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Oct. 22, 2009

RIM (Research In Motion) announces that its BlackBerry Bold 9700 for 3G GSM networks has been launched. In the U.S., the 9700 is sold by AT&T and T-Mobile USA.

RIM's new Bold is a big jump for T-Mobile, as the device marks the wireless carrier's first 3G BlackBerry.

T-Mobile customers can get unlimited Wi-Fi Calling with T-Mobile's Unlimited HotSpot Calling service or, for business customers, the new Wi-Fi Calling with MobileOffice solution.

The successor to the original Bold, which was released in Sep. 2008, will feature a full-qwerty keyboard, BlackBerry operating system v. 5.0, built-in Wi-Fi with support for Wi-Fi calling via UMA where available, 3.2 Mp camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording, GPS and up to 32GB of expandable memory.

However, AT&T won't be offering the unlimited Wi-Fi calling feature.

Instead the wireless carrier will sell the phone for $200 with a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract agreement.

A press release from T-Mobile didn't mention pricing, but a company spokeswoman confirmed that T-Mobile will sell the device for $200 with a 2-year contract.

T-Mobile will also forgo the rebate hassle for its customers, according to the company's spokesperson.

Will RIM's latest launch of the Bold 9700 create more pressure on Apple to upgrade its new 3GS which already is so popular in the wireless community?

Some mobile analysts think so, although it's still a bit too early to tell.

The smartphone market is heating up rapidly and the major players don't want to miss out on all the action.

And what about Palm? RIM's now huge Blackberry product line, combined with the iPhone's popularity should keep Palm on its toes for the next little while.

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Source: Research In Motion.