The RIM BlackBerry Bold 9000 is a truly impressive BlackBerry device, and it might change the way people think about BlackBerry phones. We were struck by its beautiful screen and tight build the moment we picked it up. The specs had already impressed us, with its HSDPA networking (a BlackBerry first) and 1 GB of onboard storage, but it was the interface that had us curious. Now we can safely say that the BlackBerry Bold is a dramatic improvement for BlackBerry, and once this phone hits the market, it will truly be the other phone to beat.
The screen on the BlackBerry Bold is dazzling. At 480 by 360 pixels, it packs as many pixels as the Apple iPhone, but it fits them into a tighter space, which makes the interface seem very crisp and clean. But it was the glossiness and the super-high contrast levels that really impressed us. The phone simply glows, and it looks much better in person than any of our high definition television sets back home. Dare we say the screen even surpasses the iPhone's display? Perhaps, but we'd like to see them side-by-side before we declare a winner.
Still, it's easy to declare the BlackBerry Bold the best BlackBerry device we've seen. The improved interface design extends into the phone's applications, especially the new media player, which is a nice improvement over the stodgy media player featured on current BlackBerry phones like the BlackBerry Curve. Unfortunately, the calendar and e-mail apps haven't seen much of an update, though the new color scheme for the phone's long, text-heavy menus does look much nicer on the beautiful display.
The phone also felt very well-built. The keys were nice and stiff, similar to the keyboard on the BlackBerry 8820, but a little more stiff, which felt nice while we typed on it. It is also a very light phone. Even with the battery installed, it felt much lighter than its size would imply. RIM assures us that battery life will be on par with our high expectations for BlackBerry devices, so we're excited to put that claim to the test.
Overall, we come away very impressed with this device. It's one of those rare phones that looks and feels even better in person, thanks to the crisp display and the smooth, rounded edges. We weren't blown away by capabilities of the new media player, but videos on the BlackBerry Bold's screen looked fantastic. Even better, RIM has hinted at some new features for the BlackBerry line that will bring it closer in line with their Apple competitor. For one thing, RIM has mentioned media transfer that could take advantage of iTunes, which would be a real coup, though we'll believe it when we see it. For another, rumor has it RIM will be bringing HTML e-mail to their upcoming lineup, which would definitely be a nice upgrade for these messaging-intensive devices.
RIM won't give a solid date or pricing structure for the new BlackBerry Bold, but the company hasn't backed down from their Summer '08 estimates. When it's launched, this will be the business smartphone to beat, and perhaps one of the best QWERTY phones on the market, so check back for our full review when the time comes.
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