BlackBerry Unlock Codes

A website dedicated to BlackBerry users, driphter.com, has posted a hands-on review of the BlackBerry Bold 9780. While a video review of a new BlackBerry model is always interesting, the one offered by driphter.com has received considerable interest since it also shows the BlackBerry running the new BlackBerry 6 operating system. Hardware wise it seems that the 9780 isn’t really much different from its predecessor, the 9700.

If you’re a BlackBerry owner chomping at the bit for more peeks at the new BlackBerry operating system you will want to check out this video. Probably the most striking thing I took away from it was how smooth and fast the OS was as the user flips between screens. User interfaces also seem more intuitive which will make it easy for users of previous BlackBerry models to adapt to the new OS.

Read more at driphter.com

Posted: 02 Jun 2010 10:45 PM PDT

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

The Sprint BlackBerry Bold 9650… it’s finally here! CrackBerry’s David Boyd is currently putting the new CDMA flagship full physical qwerty BlackBerry through its paces and is working on in-depth device review, so while we’re waiting on that I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get up David’s Bold 9650 video unboxing and overview.

In addition to now having WiFi, the optical trackpad and 3D graphics support as compared to the Tour 9630, the Bold 9650 also doubles its internal memory up to 512MB, which as you can tell from the video is something David is very excited about. Out of box with no tweaking to free up memory, you’re still left with over 300MB of available space for instaling apps and running the device - a number that’s huge to BlackBerry users. A device like the Bold 9000 or Storm 9530 out of box would have closer to 30MB of free application space, so we’re literally talking a 10x increase in free memory (though a lot of us hardcore users would prefer to see gigs of free app space).

Check out the video above to get a good look at Sprint’s BlackBerry Bold 9650 as it comes out of the box (and if you want to win my 9700 at as David points out, enter here). And if you have any specific questions you’d like answered or things you’d like to see in David’s comprehensive review, be sure to drop them in the comments and we’ll do our best to address them.

The launch of the new BlackBerry Bold 9650 has been highly anticipated among the CDMA users on CrackBerry. The day has finally come where the masses can now add this new BlackBerry to their mobile communications arsenal.

The Bold 9650 was announced at WES 2010 to be launching on Sprint starting on May 23rd. However we have known about the existence of this device for quite some time. Just a few days ago, Sprint upped the ante with its users and launched the device one week early via online sales. Many happy CrackBerry readers were able to order their new device and will have it in their hands before it actually hits the stores. The question that lingers in my mind is why did Sprint move up the launch date? Are they worried about sales of the Bold 9650 with the impending release of the HTC EVO? I guess only time will tell, but from my viewpoint, this is one awesome BlackBerry.

Keep on reading to get my full thoughts.
Read more… »

We first heard about the clamshell 9670 a bit back and it still leaves me scratching my head. We now have more pictures of the BlackBerry 9670 to…

Now that the Bold 9650 and 3G Pearl are both out in the open, we can again turn to some other BlackBerry devices that are still floating in the rumor mill. We’ve seen various shots of both the 9670 and atlas in the past, and forums member B.I.G.G.I.E has posted a few more for your viewing pleasure. Nothing terribly exciting this time around, but a few more angles and some OS details for both devices. The clam-style 9670 featuring BlackBerry 6 (OS 6.0) and a 5 megapixel camera recently came out of nowhere at us (we’ve been hearing Verizon asked RIM to build this one as an exclusive for them), while the atlas (as it’s labeled here) was the codename for what was the BlackBerry 8910 and is now the 8980 (click link for another related forum post). Hopefully more to come in the near future. Hit the jump for more images.

Sprint announced today that they will be launching the BlackBerry Bold 9650 come May 23rd. That is some great news for users who were waiting to upgrade from the 8330 but bad news for users who just purchased a Tour. The 9650 will be selling for $199.99 with a two year contract ager a $100 mail in rebate. It will be immediately available on all channels so you should not have to wait like other carriers.

Full press release after the jump:

Advanced Features and Refined Style of BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone Coming to Sprint

Available in all Sprint sale channels May 23, the new BlackBerry Bold 9650
offers international roaming for a global smartphone experience

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – April 26, 2010 – With an extensive array of high-end communications and multimedia features, compact and highly refined design and international roaming capabilities, the new BlackBerry^® Bold™ 9650 smartphone will be available from Sprint (NYSE: S). It will operate on Sprint’s nationwide 3G Network domestically, and roams on other high-speed wireless networks around the world for reliable voice and email communication.

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone will be available for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes & surcharges excluded).  It can be purchased in all other Sprint sales channels, including Web sales (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1), Sprint Business Sales, Sprint stores, national retailers and third-party dealers, Sunday, May 23.

BlackBerry Bold 9650 provides instant access to email, calendar, contacts, robust business and entertainment applications and location-based services, leveraging the best performing wireless networks in the United States and abroad.  It is also ideally suited for those who want to stay socially connected and share moments through pictures and videos over MMS and popular IM services like BlackBerry^® Messenger.  It also offers easy access to social networking sites like Flickr^®, MySpace™ and Facebook^®, with smooth integration, providing a great view of what’s happening both personally and professionally.

“BlackBerry Bold 9650 extends Sprint’s position of offering the best portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones in the industry with a powerful mobility tool for those who want to stay connected, both domestically and abroad,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint.  “Our customers will appreciate its fast Web browsing, downloads and streaming as well as social media and productivity enhancing applications. This is an ideal smartphone for juggling busy personal and professional lives.”

“The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is a sophisticated and feature-rich smartphone with uncompromising performance that lets you stay connected to the people and content that matter most, whether at home or travelling the world,” said David Smith, vice president of Handheld Product Management, RIM.

In addition to top-of-the-line performance, functionality and features, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone comes with BlackBerry^® OS 5.  It is also designed with a smoothly integrated optical trackpad and a distinctive, highly tactile, fretted keyboard and features a large, high-resolution display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi).

Additional features include:

• Access to up to 10 supported email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo!^®, Windows Live™ Hotmail^®, AOL^® and Gmail™), plus BlackBerry^® Enterprise Server support offering advanced security and IT administration capabilities for corporate deployments
• Built-in GPS and Wi-Fi^® (802.11 b/g)
• 3.2 MP camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization, autofocus and video recording
• Advanced media player for enjoying pictures, video and music
• 512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB microSDHC cards, with a 2 GB microSD card included
• 3.5 mm stereo headset jack
• Support for the Bluetooth^® stereo headsets (A2DP/AVCRP)
• Sprint Music Store, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV^®, Sprint Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile
• BlackBerry^® App World™ for access to thousands of applications

The 3G Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) have twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles¹.

According to Sprint performance data, Sprint Mobile Broadband connections are successfully connected and maintained better than 99 out of 100 times. According to a recent independent network test conducted by PC World, no one has a more reliable network than Sprint based on a recent 13 city 3G performance test ².

BlackBerry Bold 9650 for most customers requires activation on an Everything Data plan or a Business Advantage Messaging and Data plan.  Additional plan options are available for business customers.  For just $69.99 per month, Sprint’s affordable Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM gives customers unlimited calling with any U.S. wireless user, unlimited text and picture messaging, unlimited Web, email and social networking, and unlimited GPS navigation for the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for unlimited talk only.  Sprint Everything Data plans also automatically enroll customers in the Sprint Premier loyalty program, which provides annual device upgrades, discounted accessories and other benefits.

Sprint’s Simply Everything^SM plan offers nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, Sprint Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month (plus taxes and surcharges). That is a $480 savings over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone^(R) plan³. (Prices exclude taxes and surcharges.  Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.)

International Travel

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone operates domestically on the Sprint 3G network, and globally on 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GSM/GPRS networks where Sprint has international roaming agreements. With this smartphone, Sprint customers have the power to make or receive phone calls in more than 185 countries and access BlackBerry^® data services including email, apps and Web browsing in nearly 150 countries.

Sprint offers clear value and simplicity with its Worldwide BlackBerry^® service plan. The Worldwide BlackBerry plan gives customers unlimited BlackBerry email and Web access in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other locations using CDMA technology, and with UMTS and EDGE/GSM/GPRS carriers abroad where Sprint has applicable roaming agreements. The plan is available to corporate customers for $69.99 per month, or an additional $40 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges) as an attachable to Simply Everything^SM, Everything Data, Everything Data Family or Business Advantage with Messaging and Data plans.

Sprint international voice roaming rates range from $0.59 to $5.99 per minute, depending on where customers are calling.  Customers making frequent calls while in Canada can take advantage of a specific service plan for $2.99 per month which allows calls to be made and received at $0.20 per minute. Additional pricing plans are available exclusively to enterprise customers.

Customers also have the option of using a third-party SIM for international voice and data services.

The title says it all…as there isn’t much else to say about the new BlackBerry Bold 9650. A fresh press release from Sprint made the go-live date — Sunday, May 23rd — public knowledge. Here is the white meat from the release:

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone will be available for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes & surcharges excluded). It can be purchased in all other Sprint sales channels, including Web sales (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1), Sprint Business Sales, Sprint stores, national retailers and third-party dealers, Sunday, May 23.

The full press release is all linked up. Read

Itching to get your hands on a new BlackBerry Bold 9650 or Pearl 9100/9105? Well you’ll still have to wait a few weeks - but in the meantime, why not play around with one virtually? You can check out the new devices through interactive demos. Take the device for a spin, check out the installed applications, get some usage tips and more. A great place for new BlackBerry users to get to know the in’s and out’s of each device. Click through the menus and learn about applications such as Messages, Browser and BlackBerry Messenger and read up on just how each one works while checking out the device from all angles. Hit the link below get started.

• BlackBerry Bold 9650 Interactive Demo >>
• BlackBerry Pearl 9100 Interactive Demo >>

Today at WES 2010 in Orlando, RIM has finally announced that the long awaited Bold 9650 will be coming to North American networks in early May. The device will support 3G and have both Wifi and an optical trackpad. As expected, the device will also be rocking a full 512 MB of flash memory, which should allow for OS 6 down to fly when it gets released down the road. No official date just yet, but we should know more in the coming weeks. Hit the jump for the full release.

Press Release

RIM Introduces the New BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone

CDMA customers get a bold new choice with powerhouse 3G smartphone that offers premium features and performance together with popular keyboard and trackpad, as well as support for Wi-Fi and high-speed 3G networks around the world

Read more… »

A CrackBerry.com Pre-Release, Hands-On Look at the BlackBerry Bold 9700, formerly codenamed Onyx

The First ‘No Compromise’ BlackBerry Smartphone… the BlackBerry Bold 9700

* Update 2: October 21st, 2009 - Research in Motion officially announced the BlackBerry Bold 9700:

• View BlackBerry Bold 9700 Announcement
• View BlackBerry Bold 9700 Features and Specifications
• View BlackBerry Bold 9700 Video

* Update 1: August 12th, 2009 - Since this review first when live in late May, a few things have changed in regards to this review. First, the “onyx” became branded with a 9020 device model, which recently changed again to become the BlackBerry 9700 and now for sure will be labeled as the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Hardware-wise, compared to unit featured in this review, a few other things have changed, namely the device will feature a touch sensitive trackpad (as seen on the Curve 8520) instead of the trackball, and the BlackBerry Bold 9700 will also feature a leather back on it. And above the battery door, engraved into the rubber will be the word “Bold”. Keep in mind the BlackBerry Bold 9700 will come in two versions - one for AT&T/Rogers/Europe and another version specificially built for T-Mobile in the USA, which features T-Mobiles 1700Mhz HSPA bands. Below is a picture of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 with the optical trackpad:

The changes made since this initial review to the Bold 9700 really make this is the ultimate “traditional” BlackBerry. It beats the original BlackBerry Bold 9000 in every respect, and does it in a smaller package.

Original BlackBerry Onyx (BlackBerry Bold 9700) Review

Pre-release review time! Rumors of the BlackBerry device model with the codename “Onyx” have been floating around for a while now and were proven legit when the first photos of it surfaced here at CrackBerry back on May 10th. After going hands-on with the Onyx, I think it’s safe to say THIS IS the traditional (no touchscreen) BlackBerry smartphone so many of us have been waiting for. It always seems that every new BlackBerry smartphone makes a compromise somewhere on its specifications and feature sheet - be it the Bold’s camera, or the Curve 8900’s lack of 3G, or the Tour 9630’s lack of WiFi, or the Storm’s lack of memory and snappy OS.

RIM has finally packed it ALL into one device with the Onyx — 3G, WiFi, GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera - and they’ve done it in a tight form factor. If you put the Onyx side by side with the BlackBerry Bold and compare the specs, you realize the triumph in engineering RIM has accomplished here. The Onyx is basically better in every way but has a much smaller footprint (though arguably the Bold’s extra width makes for a better keyboard and physically wider display that some users may prefer). So if you’re relaxing this Memorial Day weekend, grab a bevvie, sit back and read on to see tons of photos, a video and some first impressions of the BlackBerry Onyx.

* Disclaimer: Like all of our pre-release reviews, please note that this is non-commercially available device which means things will change by the time it comes to market. *

Read on For Photos, Video and First Impressions of the BlackBerry Onyx >>

A Note About the Pre-Release BlackBerry Bold 9700 Device Review

While the pre-release BlackBerry Curve 8520 we recently reviewed felt like it could be going on sale tomorrow, it’s apparent the BlackBerry Onyx reviewed here is in a much earlier stage of the commercialization process. While the hardware quality is quite good, the OS implementation is still young. In fact, on this device the OS has yet to be labeled with a version number. It’s definitely a version of OS 5, but actually think it’s an early build of OS 5.0.1 versus 5.0.0. Likewise, we’re hearing that production on these isn’t scheduled to begin until later this summer, which means the device is still pre-production and things could change up, like maybe swapping out the trackball in favor of the optical trackpad, which is said by BGR to be coming to the BlackBerry Driftwood (think T-Mobile version of the Onyx).

On the device model front, it’s not certain (to us anyways) what the exact model number is yet, but the prevailing thought is that the both the Onyx and Driftwood may be part of the 96xx series. We’ve heard the Onyx is the 9600 (BlackBerry Tour 9600??), but visually comparing the Onyx to the 9630 the sides/back are so visibly different that one could argue a different model number could be justified. Of course RIM hasn’t even officially announced the Tour 9630 yet, so we’re talking pre-release rumors on top of pre-release rumors at this point.

Another item to note is UMA support. The Onyx’s hardware is technically capable of supporting UMA, but whether we see it launch with it is another question. In North America the Onyx will be heading to AT&T and Rogers. We know (based on history and BG’s info) that the AT&T version won’t support UMA, but Rogers does offer their UMA TalkSpot service so we could maybe (hopefully!) see it launch with UMA there. In the video below I typed in that UMA was supported…but keep this paragraph in mind. Technically supported vs. what hits the market are two different things.

BlackBerry Codename Onyx - What’s in a Name?

There’s a little CrackBerry history behind the name BlackBerry “Onyx” that I just had to throw in here for our newer readers who may not be fully aware. Back in April 2008, before the official release of the BlackBerry Bold, the blogosphere referred to the device by its model number, 9000. We knew the BlackBerry 9000 would have to get a brand name, so at that time we held a CrackBerry contest to guess the name of BlackBerry 9000. A short time after, RIM announced the 9000 as the BlackBerry Bold, a name which none of our contestants had guessed. However, we went through the hundreds of names suggested and picked our favorite and gave them a prize anways. And the name we picked as the winner was….. the BlackBerry Onyx! Now I don’t if it the Onyx was already in development at that time and we just got lucky, or if RIM was inspired by our name game and used it for a device (that would be pretty sweet), but either way it seems fitting that the BlackBerry Onyx is the device that can basically be seen as the next generation / upgrade of the BlackBerry Bold (as far as it’s the next/best all in one BlackBerry).

BlackBerry Onyx (Bold 9700) Overview

With so many existing and upcoming BlackBerry device models that look similar (yet different), it’s becoming a bit confusing to differentiate at a glance between models. We have an upcoming article with our theory behind RIM’s multiple device strategy, but in the meantime the big thing to note about Onyx is that’s unassuming and slick form factor packs a ton of punch:

• 3G device - GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS (Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
• 480 by 360 display, beveled edges
• 256 megabytes of internal memory (same as Curve 8900, 8520)
• 1550mAh M-S1 battery (same as Bold)
• 3.2 megapixel camera, with flash and auto focus
• Processor: Not 100% sure actually, but am hearing its a Tavor processor that may be running even a bit quicker than the Bold’s 624MHz processor (definitely seems snappy)
• GPS, WiFi (UMA capable but we’ll see what happens there), and all the normal stuff you’d expect on a BlackBerry smartphone

A hands-on look at the BlackBerry Onyx

BlackBerry Onyx Video Overview

In our Curve 8520 video I played Sunday Morning Coming Down. It got some positive feedback, so we’re back with more Johnny Cash, this time the very fitting Man in Black for what is shaping up to be one hell of a BlackBerry. Be sure to click the HD button to see the video in high definition. Enjoy the show!!

Posted: 08 Oct 2009 05:27 PM PDT

BlackBerry Bold White

Before At&t launches the next generation BlackBerry Bold 9700, they will be releasing an updated color to the existing Bold; yes, pearly white. We’ve seen other BlackBerry devices released in white, but the Bold in white is not my forte. If you are so inclined to use your upgrade eligibility on the white BlackBerry Bold (instead of waiting a week for the 9700) you will be able to pickup your phone on October 18 in select At&t retail stores for $200 after all applicable rebates and instant discounts.

People who read this, also read ?

• Rogers and Fido BlackBerry Update, Pink Bold, Curve 8900 Coming Soon
• How to Install Any Carriers OS (Operating System) in 3 Steps to Your BlackBerry
• Verizon’s Globe Trotters Getting New BlackBerry Option “Niagara”
• RIM confirms October 2nd launch date for Mac version of BlackBerry Desktop Manager

If you were feverishly anticipating a cellphone this year, it was one of two phones: this is the other one. That’s because the BlackBerry Bold is RIM’s most powerful, polished handset ever. With 3G, a glossy new UI, a real web browser, serious hardware and an almost beautiful body, the Bold doesn’t redefine the BlackBerry experience, but it does elevate to the highest point its ever been.

What, you think we didn’t have one before today? While we’re still not sure when you’ll be able to walk into a Rogers store to actually buy the shiny new device like Simon did, today still marks the official launch of the BlackBerry Bold on Rogers. In honor of this special day, we’ve decided to post our exhaustive review, if only to whet your appetites.

And boy, has this day been a long time coming: three years in development, three months since its official announcement at WES 2008, and three times the hype of any other BlackBerry release. The first in RIM’s next generation lineup of smartphones, the BlackBerry Bold has been labeled everything from an enterprise company’s desperate push into the prosumer space to a true iPhone killer. Most of the BlackBerry faithful are just hoping that it turns out to be a worthy merger and evolution of the BlackBerry 8800 and Curve device lines. This review will settle the debate.

Be forewarned, our review of the BlackBerry Bold is fairly large. However, we’ve broken the review down into specific sections for quick and convenient access to the information you seek. Make sure to post a comment to let us know if there’s anything we’ve missed, anything else you want to know about, and whether or not you feel RIM’s new flagship device meets the hype.

BlackBerry Bold Key Statistics

OS: 4.6
Network: Tri-band HSDPA (850/1900/2100MHz), Quad-Band GPRS/EDGE (800/850/1800/1900MHz)
Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g
GPS: Internal GPS with extended ephemeris, A-GPS support
Memory: 128MB Flash, 1GB on-board storage,
Expandable Memory: max. 16GB external MicroSD/SDHC
Screen: Half-VGA (480×320) resolution, Transmissive TFT LCD, 65k colours
Camera: 2.0MPx, 3x digital zoom, video recording, 1600×1200 max. resolution
Bluetooth: 2.0 support, Bluetooth Stereo Audio via A2DP and AVCRP
USB: 2.0 support
Video Support: DivX 4, DivX 4/5/XviD (partial support), H.263, H.264 (MPEG-4), AVI, WMV3
Audio Support: 3GP, MP3, WMA9/WMA9 Pro/WMA 10, MIDI, AMR-NB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
Processor: Marvell Tavor PXA930 (624MHz)
Dimensions/Weight: 114×66×14mm, 133g
Battery: 1500mAhr

Let’s be clear: If you hate BlackBerry phones, you will still intensely dislike the Bold. As many coats of polish as RIM has thickly layered on the Bold, it is still a BlackBerry, with all of its suit-and-tie DNA fully intact. Fundamentally, it works and plays just like every other BlackBerry, but with a load of small-to-medium improvements, updates and tweaks that add up to a richer, more refined phone that also looks far better than the rest while doing its thing.

Screen
Yes, the Bold’s 480×320 screen is dazzling enough to warrant its own section dedicated simply to praising it. Incredibly rich and contrast-y with stunning pixel density, it’s so nice you want to touch it. I actually tried to once or twice to hit okay on a dialog box, forgetting that it wasn’t the touchy kind of screen. It almost makes reading the plain text of an email depressing, knowing you could be looking at a gorgeous video instead.

Keyboard
A BlackBerry lives and dies by its keyboard. When RIM diehards countered reckless banter about the death of the BlackBerry per the iPhone’s Exchange support by pointing to the keyboard. After you get used to the slight angle shift in the Bold’s keys, they’re fantastic, like a delicately balanced wine, with a perfect blend of springy, punchy and spongy. The glossy navigation keys are overly large for reasons I cannot quite divine. The backlighting is beautiful.

Body
It’s hands-down the best looking phone RIM has put out, not to mention one of the most attractive pieces of kit on the whole market, even if the clean chrome on black is borrowed from another phone (and we’re not saying it is). It looks like an incredibly modern business device, what you imagine people with more important jobs than you would carry to conduct business that’s more important than yours, while talking to their accountant about how much fatter their bank account is than yours. It exudes power. Welcome to 2008, RIM design department.

It’s larger and wider than the Curve, but it still feels fine in my hands, which aren’t giant-sized by any means. The faux-leather backing, however, is absolutely puzzling, like RIM tried to add a touch of class in the same way Donald Trump’s hairdo gives him a touch of handsome. In other words, it’s fake as crap and feels tacky. Insignificant, really, but it’s actually the thing I hate most about this phone. Nonetheless, it feels rock solid.

Connections
It has everything you want: 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi. Despite earlier reports that it suffered from bad 3G problems, I found that it was more consistent and reliable with its 3G connection. It wasn’t uncommon to grab four bars of signal where, say, the iPhone only saw one. (I realize bars are not standardized or totally accurate, but the disparity between the two was often significant, two or more bars.) In drive-testing, handoff went smoothly. GPS was slower than I would’ve liked, more often than not taking up to a minute to get a lock, and the maps app could be snappier (and prettier) than it is, but it’ll do. At least on AT&T it will immediately have a decent navigator app.

Battery
It’s a champ. Despite lots of 3G browsing, email and other everyday app use, a half charge right out of the box got me through an eight-hour day with no problem. Expect more detailed battery test update later, but all indications are that this thing will last you throughout the day with no problems at all. Way to go, RIM.

Browser
Okay, so there was some controversy about how quickly its browser renders compared to the iPhone. In my tests over Wi-Fi—and believe me, I triple checked to make sure it was on Wi-Fi—it was either tied with, or just behind the iPhone, like the dude who lost to Michael Phelps by a finger tip. The speed difference really is trivial.

It’s the best BlackBerry browser ever (this phone is a lot of “best BlackBerry ______ ever”), and one of the most usable mobile browsers around. In other words, it’s actually usable. Not a miracle. The trackball isn’t the most elegant way to navigate pages—largely because of the zoom metaphor—but it gets the job done, and the vast majority of the time, the Bold shows you pages the way they’re supposed to be. It definitely sets a standard for what mobile browsers should do at a minimum, and it’s fine for light surfing.

Email
What’s a BlackBerry without email? Perhaps wisely, RIM chose to mostly not fix what ain’t broken, adding small but significant tweaks like the ability to see pictures in message, full HTML and attachment viewing. Otherwise, it’s basically the same experience you’re used to. The higher res screen makes the text pop more and adds clarity, but it’s not any prettier, which somewhat stands out against the rest of the overhauled UI.

Media
The Roxio-powered desktop Media Manager still sucks total balls—can you please get a decent integrated manager, RIM? And the music/video setup is essentially unchanged—same menu system and organization—but it has a cleaner, less tacky skin on top that makes it look like it’s greatly improved, even though it isn’t.

But! Watching videos on this thing is a-maz-ing. The sample Speed Racer trailer was so gorgeous and yummy, I almost wanted to watch that 80-car-pile-up of a movie. Almost. The external speaker is surprisingly good, too, with richer sound than most other handsets. Still, this is one of the areas of the phone that needs work—the video quality nearly woos me into giving it a pass—but I can’t emphasize enough how much it needs a decent media manager.

OS & UI
RIM has re-skinned the entire operating interface, shifting from pixel-y, realish bitmaps to slick, almost Tron-like high-res icons that have a neon pseudo-science fiction modernist feel to them. One issue: It’s no longer immediately apparent what each icon does, so expect to hover initially. (With Precision Zen, the theme with splashes of color, it’s easier to discern what icons represent.) I like them, but it’s really an issue of personal taste—still, future skins will benefit from being able to go high-res.

All of the top-level menus have been cleaned up as well, with crisp white text on a black background. It feels nice, and goes with the look of the handset itself, conveying the sense of it being modern and powerful. Unfortunately, when you go into applications themselves—mail, contacts, etc.—or deep into settings, you feel like you’ve entered a time warp three years into the past. It’s like eating a tuna sandwich after a piece of sashimi—the tuna sandwich alone, uncontextualized, is fine, but next to a pure, clean slice of maguro it looks like crap.

Startup on this device has been exceptionally slow—I initially thought my unit was busted or something (maybe it is), though I suppose BBs are always damn sluggish on cold starts. For the for first minute or so after booting, the OS kind of chugs as well, but after clearing the pipes, I guess, it runs totally smoothly, as it should with its speedy 624MHz processor.

Still, overall, it’s the same BlackBerry OS as before, just prettier and running on snappy hardware. If you’re used to a BlackBerry, you won’t have any problems getting around. If you’re not, well, it’s one of the easier mobile OSes to learn and deal with, everything is more or less up front, and on top, at least, it’s pretty.

Conclusion
This is RIM’s best phone ever. Does that mean it’s the phone for you? If you’re a BlackBerry fanatic, yes—it really is the phone you’ve been waiting for, if you’re not hoping RIM radically changed the recipe. Because they didn’t. It’s cleaner and brighter, but it’s not an overhaul by any means. It’s a more powerful and beautiful distillation of the same experience.

For other people who were eyeing it as the time to switch to BlackBerry, the issue is less straightforward. As I said in the intro, it’s coming into a complicated world, where it has more consumer crossover appeal than a flagship RIM device—currently, the 8800—ever has before. (No doubt, even more people are looking at it in light of 3G problems on other handsets, either suit-and-ties who were considering the jump, or people looking for their first high-end smartphone, though more of the former.) At its heart, this thing is a corporate workhouse. It will play movies, music, browse the internet and all of the things consumers usually want—and do it well—but it is coming from a different mindset than the iPhone, something to keep in mind if you’re torn between these two phones.

AT&T has not set a price (or a date for that matter) but we’re hearing that it will not touch the $199 mark when it launches in September. Depending on how aggressively RIM and AT&T want to push it, it looks like it could go as low as $249, but $299 seems more likely, another factor that makes it more suited to corporate than consumer. (Update: We’re hearing that it’s definitely $299, and it will hit September 12.) Still, whichever side you’re on, this is a fantastic phone that perhaps pushes the BlackBerry experience to its peak. The flipside of that is that with its next generation of phones, RIM might have to radically reinvent it to stay ahead of the game.

RIM has recently announced the introduction of a new smartphone called the Blackberry Bold. This new offering by RIM will include many new features that have never been offered in the past on any current Blackberry phones. The Blackberry Bold is also the first Blackberry that has 3G HSDPA technology. The resolution on the screen will also be higher than on previous Blackberry models and the addition of support when working with Microsoft Office files will make working with the Blackberry Bold much easier than earlier models.

The Blackberry Gold has a screen size of around 480 x 320, large enough to allow users to use mobile video and read long emails much easier. Because of the larger display area, the Blackberry Bold is somewhat larger than other recent Blackberries. In spite of the increase in size, it is rather lightweight with an easy to operate keyboard. This model is the first to include Blackberry 4.6, the newest version of the Blackberry operating system. The Blackberry Gold also includes a 624 MHz processor and is the first of RIM’s phones to support HSDPA high speed networks, GPS and Wi-Fi.

Up until now Blackberry has been behind the eight-ball in working with Microsoft Office files. Instead of old technology, new RIM smartphones including the Blackberry Bold will utilize the DataViz Documents to Go, a much more stable and premium version among the Mobile Office suites. With Documents to Go you can view documents and presentations almost exactly as they would appear if you were viewing them on a desktop. This is a definite advantage for those who travel frequently and use their Blackberry to communicate with their office as well as clients. Keep in mind that in many cases you can only view Microsoft documents, you cannot change them.

Since the Blackberry Bold is new to the market you will need to search a little more for a Blackberry Bold review. That doesn’t mean there are no reviews available but rather that it will take some time before you will find many reviews on this phone. As you look forward you will discover that once mobile phone deals start to become available for the Blackberry Bold, it will become more popular and Blackberry Bold reviews will become easier to locate.

Blackberry has always been the most well-known among the smartphones but with so many other manufacturers developing their own smartphones, it’s essential for Blackberry to be able to stay competitive and include some features RIM has never included on the Blackberry but that other smartphones have been using since their releases. With the competition so stiff for smartphones, RIM has to enter into the 21st century with its offerings and provide users with more features if they are to remain competitive. The number of “firsts” that are on the Blackberry Bold shows they are on their way to remaining the most popular smartphone on the market in both the individual as well as business sectors.

The Blackberry Bold mobile phone is available now. View price comparisons or read the Blackberry Bold review.