The original iPhone has become the instant standard in the smartphone market since its introduction in June of last year. Bloggers and tech critics alike have held every since-released smartphone up to the iPhone’s pedestal, none have come close. Its multimedia functions have set a new standard in the industry. Now with Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 3G, and its new and improved capabilities being offered at half the price, other manufacturers have their work cut out for them. One company is BOLD enough to look the iPhone square in the eye this July – Blackberry. 
The suit-friendly smartphone giant is set to release the Blackberry Bold next month, according to online hype. It’s flashier than what we’ve come to expect from our friends at Research in Motion (RIM), having been revamped from the ground up. RIM has made a long-overdue improvement to the web browser; the new version provides the option to view web pages in either full-desktop HTML or mobile modes. GPS and Blackberry Maps allow for turn-by-turn directions. The 480×320 pixels of resolution, 65,000-color display (a huge step up from its predecessors), and 624MHz Intel processor give it the horsepower and pizzazz to theoretically keep up with the iPhone 3G. Many would even argue that its full-QWERTY keyboard, video-capturing 2-megapixel camera, and ability to play back a larger variety of music/video formats are actually a step above Apple’s brainchild.
For approximately nine months, rumors about the Blackberry Bold have been flying on blogs and forums. The countless claims of it being Blackberry’s answer to the iPhone have been disproved now that we know what it actually is. Whereas Nokia, Samsung and Sony-Ericsson have all released iPhone clones, the Blackberry is an entirely different animal. The lack of 3rd party apps, touch-screen capability, and numerous other factors keep it from playing the role of a so-called “iPhone Killer.” Sure, it met the iPhone on many of its playing fields, but it stuck to the more familiar Blackberry form.
While the iPhone can’t get enough owners complimenting its attributes, Crackberry addicts are more about having their phone compliment them. With an air of “I’m so important people need to have access to me 24/7” about them, Blackberry owners are sure to appreciate the many newfound multimedia tricks the Bold has to offer. They are also aspirational devices for younger adults. As a 21-year-old female from New York put it in our Global Youth Survey:
“When I bought my BlackBerry, I think unconsciously I liked how it made me seem important. All the business people usually use BlackBerrys so I liked the sense of empowerment it gave me.”
As Blackberry’s are becoming more popular among college students, this more stylized phone will likely appeal to them even more. It’s “Bold” new look makes it the “sexy secretary” of smartphones—buttoned up for work, but ready for a good time. And it doesn’t shy away from a fight. With a July debut, the same as the new 3G iPhone, the Bold certainly lives up to its name.
-Ed Felix
