well, one option would be to take a gander at that Palm Treo Pro that has received Telstra's coveted Blue Tick certification for awesome reception in the boondocks, but the problem is that it's so hard to look at the Treo Pro with a straight face these days in light of the fact that the Pre's now an ever-constant presence in our psyche. No worries, though, there's another solid option: Telstra has now awarded the Blue Tick to the BlackBerry Bold, which means even the hardest-core road warriors should have no issue handling email from some of the harshest environs Australia's cell tower-equipped landscape has to offer.
Engadget's recession antidote: win an iSkin Vibes BlackBerry case!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got an array of iSkin Vibes BlackBerry cases on offer, perfect for keeping your Curve, Bold or Storm safe from the elements. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!Big thanks to iSkin for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. Twelve (12) winners will receive one (1) iSkin Vibes BlackBerry case -- 4 for Curve; 4 for Bold; 4 for Storm. Approximate retail value is $32.99 each. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Sunday, July 26th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
BlackBerry Bold comes to South Korea at long last
It's taken a little longer than they'd hoped, but RIM and SK Telecom will finally begin offering a localized version of the venerable BlackBerry Bold to South Korean customers this week. The move follows last year's scrapping of policies that all but banned foreign handsets from being offered by local carriers, which could theoretically be a boon to manufacturers in one of the world's most advanced mobile markets -- assuming anyone's able to crash through the stranglehold that local favorites Samsung, LG, and Pantech have. It's unclear how big of a deal a device with an English QWERTY keyboard could really be in Seoul, but hey, options are always a good thing, right?
BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold
While some interesting things may or may not be happening under the hood, the freshly announced BlackBerry Tour for Verizon and Sprint (pictured in Verizon garb on the left) is hardly a departure on the surface. It mostly appears to be a minor modification to the Curve (right), though it does seem inexplicably thicker. The Bold seems positively overwrought in comparison. We didn't get much time to play with the OS, but the screen and the keyboard are pure new-generation BlackBerry charm.
BlackBerry Curve and Bold getting price cuts on AT&T tomorrow
We've gotten word from a solid source that AT&T will be lowering prices on its two hottest BlackBerry models tomorrow, the recently-launched Curve 8900 and the Bold. Presently, the devices run $199.99 and $299.99 on contract after rebate, respectively -- but tomorrow you'll be looking at $149.99 and $199.99. Our understanding is that the pricing is only for a limited time, but with an unprecedented onslaught of high-end smartphones dropping both on AT&T and its competitors this summer, we wouldn't be surprised to see these new prices become semi-permanent.
BlackBerry Bold graced with a leaked build of 5.0
It's one thing to see it on video, but it's quite another to try it for yourself, isn't it? Intrepid Bold users are now invited to take BlackBerry OS 5.0 for a spin courtesy of a freshly-leaked build (5.0.90, if you're curious). Of course, a good majority of the world's Bolds are used in somewhat mission-critical environments -- so if you use your trusty sidearm for corporate email or anything else where bricking the phone might cause some drama at the workplace, you may want to hold off. Just sayin'.[Via BlackBerryNews]
Caption contest: creepy clown as excited about Renee Zellweger's Bold as she is
Nothing irks us more than big dudes in blush standing well within our personal space while we're trying to show off our Bold to a small army of paparazzi.Chris: "It's a Taser, too! Watch!"Darren: "IT'S MURDERED OUT!"Ross: "To be honest, I don't think Verizon's 'My Network' should ever have a casual dress day."Don: "It does everything except erase this image from your memory!"Paul: "This is so exciting, I'm going to write about it... in my diary!"Josh: "Welcome to Hell."Joe: "After Jack White, being seen in public with a clown was really no big deal."Thomas: "We're just two happy party clowns, sitting down to a plate of beef. White- powdery- beef."Jacob: "I got it FREE on contract!!!"Nilay: "You complete me."
Refurbished BlackBerry Bold free-on-contract at AT&T (today, anyway)
Not digging that $299.99 on contract pricing for RIM's BlackBerry Bold? If you're kosher with placing previously loved gadgets in your presence, you can score one today for the low, low price of absolutely free. Apparently the deal is only valid on AT&T's website and only for today, so you might want to pull the trigger now and think about it later.[Via Boy Genius Report]
NTT DoCoMo's overheating BlackBerry Bold not caused by battery, says RIM
While RIM and Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo still don't know why their BlackBerry Bold is feeling a little toasty around the keyboard, the duo has ruled out a likely culprit, the battery, as its unwelcome heat source. Word on the street is an estimated 30 people have issued complaints about the mobile device heating up while recharging, with around 4,000 units being sold before DoCoMo halted sales. One analyst speculates the issue -- which so far has affected only Japan -- may be based on region-specific software of other customizations. We're sure the pair are working around the clock to get to the bottom of this malfunction, but in the meantime, we recommend dusting off the ol' 8707h to get that retro BlackBerry feel -- y'know, just for kicks.
NTT DoCoMo halts BlackBerry Bold sales after reports of overheating
It's apparently not quite the same fire hazard that the truth in advertising standard-bearer Quickfire is, but NTT DoCoMo doesn't seem to be taking any chances with its newly-launched BlackBerry Bold, with the Japanese carrier now suspending sales of the smartphone after some reports of it getting a bit too toasty for comfort. Apparently, some 30 users reported that the keyboard "heated up" while the phone was recharging, although it's not clear if that's due to the charger or the handset itself. For its part, RIM says that the issue "appears to be specifically limited to the BlackBerry Bold devices sold in Japan," and that expects to be able to fix the problem and resume sales of the Bold "shortly." In the meantime, stay frosty, Japan.[Via Yahoo! News / AFP]
