Hot news just in from Boy Genius Report claiming that AT&T is going to announce the availability of the BlackBerry Bold within the next month.  The date for release is not completely set, as they gave us the date of October XX (what are we in 6th grade Algebra again?).  So get your work pools set and pick a date to bet on, because your guess is just as good as ours.  The release was dated for yesterday, but so far it hasn’t been technically “released” so I am betting that they are waiting for a keynote to announce this along with other fun tech items at CTIA.  Check out the release below, and then catch more information about the BOLD after the break.

What You Need to Know About the BlackBerry Bold

•  BlackBerry Bold is claimed the “Best BlackBerry Ever“
•  Bold will be available through the AT&T networks on October XX (coming soon!)
•  The BlackBerry Bold will run on the 3G network = super fast speeds = great for Internet/e-mail
•  The BlackBerry Bold will be available for $299.99 (pending contract requirements)
•  Built-in GPS and WiFi capabilities

BlackBerry Bold Brings it to the Table

The release of the BlackBerry Bold is going to be true “tell-all” moment.  RIM brought the BlackBerry to life years ago and undoubtedly changedthe concept of business forever.  Then Apple stepped through the door and brought its A-game with the Apple iPhone.  Now here we are and BlackBerry is about to ante up and deliver the BlackBerry Bold … and from what I can tell, this could be a homerun.  The sleek look, elegant design and mere innovation of this phone is stellar.  On top of that, the 3G capabilities paired with built-in GPS make this phone a “must-have” in the smartphone world.  I just have a feeling about this phone … and I’d bet on it any day. 

You might have heard of the RIM BlackBerry 9000, but RIM has officially named the smartphone the BlackBerry Bold.  In fact, it’s bold in more ways than one.  The gorgeous display makes it very bold, but it also represents a bold shift for the company.  With the release of the Apple iPhone 3G this summer, Apple saw great success and had record breaking sales.  RIM had to bring its A-game to the table with its next smartphone and after looking this thing over, they brought just that.

   (Credit:  BlackBerry.com) 

BlackBerry Bold and Beautiful

An article on cnet.com explained that the device gets its name from its screen.  The Bold features a half-VGA (480×320 pixel resolution) and a 65,000 color display.  During testing, research group participants continually called the screen “bold,” hence the BlackBerry Bold was born.  The Bold is equipped with a stunning display that shows a great video without any pixelation that you typically get.

It’s 4.5 inches tall by 2.6 inches wides, weighing a mere 4.7 ounces, the BlackBerry Bold is as sleek as ever.  This phone also offers a QWERTY keyboard and endless wireless options.  The wireless options include the quad-ban (GSM 850/900/1800/1900), but the best part about this smartphone is the HSPDA/UMTS (850/1900/2100) support.  This is a first for BlackBerry to introduce this support, and is it ever good to have.

Here are some more features that the BlackBerry Bold offers:

• Improved Web browser, option to view pages in full desktop HTML
• Navigate pages with a trackball, which acts like a mouse cursor
•  2-megapixel camera and video recording capabilities (up to 5x zoom)
• Media player supports MP3, WMA, AAC, DivX4, and WMV3 files
• Great speakers with a 3.5mm headphone jack
• Great BlackBerry interface with Dataviz’s Documents to Go suite, for viewing and editing

Get Bold with BlackBerry Bold … in September

Yes that’s right.  AT&T will be the primary provider for the BlackBerry Bold with the expected release to be September 1, 2008.  BlackBerry has always put out great devices and business users have had a special relationship with BlackBerry since they are very user friendly and e-mail access is outstanding.  With the release of the Apple iPhone 3G in early July, it is going to be interesting to see how this might affect BlackBerry sales in September.  Some financial analysts are holding strong for BlackBerry and recommending to buy into the stock now as the prices will rise right up to the release date.  Only time will tell, but until then, we’re going to be bold. 

As the economy is gasping for air and airline prices continue to soar, Americans are looking for something to keep their spirits up.  Well, what would boost your spirits more than jumping aboard an American Airlines flight and finding that you have access to Wi-Fi service?  In the “coming weeks,” American Airlines is expected to roll out “tests of Wi-Fi services” on 15 jets that will run for as long as six months.

Details About Wi-Fi for In-flight Use

Many airlines are developing services that will allow for the use of Wi-Fi while aboard a flight, but American Airlines seems to have the biggest deployment of these services.  In the coming weeks, American Airlines will equip around 15 jets with Wi-Fi services … and the cost for you?  Pretty standard.  They will charge roughly $12.95 for flights that are three or more hours, with prices varying for other flight durations.

So far, none of the U.S. carriers investing in Wi-Fi are expected to offer voice service.  The data services that will be offered are strictly for e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing.  Voice service won’t be offered due to federal regulations prohibiting phone calls during flights, in addition to how annoying it would be to listen to your fellow passenger jabbing away on their cell phone when you are trying to catch shut-eye.  Depending on the success of the data services, a voice option could be in the works for some airlines though.

Success Rates of In-Flight Wi-Fi

According to ComputerWorld, American ran a free “dress rehearsal” of Wi-Fi service on June 24 aboard a Boeing 767-200 during a round trip flight from New York’s JFK International Airport and LAX International Airport.  American and Aircell (the in-flight Wi-Fi provider) said they were studying the results of the tests, and refused to give any information on how the service scored.  But an Aircell spokeswoman said “customers were excited” about the service.

So this news is exciting for BlackBerry and iPhone users alike as they will be able to tap away on their handheld and have full access to e-mail and the Web.  With airline costs so high, you’d think that airline services might offer Wi-Fi as a perk for people who paid for the $800 flight, but what do I know?  Anyways, people are excited about this and I am too!