One of CTIA San Francisco 2008’s redeeming booths was most definitely RIM’s BlackBerry booth. The push email handset manufacturer from Waterloo currently commands a significant portion of the smartphone market and the RIM is looking to heat things up with their first 3G-capable BlackBerry handset – the BlackBerry Bold 9000.
With a high-resolution HVGA (half-VGA) display that glows with crisp definition, the BlackBerry Bold takes the BlackBerry lineup to new levels. On the aesthetic side of the equation, RIM designed the BlackBerry Bold with metallic accents, smooth lines, and sleek buttons. The keyboard is wonderfully tactile and doesn’t require any “training time” before you’re able to hammer out emails with abandon. The BlackBerry Bold’s keyboard is trimmed in rows of metallic accent that were apparently inspired by the frets on a guitar – further lending to the keyboard’s intuitive feel.
And, when it comes to technology, the BlackBerry Bold doesn’t disappoint. The BlackBerry Bold sports 3G, WiFi, and GPS to make navigation and data connectivity a non-issue anywhere in the world. The full-HTML web browser, however, could be one weak-point on the Bold. Using WiFi, the BlackBerry Bold web browser wasn’t able to fully render the IntoMobile webpage after a good 2 minutes of waiting – which takes just seconds on an iPhone 3G, by the way. The Southwest Airlines website, on the other hand, loaded just fine.
In all, if you’re in need of a high-style and full-featured BlackBerry handset, the BlackBerry Bold fits the bill.
Should a flip-phone fit more in line with your needs, RIM is offering their BlackBerry Pearl 8220 (KickStart) as the first clamshell BlackBerry handset. The BlackBerry Pearl 8220 feels light, yet solid in the hand. As thick as the Pearl 8220 may look on paper, it feels nice and svelte in the hand. Flipping up the front-face of the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 reveals the SureType keyboard that we first saw with the original BlackBerry Pearl. The “pearl” trackball is deeply recessed in to the keyboard, in order to accomodate the flip-phone form-factor. The recessed trackball makes for an interesting navigation experience, but you’ll quickly adapt.
Unfortunately, the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 features an EDGE-only data connection for your wireless browsing needs. Hopefully, though, the bright and crisp display will distract you long enough to forget that your webpage is still trying to load.
The BlackBerry Bold 9000 is expected to drop on AT&T in October. The BlackBerry Pearl 8220 should launch shortly afterwards – following the FCC’s recent approval.