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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]
Specification sheet reveals quad-band 3G BlackBerry Bold for Japan
Here's one that's guaranteed to rub loyal T-Mobile subscribers the wrong way. Based on a specifications sheet on the Japanese BlackBerry site, the forthcoming Bold -- which is destined for NTT DoCoMo -- has a fourth 3G band in addition to the 850/1900/2100MHz bands found on the US model. The addition of 800MHz 3G covers the operator's FOMA Plus Area network, which is used in less populated areas throughout Japan. Needless to say, T-Mob users are probably wondering why they can't get a version with AWS 3G baked in, but we get the feeling they'll be wondering for eons.[Via Boy Genius Report]
BlackBerry Curve 8900 coming to AT&T this month, Pearl Flip in March?
We've had sightings of BlackBerry's Curve 8900 running on AT&T before, and now comes word from a Boy Genius Report tipster that the pairing will be made official this month and the handset's SKU is already popping up in the carrier's systems. Additionally, the Pearl Flip 8210 is rumored to be making its debut on the network sometime in March. BGR expects the prices to be somewhere around $200 and $100, respectively. We can't say we'll be surprised if the Curve finds its way to AT&T, but we're excited at the thought of finally having a carrier-independent matchup between it and the Bold.
Visual Voicemail for BlackBerry appears in AT&T management system
Seriously folks, if Visual Voicemail for BlackBerry doesn't show up for real on AT&T within the next, say, three to six months, we're marching straight to AT&T Mobility in Atlanta and demanding an explanation. According to a screen grab snagged by a Boy Genius Report reader, the option to add BlackBerry Visual Voicemail has appeared (presumably by accident) in his account management system, though trying to enable it caused an unrecoverable error and an instant computer meltdown. On the real, we're glad to see the price tag at $0.00, but frankly, we'd expect no different.
BlackBerry Blowout: Storm vs. Bold vs. Curve 8900
We decided to take the most recent 'Berrys -- the Curve 8900, Bold, and Storm -- and toss them into a big pile. What would happen? Do they get along? What kind of bruised egos would we see? Read on for our innermost thoughts.%Gallery-43955%
Visual Voicemail for BlackBerry Bold gets realer
So, those curious Visual Voicemail shots we saw last week? Evidently they weren't just some random effort in Photoshop. According to the Boy Genius Report, the new feature is indeed coming to AT&T's BlackBerry Bold, though an exact release date isn't disclosed. We're told it could be sooner rather than later for "at least some customers," so yeah, you're now free to get your hopes up just a wee bit.
DroidBerry theme turns your Bold into a G1, still won't replace the Gmail app
Seriously, what's with the fascination of getting a brand new device and trying to make it look like something completely different? First the 8900 theme for Curves and 88xx's, and then Vista for the iPhone -- will it ever stop? No longer will you have to be envious of your Sidekick brethren, Bold users, as the Android-style interface has finally made the jump to the BlackBerry in the form of DroidBerry, the newest theme from those classifiable techies over at CrackBerry. Only $7 and you could have all that cartoony icon and analog clock-related bliss you could ever wish for -- a small price to pay for a whole lot of beauty.
Ask Engadget: Best BlackBerry handset right now?
Make no mistake, the hottest thing going in the mobile realm just now is the Palm Pre, but that's not to say RIM hasn't gained a lot of attention with its most recent outpouring of smartphones. Max has chimed in with this week's Ask Engadget question (which was sent in via ask at engadget dawt com), and it's all about the latest and greatest BlackBerrys. "I'm considering purchasing the BlackBerry Bold, but the news about the Storm and even the Curve has me intrigued. Which would your readers recommend for a new BlackBerry owner, and why? Pros and cons for each would be excellent." We don't need to reiterate just how high the pedestal is on which the Curve 8900 sits (yes, even today) in the minds of the BB faithful, so we've no doubt that it should be included in this conversation. Go on fanboys, defend your dialer below.
Orange could be dropping the BlackBerry Bold... forever
The first time an unruly kid acts up in school, you just throw him in detention. The second time, you tell him to find another institution to be educated at. The same theory apparently holds true in the mobile realm, as Orange has had just about enough of the BlackBerry Bold's inexplicable hang-ups. A recent writeup over at the Telegraph has it that the carrier could be mulling the outright removal of the RIM handset from its lineup entirely. Why? Because of "ongoing technical issues" even after the phone was pulled once and re-released with an updated firmware. It's also noted that return rates for the Bold were well above the average, which is a surefire way to get yourself yanked from the lineup. We'd say that Orange loyalists better get their Bolds while they still can, but then again, maybe that's not the best idea after all.[Via Boy Genius Report]
RIM's Blackberry Bold makes South Korean debut
It's a good day to be in South Korea. While your evil neighbor to the north has likely been importing BlackBerrys of all flavors for years now, it has remained essentially impossible to own anything other than an LG or Samsung handset in your own nation. Today, that changes. RIM and SK Telecom have finally come together to launch the BlackBerry Bold, with sales expected to begin before the end of the year. There is a catch, however: as of now, "only corporate customers will be allowed to sign up for service." Thankfully, the rule requiring cellular devices to "carry special software adapted to South Korea's wireless internet platform" will be axed on April 1st of next year (no joke!), which should open things up quite nicely for mere mortals. Dare we say it's party time?
G1 and BlackBerry Bold get the Colorware treatment, finally feel at home with your bippies and lightsticks
As you probably learned in grammar school, there's a time in every gadget's life when it gets the Colorware treatment -- and for the G1 and the Bold, the time is now. It'll run you $150 to dress up your current T-Mobile handset, or the company will ship you a brand new one $725. Prices for the BlackBerry Bold run $139 and $674 for the makeover and the whole phone, respectively. Sure, that's a pretty pile of change, but if you'd spent your formative years in the East Coast rave scene you'd know just how coveted and stylish a pink, blue and orange G1 really is. If the BlackBerry is more your speed, make sure you check out that sexy number after the break.[Thanks, Ken]
NTT DoCoMo reveals fall 2008 lineup: Bold, E71, 20 others
Hot on the heels of RIM's BlackBerry Bold finally hitting AT&T sales channels comes word that Japan's NTT DoCoMo has also joined in to offer the handset. As the Asian carriers dump their cornucopia of fall 2008 mobiles onto the world, this particular one is serving up 22, all divided into the STYLE, PRIME, SMART and PRO series. Naturally, the latter category piques our interest the most, as it hosts the Bold, Nokia E71, HTC Touch Pro (HT-01A), HTC Touch Diamond (HT-02A) and Sharp's decidedly handsome SH-04A. Feel free to have a look at the entire family (and their respective launch dates) just below in the read link.
Blackberry Bold shows up for free on contract at Walmart
Well hell, that Blackberry Bold decision just got a lot easier if you're, uh, bold enough to sign a two-year contract with AT&T -- it's now free after rebate at Walmart. Yep, it's only been out for two days and Wally's already handing 'em for free -- somehow we don't think that's gonna happen with the Storm. Still, this is the one you want if you double-heart keyboards with itty-bitty keys -- just make sure you actually mail in the forms, okay?Update: The deal is through LetsTalk, so if you and Sam aren't getting along you can order direct from them.[Thanks, Barry and Jedidiah]
BlackBerry Bold up for pre-order at Best Buy: $680 smackers
We already knew RIM's BlackBerry Bold would sell for a stiff $299.99 on contract with AT&T, but if you're one of the many AT&T users who'd rather not sign a new agreement (or renew your current one), you've probably been patiently waiting to hear an unsubsidized price. Here is it, but we're warning you, you might want to sit down. The contract-free Bold is listed at $679.99 at Best Buy, and fittingly enough, the product page offers a convenient link for seeking financing. At any rate, it also tells us that pre-orders will typically ship out within one to two weeks, though we'd be hesitant to bet the farm on that. After waiting for, like, ever, for this handset to finally hit shelves, are you still so anxious to drop nearly seven bills to claim one as your own?[Thanks, Christen]
iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm and Bold compared on video: awkward...
One might think that the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Storm could get along together, but similar to twin brothers who both aspire to graduate Magna Cum Laude from an Ivy league school, these two aren't exactly the most loving of siblings. Oh, and toss in that iPhone 3G -- which played a huge role in helping Apple sell more phones than RIM last quarter -- and you've got yourself a bona fide mess. Check out all three getting shoved up on one another in the name of comparison just after the break. It's a little uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it.
AT&T BlackBerry Bold pops up on eBay, box and all
It's hard to say how this happens, but yet again, we're seeing a not-yet-released handset up on eBay for those willing to pay the earliest adopter premium. So far as we can tell by the photo above and the one after the break, this here is a real deal AT&T BlackBerry Bold -- the same one you've been waiting months upon months (upon months) for. The current auction price is pretty steep, but if you've got a great feeling about buying a high-end handset that's not yet available to the public from someone with a feedback rating of 2, have at it.[Via BlackBerry Forums, thanks Vin]
RIM's BlackBerry Bold (probably) hitting AT&T on October 27th
RIM's BlackBerry Bold wasn't technically supposed to have launched already -- that's the magic in being all vague about a release date, we guess -- but we can safely say we're absolutely relieved to finally have something out in the open here. Even if it's not carved in stone, per se. An internal AT&T e-mail discovered today notes that the "latest ETA" for the release of the Bold is October 27th (with a price TBD), though we'd feel a lot better about that if it said "definitive release date." At any rate, we'll find out in just ten days. Ten. Days.
RIM's co-CEO sez AT&T still testing BlackBerry Bold
We've long since known that RIM's BlackBerry Bold was AT&T bound, but in case you haven't noticed, the rumored October 2nd release date has come and went, and there's nary a Bold on any of AT&T's store shelves. According to RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, the handset is still undergoing testing at AT&T, suggesting that it wanted to avoid the complaints that arose when the newest iPhone hit in July. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel remained mum on the subject when asked, only affirming that the handset would eventually be available this year. Ah well, you've been looking for a reason to vacation in Chile, haven't you?[Via phonescoop]
Screen Grabs: Blackberry Bold located in 'Without a Trace'
Screen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. The crew on Without a Trace may not have all the high-tech investigative toys found on channel-mate CSI, but one of the guest characters in last night's episode apparently has an in at AT&T, getting himself a Blackberry Bold (complete with evidence) ahead of its American release -- which may or may not be this month.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
