Verizon Wireless is now offering RIM’s highly anticipated BlackBerry Bold 9930 smartphone for $249.99 on contract. BGR exclusively reported last week that Sprint would soon be selling the new touch-and-type Bold for $249.99, and at that time we indicated that other U.S. carriers would likely launch the device at the same price point. Verizon Wireless is now the first carrier to do so, and while early adopters are sure to snatch up the long-awaiting 9900/9930 despite its $250 price tag, widespread adoption may be hindered until the new smartphone dips to $199.99 on contract. We reviewed the new BlackBerry Bold last week and found that the hardware is absolutely worth carriers’ high cost of entry. We also found that RIM’s BlackBerry 7 software, despite improved performance and fluidity, left much to be desired.
UPDATE: Verizon Wireless’ full press release now follows below.
VERIZON WIRELESS INTRODUCES THE NEW BLACKBERRY® BOLD™ 9930 SMARTPHONE
Thinnest BlackBerry Smartphone Features Power and the Perfect Union of a High-Performance Keyboard and Touch Display On the Nation’s Most Reliable Network
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless today announced the new BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphone is available online at http://www.verizonwireless.com and will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on August 25.
The BlackBerry Bold 9930 smartphone is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet, measuring only 10.5 mm, and is the first BlackBerry Bold to integrate a touch display with a BlackBerry keyboard. This smartphone is performance driven and powered by the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system to deliver the ultimate in communication, multimedia and productivity for Verizon Wireless customers.
BlackBerry 7:
· Next generation BlackBerry browser has optimized zooming and panning for smoother Web navigation and optimized HTML5 performance.
· Premium version of Documents To Go is now included at no additional cost, offering customers enhanced document editing features, as well as a native PDF document viewer.
· The newest release of BBM™ (BlackBerry Messenger) now offers the real-time BBM experience together with a range of apps including gaming and social networking.
· Liquid Graphics™ technology combines a dedicated high-performance graphics processor with a blazingly fast CPU and stunning high-resolution display to deliver a responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics.
· Updated Social Feeds app has been extended to capture updates from media, podcasts and more all in one consolidated view.
· Universal search capability now supports voice-activated search, allowing customers to simply say what they want to find on their device or the Web.
· BlackBerry® Balance is integrated in BlackBerry 7, allowing customers to enjoy the full BlackBerry smartphone experience for both work and personal use. BlackBerry Balance allows secure access to business information while preventing the information from being copied into, sent from, or used by personal applications. An administrator can also remotely wipe business information from the device while leaving personal information intact.
Key features:
· 3G coverage on the nation’s most reliable network
· 2.8-inch touchscreen display (640 x 480)
· Full backlit QWERTY keyboard with trackpad navigation
· 1.2 GHz processor
· 5-megapixel camera with flash and 720p HD video recording capabilities
· Global-ready – Quad band with support for UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS and EDGE allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, including more than 125 countries with 3G speeds
· Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, GPS and Bluetooth® 2.1
· microSD™ card slot with support for cards up to 32 GB
· Push to Talk capability will be enabled through an over-the-air update
Pricing and availability:
· BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphone is available for $249.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
· Customers that purchase a BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphone will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.
For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to http://www.verizonwireless.com.
