BlackBerry Bold Now Available from AT&T

The long-awaited U.S. release date for the BlackBerry Bold has arrived at last. This smartphone is now available from AT&T.

Many have been eager to get their hands on this device, as it offers a higher-resolution screen than any previous BlackBerry, the first RIM model with the 3G standard HSDPA, and much better support for working with Microsoft Office files.

With its focus on professions, it's not surprising that the Bold is a bit more expensive than many consumer-focused smartphones. The base price is $550, but that drops to $400 with a two-year contract. In addition, AT&T is offering a $100 mail-in rebate, bringing the cost down to $300.

This model is available now on AT&T's website.

UPDATE

It's still much too early for any reports on how the Bold is selling. Still, at the end of the first day of sales, an AT&T spokesperson said:

Sales of the BlackBerry Bold have been very brisk today. In fact it looks like many people went from standing in line at the polls to standing in line outside of AT&T stores prior to their opening. Lines – in some cases 20-25 deep  – formed outside of AT&T stores prior to the start of business in many major markets across the country, including the New York metropolitan area, Boston, Chicago, Northern Florida, Houston, the greater Los Angeles area, Las Vegas and Charlotte, NC. Several stores have reported being sold out of Bolds by late morning.

More Details on the BlackBerry Bold

Naturally, this device emphasizes RIM's push email system, which has always been an important part of every BlackBerry. It also includes a version of DataViz Documents to Go, to allow users to work with Microsoft Office documents that come in as email attachments.

RIM is also emphasizing the multimedia possibilities of the Bold's half-VGA (480 by 320 pixel) display. It comes with a video player and can handle MP#s, too.

Other features include 1 GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a 2 MPx camera, and aGPS.

This smartphone has a 1500 mAh battery which AT&T says is good for 4.5 hours of talk time or 13.5 days of standby time.

Overall, the Bold is 4.5 inches tall, 2.6 inches wide, and 0.6 inches thick.

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