We got a glimpse of the BlackBerry Touch (code-named Monaco or Monza) a few days ago, and now some shots of another upcoming BlackBerry, the Bold Touch (a.k.a. Montana/Dakota), have surfaced. There’s not much more to say that we haven’t seen in those leaked tutorial videos, but the back of the device is still showing the name Brand, which I thought was just a placeholder for the real market name in renderings. It looks to be carried over onto a real live unit; what do you guys think of “BlackBerry Brand”? Is that a name you can get behind? Who knows, it could still simply be a placeholder. Aside from that, a comparison shot next to an iPhone 4 shows the Bold Touch is only a few millimeters chubbier. Another picture shows the Mobile Hotspot Mode option, which is a new addition for OS 6.1 and what looks like most BlackBerry handsets going forward.
From what we’ve seen in previous leaks, we’re expecting the BlackBerry Bold Touch to have a 1.2 GHz processor, 768 MB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage plus microSD memory card up to 32 GB, a 2.8-inch 640 x 480 touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera with HD video recording, Wi-Fi b/g/n, and support for augmented reality apps and NFC contactless payments.
According to the source of this leak, an announcement is expected at BlackBerry World next month, with a proper release ready for June or July. It might look like the same ol’ BlackBerry, but the improved software, screen, processor, and RAM are all welcome additions, plus near-field communications and a magnetic compass should be enough to keep the spec sheet modern for the foreseeable future. What do you guys think – will this be a satisfactory stopgap until RIM gets the PlayBook’s QNX operating system onto smartphones?
[via BGR]