In the past, RIM’s BlackBerry phones were largely being left on the side lines due to stiff competition from the iPhone and Android. But with the announcement of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G, it’s clear that RIM is not going down without a fight.

Based to the description given by Boy Genuis Report, it’s amazing that the two new phones being offered seem to reflect the same exact functionality as the previous models! The worst of the two, the Perl, still relies on T9 for typing. Seriously RIM, let’s keep up here! The only two levels of functionality that stand out to me personally, is the battery life for both phones and the 802.11N that comes with the BlackBerry Perl 3G.