By Andrew Berg
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Research In Motion (RIM) announced the BlackBerry Bold 9700 for 3G GSM networks, namely AT&T and T-Mobile USA in the United States.
According to a press release, the successor to the original Bold, which was released about a year ago, will feature a full-qwerty keyboard, BlackBerry OS 5.0, built-in Wi-Fi (with support for Wi-Fi calling via UMA where available), 3.2MP camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording, GPS and up to 32GB of expandable memory.
The new Bold is a big step for T-Mobile, as the device marks the 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.
According to a spokeswoman, AT&T will not be offering the unlimited Wi-Fi calling feature. AT&T 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; however, a company spokeswoman confirmed that T-Mobile will sell for the device for $200 with a two-year contract but will forgo the rebate hassle for its customers.