Bold -- Engadget Mobile

BlackBerry Bold comes to South Korea at long last

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 30th 2009 @ 11:57PM

It's taken a little longer than they'd hoped, but RIM and SK Telecom will finally begin offering a localized version of the venerable BlackBerry Bold to South Korean customers this week. The move follows last year's scrapping of policies that all but banned foreign handsets from being offered by local carriers, which could theoretically be a boon to manufacturers in one of the world's most advanced mobile markets -- assuming anyone's able to crash through the stranglehold that local favorites Samsung, LG, and Pantech have. It's unclear how big of a deal a device with an English QWERTY keyboard could really be in Seoul, but hey, options are always a good thing, right?

BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold

by Paul Miller, posted Jun 25th 2009 @ 2:32PM

While some interesting things may or may not be happening under the hood, the freshly announced BlackBerry Tour for Verizon and Sprint (pictured in Verizon garb on the left) is hardly a departure on the surface. It mostly appears to be a minor modification to the Curve (right), though it does seem inexplicably thicker. The Bold seems positively overwrought in comparison. We didn't get much time to play with the OS, but the screen and the keyboard are pure new-generation BlackBerry charm.

BlackBerry Curve and Bold getting price cuts on AT&T tomorrow

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 2nd 2009 @ 2:14PM

We've gotten word from a solid source that AT&T will be lowering prices on its two hottest BlackBerry models tomorrow, the recently-launched Curve 8900 and the Bold. Presently, the devices run $199.99 and $299.99 on contract after rebate, respectively -- but tomorrow you'll be looking at $149.99 and $199.99. Our understanding is that the pricing is only for a limited time, but with an unprecedented onslaught of high-end smartphones dropping both on AT&T and its competitors this summer, we wouldn't be surprised to see these new prices become semi-permanent.

BlackBerry Bold graced with a leaked build of 5.0

by Chris Ziegler, posted Apr 10th 2009 @ 7:02PM

It's one thing to see it on video, but it's quite another to try it for yourself, isn't it? Intrepid Bold users are now invited to take BlackBerry OS 5.0 for a spin courtesy of a freshly-leaked build (5.0.90, if you're curious). Of course, a good majority of the world's Bolds are used in somewhat mission-critical environments -- so if you use your trusty sidearm for corporate email or anything else where bricking the phone might cause some drama at the workplace, you may want to hold off. Just sayin'.

[Via BlackBerryNews]

Refurbished BlackBerry Bold free-on-contract at AT&T (today, anyway)

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 27th 2009 @ 1:02PM

Not digging that $299.99 on contract pricing for RIM's BlackBerry Bold? If you're kosher with placing previously loved gadgets in your presence, you can score one today for the low, low price of absolutely free. Apparently the deal is only valid on AT&T's website and only for today, so you might want to pull the trigger now and think about it later.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

NTT DoCoMo's overheating BlackBerry Bold not caused by battery, says RIM

by Ross Miller, posted Feb 27th 2009 @ 6:41PM

While RIM and Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo still don't know why their BlackBerry Bold is feeling a little toasty around the keyboard, the duo has ruled out a likely culprit, the battery, as its unwelcome heat source. Word on the street is an estimated 30 people have issued complaints about the mobile device heating up while recharging, with around 4,000 units being sold before DoCoMo halted sales. One analyst speculates the issue -- which so far has affected only Japan -- may be based on region-specific software of other customizations. We're sure the pair are working around the clock to get to the bottom of this malfunction, but in the meantime, we recommend dusting off the ol' 8707h to get that retro BlackBerry feel -- y'know, just for kicks.

NTT DoCoMo halts BlackBerry Bold sales after reports of overheating

by Donald Melanson, posted Feb 27th 2009 @ 10:58AM

It's apparently not quite the same fire hazard that the truth in advertising standard-bearer Quickfire is, but NTT DoCoMo doesn't seem to be taking any chances with its newly-launched BlackBerry Bold, with the Japanese carrier now suspending sales of the smartphone after some reports of it getting a bit too toasty for comfort. Apparently, some 30 users reported that the keyboard "heated up" while the phone was recharging, although it's not clear if that's due to the charger or the handset itself. For its part, RIM says that the issue "appears to be specifically limited to the BlackBerry Bold devices sold in Japan," and that expects to be able to fix the problem and resume sales of the Bold "shortly." In the meantime, stay frosty, Japan.

[Via Yahoo! News / AFP]

Specification sheet reveals quad-band 3G BlackBerry Bold for Japan

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 27th 2009 @ 4:31AM

Here's one that's guaranteed to rub loyal T-Mobile subscribers the wrong way. Based on a specifications sheet on the Japanese BlackBerry site, the forthcoming Bold -- which is destined for NTT DoCoMo -- has a fourth 3G band in addition to the 850/1900/2100MHz bands found on the US model. The addition of 800MHz 3G covers the operator's FOMA Plus Area network, which is used in less populated areas throughout Japan. Needless to say, T-Mob users are probably wondering why they can't get a version with AWS 3G baked in, but we get the feeling they'll be wondering for eons.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Amosu hands-on: pink, pricey, and plenty of diamonds

by Sean Cooper, posted Feb 17th 2009 @ 2:23PM

While scavenging for pricey handsets to hang on the gilded walls at the Mansion, we luckily bumped into one Alexander Amosu, of Amosu fame. The Amosu brand is synonymous with gold, encrusted and dripping with gemstones, and most of all, pricey. In his bag of tricks we found three fully-kitted BlackBerry Bolds, a pink iPhone, and an iced Motorola Aura. If you lined them up on a table -- which, of course, we did -- you'd be looking at some 12 plus carats and a price tag somewhere up around 50k. Sure, we're normally harsh on these types of things, but seeing them up close, we could almost kinda get it. Huge sparkling gallery after the break, so if you have shades, now's the time to don them.

Gallery: Amosu hands-on: pink, pricey, and plenty of diamonds

BlackBerry Curve 8900 coming to AT&T this month, Pearl Flip in March?

by Ross Miller, posted Feb 13th 2009 @ 4:43PM

We've had sightings of BlackBerry's Curve 8900 running on AT&T before, and now comes word from a Boy Genius Report tipster that the pairing will be made official this month and the handset's SKU is already popping up in the carrier's systems. Additionally, the Pearl Flip 8210 is rumored to be making its debut on the network sometime in March. BGR expects the prices to be somewhere around $200 and $100, respectively. We can't say we'll be surprised if the Curve finds its way to AT&T, but we're excited at the thought of finally having a carrier-independent matchup between it and the Bold.

BlackBerry Storm vs. Bold vs. Curve 8900... fight!

by Chris Ziegler, posted Feb 5th 2009 @ 3:58PM

Between Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, we now have a royal flush of latest-gen BlackBerrys from which to choose: the Storm, the Bold, and the lovely Curve 8900. Curious what a family reunion would look like? Head on over to Engadget for the full rundown!

T-Mobile pulls BlackBerry Bold and Curve off European shelves

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jan 28th 2009 @ 4:52PM

Okay, relax, T-Mobile USA folks -- this doesn't affect you -- but you should at least show a little sympathy for your European counterparts who are suddenly feeling the sting of a BlackBerry-less existence. Mobile Cowboys has learned that Bolds and Curves have both been unceremoniously yanked from store shelves, apparently due to a bug that's causing overage on customers' plans. The problem's been confirmed on the Curve, and as a precaution, the Bold has been pulled as well -- which, sadly, isn't the first time the 9000's been gagged on a carrier. Presumably, we'll see both of these pop back up just as soon as a new firmware gets thrown into the pipeline -- and existing customers are assured that they'll be reimbursed for any BlackBerry-induced screw-ups.

[Via Mobile Phone Helpdesk]

Visual Voicemail for BlackBerry Bold gets realer

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 22nd 2009 @ 4:24AM

So, those curious Visual Voicemail shots we saw last week? Evidently they weren't just some random effort in Photoshop. According to the Boy Genius Report, the new feature is indeed coming to AT&T's BlackBerry Bold, though an exact release date isn't disclosed. We're told it could be sooner rather than later for "at least some customers," so yeah, you're now free to get your hopes up just a wee bit.

DroidBerry theme turns your Bold into a G1, still won't replace the Gmail app

by Jacob Schulman, posted Jan 15th 2009 @ 11:11PM

Seriously, what's with the fascination of getting a brand new device and trying to make it look like something completely different? First the 8900 theme for Curves and 88xx's, and then Vista for the iPhone -- will it ever stop? No longer will you have to be envious of your Sidekick brethren, Bold users, as the Android-style interface has finally made the jump to the BlackBerry in the form of DroidBerry, the newest theme from those classifiable techies over at CrackBerry. Only $7 and you could have all that cartoony icon and analog clock-related bliss you could ever wish for -- a small price to pay for a whole lot of beauty.

Which BlackBerry would you recommend?

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 15th 2009 @ 9:00PM

Hey, Mobile reader -- have we got your attention? Good. Head on over to this week's Ask Engadget inquiry on Engadget Classic and bestow upon the world some of your awesome knowledge. The question itself is pretty simple, but we'll implore you to hop over and read the whole thing yourself before blurting anything out.