BlackBerry's Bold move unveiled
By | theage.com.au | 09 May
In a move clearly aimed at countering Apple's soon-to-be launched 3G iPhone, Research In Motion has introduced its first major new BlackBerry model in more than a year.
Called the Bold, the phone is a high-end model that further demonstrates the company's desire to make tools for both work and play.
The Bold, or 9000, has twice the screen resolution of the current Curve model, making for a very sharp display. It matches the resolution, but not the size, of the screen on the iPhone, which has emerged as a potent competitor in the "smart phone" category.
It also has much more internal memory, a glossy metallic look, and adds corporate-strength WiFi capabilities to third-generation cellular and Bluetooth radios.
Otherwise it stays close to the formula of the Curve, with a horizontal screen above a trackball and a keyboard with one letter per key.
RIM didn't announce a price for the Bold, nor agreements with specific carriers. It said the phone would be available from various carriers this (northern hemisphere) summer.
Like the Curve and the Pearl, BlackBerry's consumer-oriented phones, the Bold has a full-size headset jack and a camera that can also capture video. At the same time, it has dual-band WiFi, a feature previously only found on a model aimed at the corporate market.
The Bold will also have exchangable back plates in different colors, a first for a BlackBerry.
RIM also was set to announce a $US150 million fund that will invest in companies creating software for BlackBerrys and other mobile devices. The Royal Bank of Canada and Thomson Reuters are co-investors.
The move echoes Apple's March announcement that it would set up a $US100 million "iFund" for the development of iPhone and iPod touch applications.
RIM is working with partners in Australia to bring the BlackBerry Bold smartphone to the local market. Australian carriers and pricing will be confirmed at a later time.
AP
First published by TheAge.com.au on May 09 2008
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