The Blackberry Bold Phone

The Blackberry Bold phone, originally released in the US on November 4th 2008 as the Blackberry Bold 9000, is the second highest selling AT&T phone only behind the Apple iPhone, and the #6 selling mobile phone in the U.S. according to Businessweek. Maybe the most unique aspect of the Blackberry Bold is its wide range of carriers. Not only is the phone supported by both AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S., it is also supported by a wide variety of international carriers including Vodafone, Rogers, & Telstra.

The Blackberry Bold also has the distinction of being the first 3G Blackberry released in the U.S. The phone was acclaimed for its sharp LCD screen and MP3 & Video features but was also criticized for its bulky form factor and web browsing capabilities.

The original Blackberry Bold 9000 shipped with the following specifications.

U.S. Release Date: November 4th 2008
Installed OS: Blackberry OS 4.6
Form Factor: Candybar
CPU: 624MHz Marvell Tevor PXA930
Memory: 128MB RAM
Storage Capacity: 1GB, 8GB MicroSD
Screen Resolution: 480 X 320px
Screen Type: 2.8 inch TFT LCD
Input Type: Trackball Keyboard
Camera: 2.0 megapixel
Physical Size: 4.48 X 2.6 X 0.59in
Weight: 4.8oz
Networks: Quad band GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Tri Band HSDPA 850/1900/2100

The Blackberry Bold 9700 released October 21 2009 was Blackberry’s attempt to improve on the its Bold 9000. There were many improvements made to the phone including a new optical trackpad instead of the traditional Blackberry Trackball. An upgraded 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash which is an improvement over the Bold 9000 2.0 megapixel camera.

The Bold 9700 also makes improvements to the 9000’s resolution, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth capabilities, and network support. Maybe the two most important improvements made to the 9700 is the extended battery life, with talk time up to 6 hours, and its new sleeker design. Similarly to its predecessor, the Bold 9700 was also criticized for its mobile web browser capabilities.

The Blackberry Bold 9700 shipped with the following specifications:

U.S. Release Date: October 21st 2009
Installed OS: Blackberry OS 5.0.0.405
Form Factor: Candybar
CPU: 624MHz
Memory: 256 MB RAM
Storage Capacity: 1GB, 16GB MicroSD
Screen Resolution: 480 X 360px
Screen Type: 2.44 inch TFT LCD
Input Type: Trackball Keyboard
Camera: 3.2 megapixel
Physical Size: 4.29 X 2.36 X 0.56in
Weight: 4.3oz
Networks: Quad band GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Tri Band HSDPA 850/1900/2100