RIM BlackBerry Bold (9000) Smartphone

(First Look) - RIM just announced a new smartphone for its portfolio of existing BlackBerry devices boldly called the Bold. The name is quite bold (pun intended) and obviously so. It’s a complete rehash on UI and hardware sides that make for a powerful device that’s surely to quell iPhone’s market takeover intentions. It’s not that we particular think of the iPhone as the BlackBerry Killer, but it’s the next best alternative, and with Apple moving in swiftly behind RIM, it could’ve happened. However, RIM is taking care of itself and very well so.

The Bold packs a 480x320, 65K color screen and an improved UI with an excellent display, improved icons and a much better Web browser, at least theoretically. That’s one of the iPhone’s most well received features - a desktop Web browser that displays Web pages in full. Bold’s Web browser offers two options: the ability to view pages in full desktop HTML mode or in mobile mode. Hopefully, as we get to play with the unit over the next week or so, we’ll have a better insight into its full capabilities.

It also packs a new style with curvier edges and a silver trim to match the black casing. Unlike its previous models with plastic backs, the new BlackBerry Bold will have leatherette back, and RIM plans to offer different colors for the back, including blue, gray and red. That should make it look more professionals and sophisticated, a well-matching compliment to the top executives that rely heavily on these mobile warriors.

iPhone Competitors: What's The Point Now?

Of course, the rest of the layout stays the same with a trackball for navigation (which also acts as a cursor in the newly improved Web browser, by the way), Call buttons and a much better QWERTY keyboard with a bit more space between the keys this time around (compared to the 8800).

Then there’s the Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g), Bluetooth 2.0, built-in GPS and 3.5G support in there as well. This is perhaps the only time that RIM is offering a device with everything a potential user would want. No limited features just to sell the new model. Awesome!

The Bold also packs a new Intel PXA270 microprocessor with 624MHz of horsepower for smooth performance, compared to the 312MHz in previous models. It also has 128MB of flash memory and 1GB of onboard memory with the option for expandable memory with microSD/SDHC expansion slot for a total of up to 16GB.

We aren’t over yet. Oh, no, this is going to be one lengthy First Look into a new smartphone. The Bold is loaded with a 2.0-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities and 5x digital zoom. It playbacks audio and video files and supports MP3, WMA, AAC, DivX4 and WMV3.

All of this, plus its standard e-mail messaging and calling capabilities and you are in for a magical device.

According to AT&T, it’ll be the first carrier to get the device, priced between $300 and $400. The Bold is looking at summer worldwide availability. With Apple’s 3G iPhone making its debut later this summer as well, boy, this is going to be one heck of a summer with two strong contenders going head-to-head in a battle for the most functional smartphone. Good luck to both!

Click here to check out the latest prices on RIM BlackBerry devices!