The BlackBerry Bold also codename, as the BlackBerry 9000 for some time now will definitely get announced on Monday May 12, 2008 at WES. The Bold is Research in Motion or RIM’s answer to consumer’s demands for a more media-centric smartphone. A great set of features is all good, but breaking the old stiff looking-corporate chassis is what the Bold is striving for. Combined with a new look, brand new BlackBerry OS, 3G (HSDPA) and a full-size QWERTY keyboard makes the new Bold a dream phone for all BlackBerry users.
BlackBerry Bold overview and initial impressions surprises
Phone magazine will soon have a unit to review, but for now, for the sake of this launching this site, we’ll use CrackBerry’s review of the BlackBerry Bold. Kevin took a huge risk when he bought one of only three BlackBerry Bolds up for auction on eBay right, before the auction was pulled. Living on the bleeding edge, you’re going to have to pay for it, and that’s what happened here – Kevin paid an overinflated price of $828 USD for the BlackBerry Bold. Thanks to his gutsy move, we’re all able to validate that yes, the BlackBerry Bold is legit and share a number of first 
–hand impressions.
The BlackBerry Bold arrived in a box with minimal accessories such as a European wall charger, USB cable, black rubber Bold skin case that’s unbranded and smells like rubber, and a battery. According the Kevin, the Bold took 1m49s to boot up compared to the BlackBerry8320 Curve clocking in at 1m59s and BlackBerry 8830, which took 2m13s. The production model of the Bold may boot up even faster because this pre-production Bold runs a lot of “diagnostic stuff”.
Kevin pointed out a number of surprises. Base on what we could tell from the leaked images, it was first thought that the Bold had metallic band around the perimeter of the phone. That is not the case, but instead plastic. If this is what RIM considers “High quality material and high-end finish,” who are we to argue about it. Perhaps the production model will ship with metal band, but that’s unlikely. I personally think going with the plastic trim is better since it will reduce the weight and provide a better grip. The new changes to the keys and the full QWERTY keyboard are surprisingly easy to get used to. I think the new owner of the Bold must have had an orgasmic experience when he experienced BlackBerry 4.6 OS for the first time. According to him, it’s smooth, it’s fast, and it’s pretty. The screen is bright and crisp, thanks to the new 480 by 320 HVDA Color LCD. Among the many changes and additional features added to the Bold, it was a 3G logo on a BlackBerry (GSM network) for the first time in history that almost brought tears to his eyes.
Blackberry Bold Form factor and overview
In many ways, the Bold retained a similar look and feel to the BlackBerry family of devices. It mostly resembles the BlackBerry 8800 series in terms of physical dimensions and general appearances. That being said, RIM seemed to have taken what works and smoothed out the edges giving the Bold an overall sleeker and more modern look and feel. It does look as though RIM borrowed the “chrome” band from the iPhone. The standard trackball is still prominently places in the center of the handset with the display on top and the QWERTY keyboard below it. The buttons are now flushed against the device, yet still functional. I like having instant access to the microSD card slot without having to remove the back cover and battery. The 3.5mm headphone jack is a welcomed addition. Towards the bottom, there are two indented silver buttons that will most likely be used to dock with a BlackBerry Desktop charger.
The Bold is physically longer, slightly wider and a tad thicker than the BlackBerry 8800 series. However, the Bold feels a heck of a lot thinner than the brick like feeling you get on the 8800. RIM designed the Bold’s battery casing to “set into the phone”, which reduces the bottom half of the phone’s width. This could be the reason why it feels thinner and more comfortable,
In conclusion, RIM has always taken the stance that corporate and normal consumers want a physical keyboard, which they’ve stayed true to their word. The bold is by far one of the best device released by RIM in this form factor without running the risk of crossing over to the iPhone-esque full touch display design.
BlackBerry Bold is officially announced!