BlackBerry Bold 9700 Sync Pod Powers Up AND Syncs Your Smartphone (UPDATED)
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 Sync Pod is only the second BlackBerry charging pod from RIM that both powers up your smartphone and syncs data between it and a PC--the Storm 95xx Sync Pod was the first. The gadget is the only such "pod" for non-touch-screen BlackBerrys.
CIO — UPDATED: Shortly after posting this story, I received the BlackBerry Bold Sync Pod I ordered from Amazon.com. Much to my disappointment, the pod I received is not a "Sync Pod" as described on RIM's ShopBlackBerry.com and the Amazon website. Rather, it's a regular Charge Pod like all the others RIM has released over the past couple of years. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 Charge Pod does NOT sync data, and the description on RIM's website is either inaccurate or for another product altogether. I've reached out to RIM for clarification and will update this post again as soon as possible. AS
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone was just announced by Research In Motion (RIM) last month, and the device was released in the United States by T-Mobile this morning. But that doesn't mean RIM's wasting time pumping out accessories for its new flagship BlackBerry.
Among the goodies listed on RIM's online shop, ShopBlackBerry.com, is the brand new BlackBerry Bold 9700 Sync Pod, a small cradle which holds the new Bold up horizontally and connects to the device via small "panels" on the 9700's sides.
The BlackBerry Charge/Sync Pod's not new; RIM's made Charge Pods for nearly every track-ball device since the original BlackBerry Pearl 8100. But the 9700 Sync Pod is different in that it employs the two metal panels found on the bottoms of both its left and right sides to not only transfer power, but data, according to ShopBlackBerry.
It's also notable, because even though the original Storm 9500/9530 Sync Pod could both charge and sync data between a BlackBerry and a PC, that product employed the Storm's microUSB port to connect to the device. The Bold 9700 Sync Pod is the first BlackBerry pod to both charge and sync a non-touch-screen BlackBerry via side-panels, according to RIM.
RIM's pinned a $39.99 price tag on the Bold 9700 Sync Pod, but it's still not shipping from ShopBlackBerry.com. The product is apparently in stock and shipping from the CrackBerry Shop, where you can pick up the Bold 9700 Sync Pod for just $24.95 plus shipping. I also found the 9700 Sync Pod listed as in stock on Amazon.com's online marketplace for $13.63, and I ordered one myself...but I'm still waiting for it to arrive. (I'm looking at you, DBROTH.)
The technology used in the side panels is new--to RIM at least--and I'm anxious to see how it works. I'm a huge fan of the original BlackBerry Charge Pods, and this new enhancement should go a long way to making a good product even better.
Note: BlackBerry Charge/Sync Pods don't come with any power cords, USB, AC, car charger, or otherwise. So make sure you've got an extra charger or power cord handy before scooping one up.
Keep checking my CIO.com author page for a review of the Bold 9700 Sync Pod shortly after it arrives on my desk.
AS
