RIM is anxious with this one, as the official announcement for the BlackBerry 9000 Series has already broke headlines today. The official name for the 9000 series will be the BlackBerry Bold and it packs all the features and style that one would expect in the first 3g HSDPA enabled launch by the manufacturer.

BlackBerry Bold: Processor

The core behind the BlackBerry Bold is the true beauty of the device outside of the 3g connectivity. With a 624 MHz Intel PXA270 Processor, the power of the unit is equal to that of the current generation iPhone and 200+ MHz ahead of the leading Windows Mobile device, the HTC TyTN II. Even the upcoming HTC Diamond and HTC Raphael do not boast the power of 624MHz, so on this aspect we are very pleased by RIM’s decision to step up to 2008 specs.

BlackBerry Bold: Display (Screen)

The HTC Diamond and HTC Raphael will still remain winners in the resolution category long after the Bold makes its official release on carriers worldwide.  Unfortunately, the resolution is limited to 480 x 320 which we would have considered to be much more impressive had we not caught wind of the VGA resolution coming to all upcoming HTC device launches.  On the other hand, the current generation iPhone is also sporting the same resolution as the BlackBerry Bold so the combination of a smaller sized screen and an equal resolution will deliver extremely sharp graphics.

BlackBerry Bold: Connectivity (Data Networks)

While CDMA networks here in North America have supported 3g capable BlackBerry devices (Curve, Pearl, 8800 Series), the GSM world has been starved for quite some time.  The BlackBerry Bold will be the first 3g capable HSDPA GSM BlackBerry to date with Quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSDPA.  More specifically, the Bold will support GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and HSDPA/UMTS 850/1900/2100 with a possible 1700MHz band added for a t-mobile USA launch later in the year.  Clearly, the Bold is aimed at Europe with At&t being the major US carrier getting an exclusive launch here in the states.

Wi-Fi is also included in the BlackBerry Bold and let me start by saying the Bold is no slouch when it comes to network support.  802.11 a/b/g support is working out of the box so you will have no problem connecting to your home, work or local network with ease whenever you are looking to max out your browsing speeds or simply lacking a strong 3g signal.

BlackBerry Bold: Memory (RAM/ROM)

You will not find 8GB or 16GB of Internal Storage on the BlackBerry Bold like you will on your iPhone, but you will find a microSD slot which supports SDHC so you will be able to add up to 32GB of secondary storage.  As far as the internal details of the Bold, you will have 128MB RAM, 1GB of Internal Storage on-board to work with out of the box.  We enjoy the decent internal storage and the SDHC support especially since there are still rumors that the HTC Diamond which comes with 4GB of built-in memory will not have a microSD slot in the final release.

BlackBerry Bold: Weight and Size

The Bold is 4.5 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.5 inches deep with a weight of 4.7 ounces.  To put this into perspective, the Bold will be bigger than the Pearl, but smaller than the Curve.  Users of the Motorola Q9 c/h will find the BlackBerry Bold to be the perfect blend of size and style and possibly sexy enough to switch over from their Windows Mobile device and give the BlackBerry 4.6 Software a chance at residing in their pockets.

BlackBerry Bold: Additional Features (Bluetooth, GPS, etc)

It always seemed that RIM either chose to give us GPS or they gave us Wi-Fi, but the BlackBerry Bold will deliver both features in one unit.  Not only will the Bold support GPS, but it will have enhanced and assisted GPS to aid in positioning time and effectively deliver the best possible tracking information.  Bluetooth 2.0 support is standard as well as full A2DP support with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

BlackBerry Bold: Multimedia, Camera, Video Support

Part of the improvements made to the BlackBerry 4.6 OS are centered around Web Browsing.  The BlackBerry Bold is focused on delivering full HTML rendering much like every other manufacturer after the introduction of the iPhone’s multi-touch zooming.  While the BlackBerry Bold will improve the web browsing experience, it will still remain in second place behind the iPhone, but thankfully the camera will save the BlackBerry Bold in the multimedia department.  Equipped with a 2.0 megapixel camera and flash (similar to BlackBerry Curve), and 5x zoom (digital), the BlackBerry Bold will maintain an adequate camera with superior features over the iPhone.

The final area of interest that we must note is the codec support on the device.  The media player built in to the BlackBerry Bold supports MP3, WMA, AAC, DivX4 and WMV3 files by default so you are set to handle any typical multimedia situations.  Dataviz’s Documents to Go is included as well and rounds out the features and details for the Bold.

BlackBerry Bold Quick Fact Sheet:

 

• 480 x 320, 65k color, half-VGA screen (not touch screen)
• Dimensions: 4.5″ x 2.6″ x 0.5″ / Weight: 4.7 ounces
• GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and HSDPA/UMTS 850/1900/2100
• 624MHz Intel PXA270 Processor (previous BlackBerries had 312MHz)
• 128MB RAM, 1GB built-in storage
• microSD/SDHC slot accepts up to 32GB cards
• 2 megapixel camera with 5x zoom and LED flash
• BlackBerry 4.6 Software