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BlackBerry Bold gets another review, sneaks into more comparison shots
We know, we know -- you've already seen a couple of Bold reviews, but honestly, can you really get enough of this thing? While the release date draws nearer (or not), why not feast your retinas on yet another hands-on experience that involves a closer look at the user interface, an inside glance (yes, sans the back cover) of the internals and a slew of comparison shots with other handsets. Sorry to keep teasing you, but you know you love the torture.
Telstra getting BlackBerry Bold in late September
Hey Australians, how are your thumbs feeling? You have just a precious few weeks here to get 'em in shape, because Telstra has announced that it'll be bringing RIM's latest slice of mobile glory, the Bold, to its network in late September. In the meantime, CEO of Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service was hooked up this week all John Mayer-style and presented with a Bold well ahead of its official launch date, so RIM and Telstra must be feeling pretty good about the latest firmware if they're going to actually unleash it on a real-world exec (assuming he's actually going to be clipping it to his belt day in and day out). Late September's just a little late for the global summer release RIM had originally envisioned, but there's a silver lining: Telstra says the Bold will go for a whopping goose-egg -- zero dollars, that is -- to its business customers when it goes on sale.
BlackBerry Bold's internet browser gets toyed with
Look, we know how it is. Waiting, twiddling those thumbs for John Mayer's moment to become one that you too can experience. Thankfully, the Boy Genius has caved to requests to show off what exactly the Bold's browser can do, a point of interest for many, we're certain. There are even a few comparison shots to Mobile Safari just for reference. Overall, things don't look too bad from photographs alone, but hit up the read link to form your own opinion.
BlackBerry Bold gets priced on T-Mobile Germany
Sorry, T-Mobile yanks, this one actually goes out to your German cousins; we still don't have a Bold commitment stateside from anyone other than AT&T. It's cool, you've got the WiFi Curve, remember? But yeah, back to T-Mobile Germany for a second -- those guys have become the first anywhere to slap a price tag on RIM's latest and greatest, charging €219.95 (about $348) on the carrier's Max S plan and going down from there if you want a heftier voice / data package. T-Mob claims that interested parties will see the Bold pop up in July, which should give you enough time to pick out a nice, rugged case.[Via Mobile Bulgaria]Update: Commenter AT points out that TIM already has the Bold pegged at €469 (about $740) -- but like the rest of the world, it's not available just yet.
BlackBerry Bold reviewed, scratched
Boy Genius has landed a BlackBerry Bold -- RIM's big, splashy push into the brave new world of HSDPA -- in production hardware trim, and it looks like the rougher users out there might need a quick lesson in fragile handling if they want to get in on the action when it launches around the world in the next few weeks. The screen is said to be absolutely beautiful (as it should be at 480 x 320), and there's a much improved browser to take advantage of that extra real estate; unfortunately, the whole package apparently scratches up with ridiculous ease, so it's anybody's guess just how long you'll be able to actually see the screen before it's awash in damage. Just remember: keys in one pocket, BlackBerry in the other. Interested parties would do themselves a favor by clicking through to the full review -- the cat knows his BlackBerrys, and he's really gone to town this time around.
The BlackBerry Bold hits the FCC, gets one step closer to your pocket
Research In Motion's forthcoming BlackBerry Bold just got a little bit closer to reality. The device -- which is said to be making its appearance on shelves around August -- has shown up in the FCC's files, getting the sensuous, loving treatment only the Federal Communications Commission can provide. Want to get deep inside the Bold's situation? Hit the read link and begin your magical journey into SAR validation reports.
BlackBerry Bold, KickStart, Javelin on Rogers' 2008 radar
A pretty believable roadmap for upcoming BlackBerry devices on Rogers has surfaced, and by and large, we're looking at a whole bunch of good news here. First, let's start out with the best: the rumor that Canadians will be able to pick up their Bolds before the month of July is out is still holding strong, with this particular document suggesting that the 25th will see an official announcement followed by in-store availability on the 29th. Next, the KickStart -- RIM's first flip -- should make an appearance in the second half of September, and finally, the Javelin is targeted for the tail end of the year in late November or early December. Happily, this is one of those rare situations where it looks like we'll be getting the good stuff (read: the Bold) first, since the Javelin's rumored to keep 3G out of the equation.
Blackberry Bold hands-on
We had a chance to play with Research In Motion's upcoming BlackBerry Bold handset tonight, and we came away happily impressed. To start things off, the keyboard felt easy enough to use, at least easier than the 8830 we're often forced to use for work email. Gone are the sharp protrusions, replaced with a nice flat surface upon which to click. Of note was the Bold's user interface. Menus are clean and easy to read (despite some strange icon choices, see below), and response time is about as quick as one could hope, especially compared to other phones out there that seem to struggle with their operating systems. %Gallery-26160%
Blackberry Bold release date delayed?
According to reports crossing the wires this morning, Research In Motion is expected to delay the release of its next-gen BlackBerry Bold. The Boy Genius is claiming that software issues, battery life problems, and overheating are causing the hold-up, which will move the street date back to mid-August as opposed to the presumed July release on AT&T. There's been no confirmation from RIM on the news, but that's not stopping analysts from predicting the move will lower the company's second quarter earnings outlook. We're pretty sure it'll make businessmen with twitchy thumbs none-too-happy as well.[Thanks, Sam]
Vodafone expects BlackBerry Bold in August?
Remember that time Vodafone was targeting May for the launch of the BlackBerry Bold? Yeah, those were the days! Let's not dwell on the past, though -- no use crying over spilled milk, our mommies always used to say. Instead, let's focus on exactly when Vodafone thinks it can launch the Bold now, which happens to be August -- and this time, the word comes from an official Voda website that was intended for public consumption, so they have more eyeballs on it and more liability if they miss the date. Thing is, the description of the phone lists the Sony Ericsson W980i, not the Bold, so maybe there's just a little smidge of buffoonery going on behind the scenes. August sounds totally plausible, though, so we're sticking with it until we hear otherwise.[Thanks, Andrew]Update: It's been updated to July -- sweet. It's like the opposite of a delay!
Rogers loves BlackBerry: Pink Curve, OS 4.5, and BlackBerry Bold oh my!
Rogers seems on a roll with it's good friends at RIM as we're seeing a bevy of release news and noteworthy stuff from them recently. Up at bat are the potential launch of the BlackBerry Bold on June 17th, the UMA-enabled Pearl 8120 that ships with OS 4.5, and the BlackBerry Curve in a new, pinker flavor. Pricing on the UMA-enabled 8120 is set at $149 on three years and while it does tout WiFi for the Rogers Home Zone, it won't work to get you on the Internet -- can we get a rousing raspberry for Rogers? The BlackBerry Curve 8310 is unchanged except for its new, softer pink aesthetic and is shipping for $199 if you're up to a 3-year stint on Canada's only GSM network. Not much new on the Bold, though we expect if that launch date is solid, we'll hear more real soon.[Thanks, Treatz for the lovely pic]
AT&T launches BlackBerry Bold promotional site
See that image above? Yeah, that's a sexy new side angle of RIM's BlackBerry Bold, and it's coming to us courtesy of AT&T. Just as Sprint did with its fashionable Instinct, AT&T is launching a promotional site for the forthcoming BlackBerry in order to drum up interest and get you (re)informed. Straight from the carrier's mouth, we've got GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA support, integrated WiFi / GPS, 480 x 320 resolution display, a side-loaded memory slot, 1GB of built-in storage, a 624MHz CPU, 128MB of Flash memory, Bluetooth 2.0 with handsfree support and up to 5-hours of GSM talk time (13 days in standby). You'll notice that the operator makes no mention of an exact release date, but we're crossing our fingers and sticking to that leaked July timeframe until we hear otherwise.[Thanks, Daryl]
Blackberry OS 4.6 for 9000 / 9500 gets detailed
We had heard that the introduction of the BlackBerry Bold (9000) / Thunder (9500) could usher in the long-awaited BlackBerry OS 4.6, and now we're just about ready to believe it. A new listing over at Horizon Wireless Online details the forthcoming operating system, and notes that it will bring along richer browsing (which entails a whole host of improvements), click zooming with the trackball, Music Sync, an option to select Home screen grid size and support for continuous spell checking (among other things). Hey RIM, can we get that "richer browsing experience" on say, the Curve / Pearl?[Thanks, Peter]
iPhone / BlackBerry Bold get close on video, are clearly uncomfortable together
It was simply inevitable: someone was going to lay the iPhone and BlackBerry Bold down beside one another, and if John Mayer won't stop sending himself emails long enough to do it, CrackBerry's sister site will. There's really nothing here that you couldn't put together yourself from checking out galleries and videos of each device separately, but feel free to humor your sick mind by glancing over the comparative images in the read link below or examining the vid waiting after the jump.
RIM's BlackBerry Bold gets previewed
RIM's hotly-anticipated BlackBerry Bold has only been received by a select few, but the fortunate folks over at Howard Chui managed to snag a pre-production unit and give it a good lookin' at. Aside from showering us with a plethora of snapshots from a variety of angles, we're also told that the plastic used "feels a little cheaper" than that on the 8800, outgoing sound quality "is terrific," incoming sound quality could use some work and reception seemed much improved from the 8800. We know, it's not a full-blown review or anything, but it's still apt to whet your appetite until the real deal shows up en masse.
16 devices for T-Mobile between June and August?
TmoNews has published a laundry list of devices that it says will launch between June 16 and August 1 -- 13, to be exact, with another three that aren't listed. That's a positively Japan-esque release pace, a breakneck schedule that we're having a hard time believing. To its credit, several launches that are known or well-rumored to be in the pipe are listed here, including the Motorola E8, Shadow II, Samsung t229 and t339, and Nokia 5610, but to its discredit, fanciful devices like an alleged Shadow III are also in the mix along with the BlackBerry Bold, which AT&T has an exclusive on following its launch over there that should easily prevent T-Mob from picking it up by August 1. Of course, there could be some wiggle room on those dates, and again, most of these devices seem totally plausible -- but for now we've got to file this squarely in the "we want to believe" category.[Thanks, Chris W.]
What does AT&T's BlackBerry Bold look like?
Well, like any other BlackBerry Bold, of course -- save for that AT&T logo down there and a custom skin that owners are sure to quickly replace. Unless you're John Mayer, this'll have to do for the time being.[Thanks, Sunil M.]
John Mayer secures a BlackBerry Bold, makes world envious
See how easy it is everyone? All that's required to snag a BlackBerry Bold well before its public release is to become a Grammy award-winning artist, sell out shows worldwide, date a smattering of superstars and convince Fender to create and sell your own branded guitar. While you're off working on step one, John Mayer is living it up with his brand new BlackBerry Bold. Granted, he can't claim to be the very first with said handset, but it's likely the first completely legitimate edition let loose. Of course, once you've landed the Curve and MacBook Air before everyone else on the planet, snagging a Bold is just child's play.
Blackberry Bold release dates, pricing leak out
Those of you dying to get your QWERTY on with RIM's hot new Blackberry Bold can start marking your calendars and stashing cash under the cushions -- release dates and pricing info have hit the tubes this morning. As expected, AT&T will get the Bold first in July for $300, while Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile customers will have to wait until September. Oddly, T-Mo subs will have to cough up an extra $50, which seems a little unfair. Of course, these aren't official dates and prices, so things are likely to change, but we'd say everything seems in the ballpark, wouldn't you?
Blackberry Bold release dates, pricing leak out UPDATE: just estimates
Those of you dying to get your QWERTY on with RIM's hot new Blackberry Bold can start marking your calendars and stashing cash under the cushions -- release dates and pricing info have hit the tubes this morning. As expected, AT&T will get the Bold first in July for $300, while Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile customers will have to wait until September. Oddly, T-Mo subs will have to cough up an extra $50, which seems a little unfair. Of course, these aren't official dates and prices, so things are likely to change, but we'd say everything seems in the ballpark, wouldn't you?Update: We got in touch with InfoSync World, where these numbers were published, and they told us that they were making estimates based on pre-release info. So nope, these aren't close to official -- but it's always fun to dream, right?
