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Bold is RIM's response to competition
Bold is the most complete Blackberry model to date
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Bold is the most complete Blackberry model to date. Sporting an awesome LCD screen, it is a 3G and HSDPA smartphone with Wi-Fi, GPS and instant messaging features. (JP/Zatni Arbi)
The mid and high-end handset market is once again buzzing with an abundant choice of irresistible smartphones, although only certain products stand out above the crowd.
The new BlackBerry Bold 9000 is one of them.
The Bold is quite a break from BlackBerry's tradition. Understandable, as the Canadian-based Research in Motion (RIM) -- the maker of the smartphones -- has had no choice but come out with something completely fresh.
RIM has been under attack from other industry big guns such as Motorola, Nokia and Samsung, which have been offering smartphones with wide screens, QWERTY keypads with embedded numeric keypads, a slew of Internet-centric applications and, most importantly, the ability to handle push-email.
BlackBerry, as we all know, enjoys a powerful reputation as a business smartphone. Ever since it was first launched in 1999, having a Blackberry in one's pocket is just about a must for those who wear a suit and a tie to work.
"Today, BlackBerry has 16 million users all over the world," said Gregory Wade, RIM's vice president for Asia-Pacific region, during the launch of Bold in Jakarta in August. Now, RIM is working hard to increase that number.
In Indonesia, the top three GSM operators have been providing BlackBerry products and services for more than two years. To BlackBerry, like the other cell phone makers, Indonesia is a very important market, as it is unique when it comes to smartphones.
Even though the BlackBerrys -- like the Nokia Communicator series and Nokia E90 -- are designed with the specific needs of a business user in mind, more and more casual users are buying BlackBerrys.
The BlackBerrys do not come cheap, and therefore they have become somewhat of a status symbol; a new lifestyle icon.
There are several reasons why the Bold has created a lot of buzz. First, it flaunts a premium design, which is much more attractive than the BlackBerry Curve and more elegant than the BlackBerry Pearl.
Second, it is the model that has the most complete features to date, including support for tri-band HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS. More important is perhaps the application packages that are specifically designed for different groups of users. It supports enterprise e-mail applications on various platforms such as BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the IBM Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange and Novel GroupWise.
There is also BlackBerry Professional Software that is targeted to users in the small business segment and the BlackBerry Internet Service accommodates up to ten different mail accounts.
Powered by a new 624 MHz processor, the Bold allows direct editing of Excel and PowerPoint files and storage of email attachments in the MicroSD/SDHC memory card.
RIM has tested the device and says it can support memory cards with a capacity up to 16 GB. Those who cannot live without constant chatting can use BlackBerry Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk and Yahoo! Messenger.
The demo unit I tested still had some bugs and needed a software update. The battery level went down rather quickly if I forgot to turn off the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth function.
It appears that higher power consumption is the trade-off for a faster processor, but maybe a cleaner software version will bring the power efficiency up slightly.
To manage media content, the new BlackBerry still uses Roxio software, which is not fully integrated into the BlackBerry Desktop Manager that runs on a PC. This desktop application, which enables the backup and transfer of files between BlackBerrys and other devices, has to be rewritten and made more intuitive.
All in all, however, the Bold is a truly excellent piece of work.
The sharp and high resolution LCD screen is capable of producing beautiful and high-contrast colors. The interface has also been improved substantially, making access to the features more convenient. A new keypad offers distinctly shaped, individual buttons.
The sturdiness of the hardware is also laudable. Unfortunately, RIM still uses a 2 MP camera in this model. The good thing is that it produces quite decent images. Navigating from one stored picture to another is easy with the scroll button. However, zooming in and out using the same button is a bit of a challenge.
RIM does not sell its products directly to users. Instead, it partners with operators. If you want to own a BlackBerry, you need to get one from Indosat, Excelcomindo or Telkomsel.
Excelcomindo has recently signed an agreement with Erafone, the third largest cell-phone retail chain in Indonesia. At any of its 11 outlets, Erafone will provide the Bold and the other BlackBerry models to customers and help them with the XL activation process.
RIM has also introduced its first-ever flip model, the BlackBerry Pearl 8220. Clearly, BlackBerry is determined to protect and even strengthen its position in the global smartphones market.
