BlackBerry Malaysia: Blackberry Bold

The good: The RIM BlackBerry Bold boasts one of the sharpest displays we've seen on a smartphone and offers great multimedia performance. The smartphone also brings HSDPA support, more productivity tools, and an updated OS. Other goodies include Wi-Fi; GPS; Bluetooth; and strong e-mail support with full QWERTY keyboard.

The bad: The Bold is a bit bulky and expensive. The Web browser isn't as easy to navigate as the competition.

The bottom line: For those who waited, the RIM BlackBerry Bold won't disappoint. The Bold impresses with its brilliant display, enhanced productivity tools, and excellent multimedia performance to deliver a more powerful and well-rounded smartphone to mobile professionals.

Specifications: Band/mode: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 / UMTS 850/1900/2100 ; OS provided: BlackBerry Handheld Software ; Talk time: Up to 270 min

It's been a good six months since Research in Motion first announced the RIM BlackBerry Bold (aka RIM BlackBerry 9000). Originally slated for a summer release on AT&T, the launch date kept getting pushed back...and back. Frustrated with the delays and wooed by other new smartphone releases, we moved on (and so did many of you) and nearly gave up on the Bold. However, now that we finally have it hand, the love affair has begun all over again.

The BlackBerry Bold delivers on a number of fronts. Its half-VGA display is one of the sharpest screens we've seen on a smartphone, which, combined with the stereo speakers, really boosts the multimedia experience. The Bold also ships with the latest BlackBerry operating system, new productivity applications, and support for HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. This is on top of all the great messaging capabilities. Of course, it's not perfect. The smartphone isn't the sleekest device on the block, and the Web browser could use more work. It's also not going to have the mass appeal of an Apple iPhone 3G, nor would we recommend it to the general consumer. With its feature set and strong e-mailing capabilities, the BlackBerry Bold is very much a business-centric smartphone, but what is offers mobile professionals is a premium device that can handle work and play. The RIM BlackBerry Bold will be available November 4 for a slightly pricey $299.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates and discounts.