|
Thu, October 16, 2008 |
Last Updated: October 14,2008 5:03:25 pm
|
|
August 26th, 2008, By Scott Tavener
The BlackBerry Bold Quietly Arrives
 A wireless ninja The NewsResearch in Motion's BlackBerry Bold debuted today and, though it did not generate the same hysteria as its Apple rival, the iPhone, it did emerge to largely positive reviews. Why such a relatively quiet landing? Behind the NewsLike Capulets and Montagues, Athens and Sparta, and Beta and VHS, BlackBerry and iPhone have sparked a historic rivalry. While the former has long been the dominate handset provider in the smart phone wars, Steve Jobs's upstart unit took a huge step with last month's launch of the iPhone 3G.
When the iPhone launched in twenty-two countries simultaneously on July 11th, 2008, insatiable tech-heads braved cold weather, days in line, and, in some cases, exorbitant data packages. With regard to the latter, protests sprung up, petitions began, and politicians put in their two cents. The ballyhoo around the launch dominated media and blogsites alike. Unlike the iPhone, the BlackBerry Bold slipped modestly onto the market, ninja style. It isn't surprising. Aimed at savvy business users, the new BlackBerry isn't intended as a culture-lover's media centre. Its uses are inherently more suited to professional motives. As a rule of thumb, touching is for fun but key pushing is for business. Thus, the QWERTY-boasting keyboard - itself notably redesigned - is still a major BlackBerry draw. Naturally, professional consumers have too much propriety to sleep in a mall (that was a half joke). Announced in May, the Bold takes over where the Curve left off, upping the anti and adding certain flourishes. Late period BlackBerries have become increasingly smoother looking, eschewing the old rectangular paradigm for pretty curves; the Bold continues that trend. Furthermore, its high-quality display (480x320 resolution) makes it even more attractive. Bold features high-quality image/video capabilities (it has a 2 megapixel camera), MSN Messenger and Hotmail connectivity, Microsoft Office applications, and improved sound clarity. Like the iPhone, the new Bold works on 3G technology. Therefore, the Bold is faster than most of its wireless brethren. With GPS, iTunes accessibility, and Bluetooth, it should be as addictive as its predecessors. Canadian iPhone users had to pay high tariffs for the set and then faced a 3G provider monopoly that saw long contracts and expensive monthly fees. The provider in question also offers the Bold, thus perspective users can expect similar pricing. Despite the lack of ticker tape parades, fireworks, and media coverage, the Bold does have the buttoned-down set in anticipatory flutter. Though potential buyers may not be camping out on sidewalks, look for addiction levels - and subsequent DTs - to spike in the coming weeks. Comments
Share & Bookmark |
Reader Comment…by JohnSmith1
“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectet adipisci elit. Praesent molestie faucibus nisl donec convallis orci eu ipsum” |
You will be prompted to register or log in when posting.