Infosyncworld.com BlackBerry Bold 9000 Smartphone image:40029:0::0

RIM made this announcement today at the WES 2008 exhibition in Orlando Florida. It looks like an iPhone with a keyboard addition.

The new BlackBerry Bold 9000 is an upgrade from its previous version Curve. It will have 1GB on-board storage memory, slightly enhanced media player, and a microSD memory slot (up to 16GB cards, iPhone doesn’t support external memory cards). It will have a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Bold will be the first BlackBerry to support tri-band HSDPA 3G high-speed networks worldwide and integrates GPS and Wi-Fi in one device. The new iPhones will supposedly support 3G but they won’t have GPS capabilities.

BlackBerry Bold will have broadband connections, so users can browse the Web much faster than iPhone. Broadband speeds may drain the battery; at least the users will have the option to carry an additional one and change it themselves.

It will have DataViz’ Documents To Go, a mobile Office suite which integrates well with desktop Microsoft Office, allowing users to edit documents easily.

Bold will have a 480 x 320 half VGA resolution same as Apple’s iPhone but with a keyboard in addition.

Unlike iPhone’s exclusive deal with AT&T, Bold will be offered by all competing mobile companies. The price is expected to be in the $300 range with a two-year contract.

Bold may provide a good competition for Apple’s iPhone but it will depend on what new features show up in the new iPhone. Business users may still prefer Bold for its speed and versatility.