Despite RIM’s successive screw-ups (including a massive server outage that left thousands of customers without BBM or internet service… twice), there are still some hardcore BlackBerry fans out there. If you’re one of them, feel free to breathe a sigh of relief because the only news I bring you today is the announcement of three new BlackBerry models for AT&T: the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the BlackBerry Torch 9860, and the BlackBerry Curve 9360.
Then again, it’s not even noon yet.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 looks and feels very similar to its predecessors. It packs the standard QWERTY keyboard RIM clings so tightly to, along with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display. A 1.2GHz processor is under the hood along with 768 MB of RAM, 8GB of on-board memory, a memory card slot, and support for AT&T’s 4G network. You’ll also find a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of video capture in 720p, with BlackBerry 7 OS running the show. The phone has earned MasterCard’s PayPass NFC certification, along with the Curve 9360. The Bold 9900 will go for $199.99 on-contract on November 6.
Up next, we have the BlackBerry Torch 9860, the first all-touch BlackBerry to hit AT&T. It sports a 3.7-inch touchscreen, and almost all the same specs as the Bold 9900, save for the PayPass certification. The Torch should be an interesting addition to BlackBerry’s lineup, seeing that many die-hard BlackBerry owners normally cite messaging (and thus, the full QWERTY keyboard) as the deal-maker. At the same time, a buttonless world is upon us, as the tech world tries to get as touch-sensitive as possible. The Torch 9860 will go for $99.99 on-contract on November 6, the same day as the Bold.
Last, but not least, we have the BlackBerry Curve 9360, with its flash-enabled 5-megapixel camera capable of video capture in 720p. The phone boasts a 2.44-inch display along with an 800MHz processor, while BlackBerry 7 OS runs the show. AT&T says that a version of the phone will be available without a camera, but hasn’t specified whether or not the price goes down on that model. The Curve will launch later than the other two, going for $29.99 on-contract on November 20. Government officials and enterprise customers will get first dibs, on November 14.