There comes a time when the torch has to be passed. The BlackBerry 9700, rumoured to be RIM’s next flagship phone, looks set to replace the successful BlackBerry Bold 9000. It was unearthed by Boy Genius Report and seems to borrow many of its predecessor’s features, including the cobblestone layout of the Qwerty keypad, high contrast display and the infamous fake leather back cover.
While some people took issue with the Bold’s faux leather back, we liked it. It made the phone easier to grip and added a dash of style. In our minds it was also a tacit nod to the leather-bound Filofax – stereotypical talisman of the 80’s executive – which the BlackBerry has all but replaced. Other people must have liked it too, as RIM has seen fit to bring it back for the 9700.
The BlackBerry 9700 carries on with the Bold tradition by incorporating a vibrant display boasting sharp contrast and high colour fidelity. The Qwerty pad also reportedly offers the slickest BlackBerry typing experience yet. Other features noted by the BGR team include a 3.2-megapixel camera (no mention of flash), a 3.5mm jack and 3G and Wi-Fi.
BGR reckons that the BlackBerry 9700 will be made available around mid-October or mid-November, RIM declined to comment on the leak. We’ll see how brightly the Bold’s successor shines closer to the time.
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