Expansys Hail BlackBerry's 'Bold' Move to Close the Gap on Rivals

LONDON, August 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The brand new BlackBerry Bold 9900 has been hailed as "a great step in the right direction" by technology experts Expansys after the device was launched by smartphone giant RIM in an attempt to halt an alarming slump in the company's fortunes.

The most powerful BlackBerry ever arrives in UK stores as one of five imminent releases from RIM, whose market presence has diminished as a result of the continued popularity of Apple's iPhone and the ever-increasing range of Android phones.

All five new RIM handsets come complete with BlackBerry 7, the latest version of RIM's operating system that enhances the overall user experience, with the Bold 9900 being tipped to lead from the front as RIM bids to wrest back market share from its rivals.

Rob Williams, of leading mobile retailer Expansys, said: "The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is bold by name and bold by nature. We anticipate it'll appeal to a wider range of people than its predecessors.

"The BlackBerry has long been regarded as the must-have smartphone for businessmen and women and, while enterprise users will get more than ever from the Bold 9900, RIM have created an exciting phone that everyone will enjoy. By delivering a handset that finally matches their high-quality rivals, this BlackBerry could revive the brand in a big way.

"Whereas in the past, previous BlackBerry models have underwhelmed consumers with slow load times when surfing the Internet, the Bold 9900 suffers no such pitfalls and the browser is undeniably much improved.

"It's also the first touchscreen Bold, complete with a suitably well-refined user interface that integrates the touch controls extremely well. It is also the most powerful Bold ever, and even BlackBerry's s famous keyboard is slightly bigger and better than ever before."

RIM has given the Bold 9900 a powerful 1.2GHz processor and 768GB of RAM, as well as a 5MP camera with the capability to record 720p HD video. These improvements represent a significant step forward for BlackBerry and RIM will hope the public's response is positive.

Williams added: "The Bold 9900 may not convert some non-believers who remain loyal to Android or their trusty iPhone, but it's certainly the best BlackBerry to date. And it's sure to excite existing BlackBerry users throughout the UK, and maybe others too because there's finally enough to tempt users of other platforms into the BlackBerry camp… 

"The timing of the launch of the Bold 9900 is interesting because it interrupts the media frenzy surrounding the upcoming release of the iPhone 5, which is threatening to leave BlackBerry eating its dust.

"RIM is getting its moment in the spotlight off the back of the biggest launch in their history where they announced five new phones. This unprecedented move just goes to show how determined they are to revive their fortunes in the smartphone market.

"It remains to be seen whether flooding the market with five different models - the Bold 9900 and 9930, plus the Torch 9810, 9850 and 9860 - in such a short space of time will successfully breathe new life into RIM. The Bold 9900, though, is definitely a great step in the right direction."

Contact:
Rob Williams
Content Executive
PJ Media Ltd
+44(0)1628-539958
rob.williams@pjmedia.co.uk