Hot out of the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008 conference are the announcements from RIM [RIMM] about their upcoming smartphones:
- BlackBerry Pearl 8220
- BlackBerry Bold
BlackBerry Pearl 8220
Unfortunately for AT&T [T] customers, the Pearl 8220 will debut in the U.S. as a T-Mobile [DT] exclusive shortly. It sports a lot of the same “consumer” type features that the previous Pearl did, including the SureType keypad. But given the flip phone nature of the new product, there is a larger available screen and more real estate for the input controls, including the recessed trackball quadrant and the better-centered keypad. And for the wirelessly connected people, having Wi-Fi in this model will be a significant improvement in their lives. Given the improved screen contrast (some folks have mentioned that it is on par with the Bold) and the updated 4.6 OS, and just the Star Trek look to the new phone, people who have the older Pearl candy bar format should seriously consider the worthiness of the flip phone format for their needs, especially if they’re already T-Mobile customers.
BlackBerry Bold
But, oh, it gets worse!
While other countries are already getting the Bold, the U.S. has yet to see an official carrier for the product. This may have to do with the failure of the product to pass the various internal testing suites that the U.S. carriers impose. In the wireless war, not having a phone subsidized by a carrier is a serious issue for many of the consumer-type users: just look at the fate of the Treo Pro.
The top-of-the-line Bold has all of the features that pro-type users have come to expect from the BlackBerry, including the QUERTY keyboard, trackball, Wi-Fi, and enterprise server access. The multimedia features are still present, similar to what the Pearl 8220 brings to the table. Most Curve users will probably look momentarily at the Bold, but it would be an incremental upgrade for them. Diehard BlackBerry fans will probably get the Bold regardless, subsidized or otherwise; hardcore mobile users should consider both the Treo Pro or the Bold carefully; everybody should just wait to see what the subsidized pricing plans and options will be for the Bold once it is available in the U.S.
