(photo source: blackberry.com)

You might know it as the RIM BlackBerry 9000, but on May 11 2008, Research In Motion (RIM) officially took the wraps off the highly anticipated smartphone, complete with a new name - BlackBerry Bold.

The BlackBerry Bold features a half-VGA (480×320 pixel resolution) and a 65,000-color display. During some initial product testing, research group participants repeatedly called the screen “bold” and “brilliant”, hence the name.

We can’t show you how sharp and crisp everything looks on the display, since your computer screen’s monitor pixel size is a lot bigger then Bold’s.  This means the phone has a much higher number of pixels per square inch. Smaller pixels means sharper images. Reviews around the web wave about the display quality. RIM also revamped the Menu Interface with a much more modern look and icons. The enclosure is more elegant than past models, with curvier edges and a silver trim(iphone look alike) that complements the black casing. 

If you turn it over, you’ll also notice that the back has a leatherette texture. No more slick plastic. If you want to individualize your phone a bit or to match it with your outfits, RIM sells replaceable backplates in different colors, including blue, gray, and red. 

An improved Web browser (thank goodness), with the option to view pages in a full desktop HTML style or a mobile version was included, and you can now more easily navigate pages with the trackball, which acts like a mouse cursor, and zoom in and out.
 
Specifications and Features 
Size: 4.5 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by half an inch deep
Weighs: 4.7 ounces.

QWERTY keyboard
Quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) 
HSDPA/UMTS(850/1900/2100) support  -  3.5G technology

You also get:
Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g)
Bluetooth 2.0 with full A2DP support
Built-in GPS (enhanced and assisted)
Great sounding build in speakers, 3.5 headphone jack 
Video support: MP3, WMA, AAC, DivX4, and WMV3 file 

Horsepower
624MHz Intel PXA270 processor (previous BlackBerrys had 312MHz processors)!

Storage
128MB of flash memory and 1GB of onboard memory.  
microSD/SDHC expansion slot (supports up to 16GB cards)

Camera
2-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities and up to 5x digital zoom

With the handset come preloaded with Dataviz’s Documents to Go suite for document viewing and editing, plus all the other standard features such as push emails, Blackberry Bold is the smartphone ready for the business world right out of the box.

AT&T US confirmed that it will be the official carrier of the BlackBerry Bold but didn’t provide any details on availability other than “later this year.”

Here’s a video from crackberry.com: A quick tour of the new os on the Bold