Welcome to the summer of 2008, and while Apple is chasing the teenagers with the iPhone 3G, Research In Motion (RIM) has just released the ‘Rolls Royce’ of smartphones. The BlackBerry Bold 9000 is the most premium, powerful, and technically accomplished device the Canadians have ever built. In the UK, this is the ultimate status symbol for the corporate heavy-hitter. It’s a wide, imposing device finished in high-grade plastics and polished chrome, featuring a genuine leather-effect battery cover that screams ‘I fly business class.’ It’s a hefty 136g, but it feels like a precision instrument rather than a piece of consumer electronics.
Technically, the Bold 9000 is a powerhouse. It features a 624 MHz Marvell Tavor processor, which is lightning-fast compared to the sluggish chips in earlier Curves. This speed is essential because the Bold is the first BlackBerry to feature a truly spectacular screen: a 2.6-inch half-VGA (480 x 320) display. Because the screen is relatively small, the pixel density is incredibly high, making text look as sharp as a printed page and colours look deeper than an oil spill. The new ‘BlackBerry OS 4.6’ features high-resolution icons and a fluid interface that makes the old monochrome-style menus look like a distant memory.
The keyboard on the Bold 9000 is, quite simply, the greatest typing surface ever put on a mobile device. Each key is sculpted with a ‘fret’ that guides your thumb, and the tactile ‘click’ is so perfect it’s almost musical. For the London professional who needs to fire off a three-page briefing while riding the Jubilee line, there is no substitute. But the Bold isn’t just about email anymore. It features Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g), 3G/HSDPA for fast browsing, and, for the first time, a decent multimedia suite. The internal stereo speakers are remarkably loud and clear, and with the 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD slot (supporting up to 16GB), the Bold is a legitimate MP3 and video player.
Connectivity is where the Bold flexes its muscles. It includes GPS for BlackBerry Maps and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP. The camera is a 2.0-megapixel unit with an LED flash; it’s not going to win any photography awards, but it’s a solid ‘business’ snapper for capturing receipts or whiteboard notes. The real technical marvel is the battery life. Despite the fast processor and high-res screen, the massive 1500 mAh battery can easily last two full days of heavy corporate usage. You can leave the office on a Tuesday and not worry about a charger until Thursday night. The Bold 9000 is the definitive professional smartphone; it’s a device that respects its user’s time and productivity. It’s the peak of the QWERTY era, a technical and aesthetic triumph that proves that even in the age of the touchscreen, a physical keyboard and a leather back can still rule the world.”