The RIM-pire Strikes Back - Blackberry Bold

May 12, 2008

Today, RIM announced an update to the Blackberry series called the Blackberry Bold (or Blackberry 9000). Price has not been disclosed yet, but some of the features include:

HSDPA and EV-DO version
Wi-Fi and GPS
625MHz CPU, 1GB internal flash memory
802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2Dp), GPS, MicroSDHC
480 x 320 video recording, photo geotagging

PCMag has a first look of the unit, while Kevin from Crackberry gives us a tour of the interface:

Clearly, this is a statement by RIM that the iPhone is not the only phone on the block with a nice interface. RIM has been popular amongst business users in terms of functionality and utility, but not necessarily for style. The Blackberry Pearl and Curve were our first glimpse at RIM’s attempt to win over the younger crowd. The Blackberry Bold seems like a natural progression in terms of interface evolution. Apple’s iPhone was a bold reminder (no pun intended) that phone interfaces generally stunk and needed improving. Based on what I’ve seen from OS 4.6, RIM is taking it seriously. Will it match up to the iPhone’s hype? Who knows, but we do know that RIM dominates the smartphone market and is by no means playing catch-up. They are working to maintain that dominance, and I think they are heading in the right direction. This bodes well for us consumers.