While the Blackberry buzz this week is focused on Research in Motion's first flip phone Pearl, I'm more interested in unanswered questions surrounding the yet-to-be launched Blackberry Bold. This is RIM's answer to recently launched Nokia E71 and the forthcoming Motorola Q11 - and other Windows Mobile powered QWERTY devices.
While the Blackberry Bold is not yet available in the U.S., here in the U.K. (where I live) it is. I got my hands on one, in advance of its U.S. debut (expected "later this year"), and here is what I think of RIM's Blackberry Bold.
Out of the Box
First impression is the Bold looks really good. The screen is covered by a glass-like plastic and the backside is made of some type of leatherette, which doesn't really match the glossy front. The silver colored frame is not made out of metal but plastic. The phone fits comfortably in my hand and weighs slightly more than the iPhone.
On the top, the BlackBerry Bold has a Mute/Standby button and a speaker grill. The speaker is quite loud with overall good clear sound. On the bottom of the device there is back cover release button and the microphone. On the left side a standard 3.5mm headphone connector is located, with a MiniUSB plug for both charging and synchronizing, a voice command button and the door the MicroSD memory card slot.
The Bold model I looked at came with a 1GB memory card. Getting it out was not easy. That's because the locking mechanism of the slot is quite strong. I eventually pried open the memory card with a pair of tweezers. On the right side, a camera button and volume control buttons can be found. The back sports a 2-megapixel camera with LED flash.
The half VGA resolution 480 by 320 pixel display steals the show of any other Blackberry I've seen so far. The screen is crisp and clear and the improved graphics interface helps to provide a visually rich experience. Once switched on, the Bold took me through a device tutorial and a keyboard explanation and then I was prompted to set up the e-mail service.
Software Snags
After using the Blackberry Bold I've reached a few conclusions on the device. First off, despite the Bold's superiority as one of the best e-mail devices on the market, the software needs a bit more work. For example, it's unclear to me why RIM decided to have the SMS and MMS messages in a different menu options than the e-mail option.
Another peculiar choice by RIM was not supporting multiple alarms within the Clock feature. Let's say you have a morning and afternoon appointment. The Bold only lets you configure Bold's Clock feature with one alarm to remind you per day.
Another peeve is with access to ringtone options. To get access it took navigating 6 submenus - far too many for non-business users.
Software Shines
On the positive side I do like the Bold's Personal Information Manager (PIM) applications on the Bold, like Calendar and Contacts which I found very flexible and give plenty of options for one to keep on top of their work schedule.
Bold's music player is well thought, borrowing in many respects interface cues from the older model iPods. The sound is loud and the quality is good also, comparable to the iPod's. But nothing is perfect, as one has to have the music player open in order to receive a music file through Bluetooth. Nevertheless, RIM managed to put into the Bold a decent music player.
The Web browser is well improved in comparison previous Blackberry handhelds. Navigation via Wi-Fi was relatively fast and the pages displayed looked similar to how a computer would display them (still no Flash support however) Meanwhile, the picture quality of the Bold's 2-megapixel camera is mediocre.
Power Problem
A major annoyance I ran into while using the Bold was the way the device manages power while on low battery levels. If the battery is running too low, the Bold won't shut down but will disconnect the radio, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennas, the other features of the phone remaining accessible. However, if the phone is put to charge, the radio antenna will not be switched on immediately, but rather after 10-15 minutes of charge. This could be quite disturbing if one is in a situation when their battery ran unexpectedly low and they put the phone to charge to continue a call, only to find out they are unable to do so for the next quarter of an hour.
Dotting the I's and crossing the T's
Software annoyances aside - the new software interface looks and feels good. The Blackberry Bold's display is breathtaking. Blackberry loyalists that envy multimedia features on other handsets will finally have something to show off - maybe not brag about.
As much as RIM tries to let its hair down and loosen its collar with a phone with more mass appeal, the Bold is still a business minded phone with a nod to the consumer.
If you're a Crackberry addict waiting for a true iPhone rival wait another month for the Blackberry Storm.
Addendum
Here in the U.K., the Blackberry Bold has been available for just over two months. So far the phone has been reportedly plagued with software problems, so much so European wireless carrier Orange is suspending Blackberry Bold sales as we speak. Orange explains: "Reports of software issues with the handset across a variety of mobile operators." I did not encounter any software errors during my limited hands-on testing of the Bold.
It is those issues behind delays of AT&T releasing the phone in the U.S. also, some say. At this rate RIM looks set to launch its' iPhone competitor, the Blackberry Storm, in the U.S. before Bold.
