by Al Sacco

Sprint First U.S Carrier to Release BlackBerry Bold 9650; $200 on Contract

Opinion
May 17, 2010
MobileSmall and Medium Business

RIM's BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone is now available in the United States via Sprint, and Verizon shouldn't be too far behind.

Sprint last weekend became the first wireless carrier to offer Research In Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone in the United States. Verizon Wireless is also expected to soon offer the new BlackBerry Bold, though it has yet to even announce the handheld, let alone a projected release date.

Sprint-Branded BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone
Sprint-Branded BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone

The Bold 9650 is RIM’s latest BlackBerry device, and it’s basically a revamped version of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 with Wi-Fi support, more application memory (at 528MB, the most of any current BlackBerry) and RIM’s new “trackpad.”

Sprint.com is now offering the BlackBerry Bold 9650, RIM’s third Bold-branded handset behind the Bold 9000 and Bold 9700, for $199.99 on a new, two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. And the device should be available in Sprint stores within the coming week or so, as well.

The carrier is expected to also offer a “camera-less” version of the 9650 for organizations with restrictions that bar cameras from sensitive facilities or other areas, though that device is not yet listed on Sprint.com.

Check out the above video for my quick hands-on with the Bold 9650 from RIM’s annual Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES) last month in Orlando. And you can visit Sprint’s website for additional details about its version of the BlackBerry 9650.

AS

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