It seems RIM just can’t catch a break right now. After its BBM woes and the high profile failure of the BlackBerry PlayBook, now its bleeding edge BlackBerry 7 phones are in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Reports are emerging that devices using the latest BlackBerry OS are failing to turn after being left to charge overnight.
BlackBerry Messenger has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently but a new report suggests it could soon be used for sharing songs as well as riot updates. CNET and the Wall Street Journal both claim to have heard from multiple sources that RIM is in talks with the big four major labels to add a music sharing service on top of BlackBerry Messenger.
Rather than an all-you-can-eat Spotify-style streaming affair, the rumoured BlackBerry Messenger music service will apparently offer subscribers a stash of 50 songs at a time which they’ll be able to listen to on their phones and share with other BlackBerry users via BlackBerry Messenger. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is in the frame as the first device to get access to the BlackBerry Messenger music features.
Adding new features to BlackBerry Messenger makes sense as its the platform’s biggest unique selling point but the idea of such a limited offering doesn’t sound thrilling. We assume the Kaiser Chiefs won’t get a look in either…
![BlackBerry Bold 9900 finally has a decent web browser [video]](http://images.electricpig.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/blackberry_bold9900-150x150.jpg)
A comparison video showing off the web browsing speeds of the iPhone 4, Samsung Nexus S and BlackBerry Bold 9900 has just been released by the folks at CrackBerry. Has RIM kept its promise of 40 percent faster web browsing on BlackBerry 7 versus BlackBerry 6? Let’s find out.
In the trio of BlackBerry 7 handsets that RIM revealed last week, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 was definitely the best of the bunch with build quality that bested the new BlackBerry Torch 9810 and BlackBerry Torch 9860 models. It’s good news for BlackBerry fans then that Vodafone has put the BlackBerry Bold 9900 up for preorder with a promise that it’ll arrive next week.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will set you back £41 a month on a two-year contract if you want to get the handset free. Drop to the next lowest price plan (£39 a month) and it will cost you £99 with a 2 year contract. Vodafone is promising a delivery date of August 16 if you sign up today. If you’re enamoured with hammering out emails on a good solid keyboard, then the BlackBerry 9900 could well be worth nabbing.
Out August 16 | From £free | Vodafone
The BlackBerry 7 powered Bold 9900 is locked and loaded, set to debut at Phones 4u from 18th August. As the largest retailer of BlackBerry smartphones per store in Europe, Phones4u has also confirmed it will add the Torch 9860 and Torch 9810 smartphones at a later date.
So how much is a ride on BlackBerry 7 OS with Liquid Graphics going to cost? The Bold 9900 will be available for free on a choice of networks with £35 a month plans. Of course you’ll need to sign a contract to the land the deal, but that’s a small price to pay for RIM’s latest flagship. Read more
Welcome to another morning edition of the US Update. I’ll be your host, Nick Marshall, as we take a journey through the wonderful world of tech news this fine Wednesday. We start things off with reports of a new iOS Maps application, jump on over to the first 2011 iMac benchmarks and close the show with a list of carriers confirmed to launch the new Bold 9900 in the UK. Let’s begin, shall we?
Yesterday RIM went on a press release rampage, announcing the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 along with a host of other software-centric updates. Today, two UK operators have stepped up to the plate, confirming they’ll land their own BlackBerry Bold 9900s. Both Vodafone and Three are signed up for RIM’s latest flagship, but don’t be surprised if Orange and T-mobile also join in the fun.
Following RIM’s announcement of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones this morning, the first question on our minds what how does this Bold stack up to its predecessor, the Bold 9780? Let’s drive right in and see how the new Bold 9900 and 9930 raise the bar for BlackBerry smartphones and whether or not this is the right Bold for you.
