Basking Ridge,
N.J. – Verizon Wireless is the latest national carrier to commit to selling at
least one of Research In Motion’s (RIM) five new
.
The carrier will offer
the BlackBerry Bold 9930 beginning Aug. 25 at $249 with a new two-year customer
agreement. A non-camera model will also be available for $249 with new two-year
customer agreement.
Previously, Sprint
said it planned Aug. 21 availability of the BlackBerry Bold 9930 at $249 and
BlackBerry Torch 9850 at $149. The Torch also features the new OS.
The Bold 9930,
like RIM’s planned Bold 9900 with the new OS, are the thinnest BlackBerry
smartphones ever at 0.41 inches deep. Both Bolds are also the first in RIM’s
Bold series to add a touchscreen to supplement their fixed BlackBerry QWERTY
keyboard. They’re also the first BlackBerry phones with built-in near-field
communications (NFC).
On the Verizon and
Sprint networks, the Bold 9930 is an international phone operating in 3G mode
in U.S. CDMA EV-DO Rev. A networks and in 3G mode in foreign HSPA networks. It
also features quad-band EDGE. For the Sprint network, the Torch 9850 is
likewise equipped.
The two Bolds, the
Torch 9850, and two other BlackBerry models were
to jumpstart its declining smartphone market share.
All five models
feature the new OS and color touchscreens, with the Bolds adding fixed QWERTY
keyboard and the BlackBerry Torch 9810 adding a sliding QWERTY keyboard. All
also offer such improvements as 1.2GHz processor, 720p HD video recording and
dedicated 24-bit high-resolution graphics processor.
AT&T
previously said it would sell the Torch 9810 slider on an exclusive basis
beginning in August, replacing the carrier’s first-generation Torch, which also
comes with touchscreen and slide-out keyboard. Pricing hasn’t been announced.
Sometime later this year, AT&T will offer the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the
all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860, which will be AT&T’s first all-touch
BlackBerry smartphone. Pricing wasn’t announced.
The BlackBerry 7
OS includes multiple enhancements, including a faster browser, voice-activated
search to conduct a universal search for content on the phone and web, more
out-of-the-box personal and productivity apps, new BlackBerry Messenger instant-messaging
app, and support for a Liquid Graphics touchscreen said to deliver fast
touch-based navigation and 60 fps video.
