Arriving as the first BlackBerry on T-Mobile’s 4G network, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 has had rumors swirling all around its release date, specs and retail price. We’re glad to announce that we have that information available for you, and it has been backed up by several reliable sources. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 went on exclusive pre-order sales for T-Mobile customers on August 17 on many online retail sites, and the physical presence in your local electronics store, and ship date if you pre-order, is August 31.
T-Mobile’s new 4G network is much faster than their 3G network, and the company promises speeds of up to three times as fast. The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 will contain a 1.2 GHz single core processor and 768 MB of RAM. With 512 MB of RAM as the smartphone average, and 1.0 GHz the smartphone average for processors, it appears that RIMM has seriously decided to step up their efforts in delivering a powerful and fast media-consuming phone, as opposed to a phone that relies on their Bridge platform which appeals mostly to the business user.
Easily the thinnest BlackBerry ever, the Bold 9900 arrives at an anorexic 10.5 mm. However, what is not new is the physical form. The familiar curved four row QWERTY keyboard beneath the display is present here, offering a sense of familiarity to former BlackBerry owners. RIMM states that the new Liquid Graphics technology offering 24-bit high-resolution display and graphics is a step up in visual rendering, and 640 x 480 megapixel resolution is offered on the 2.8 inch screen which is protected by scratch resistant Gorilla Glass.
Andrew Morrison is vice president and product manager for T-Mobile USA and said their company is “excited to add a BlackBerry smartphone” to T-Mobile’s 4G lineup. The new BlackBerry 7 operating system is on board, and the Bold 9900 will also offer a 5 megapixel rear facing camera and the ability to record in 720p high definition video. Retail price is rumored to be $299, but that could not be verified. Be sure to check back here for a hands-on objective review of the BlackBerry 9900 T-Mobile smartphone.
