RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 9780 is the newest addition to the BlackBerry Bold series of smartphones and like the previous model (Bold 9700) that new phone features an easy-to-use keyboard and optical trackpad. 

 

It is the second smartphone following the BlackBerry Torch 9800, and the first BlackBerry Bold model, to employ the Canadian manufacturer’s BlackBerry 6 operating system (OS). The BlackBerry Bold 9780 will be available from Vodacom in either black or white.

 

“We are excited to offer our customers the next evolution of the popular BlackBerry Bold smartphone,” said Mark Taylor, managing executive at Vodacom. “With its iconic design and rich set of features, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 is perfect for South African consumers who aspire to do more with their time and want to easily connect to the people and information that matter most to them.”

 

Deon Liebenberg, managing director for Africa at RIM added: “The BlackBerry Bold 9780 smartphone with BlackBerry 6 offers a host of compelling new features, including advanced multimedia, enhanced messaging and easy access to social networks.” 

 

The BlackBerry Bold 9780 also sports support for 3G networks around the world, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS for location-based applications as well as geo-tagging. It comes with a 5 MP camera with a full complement of high-end features including continuous auto-focus, scene modes, image stabilisation, flash and video recording.

 

This smartphone boasts 512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage.

 

BlackBerry 6 is a new operating system that retains the familiar and trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh, approachable and engaging experience that’s powerful and easy to use. It integrates a new and rich WebKit-based browser that renders HTML web pages quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience.

 

Additional features of BlackBerry 6 include expanded messaging capabilities with intuitive features to simplify the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and integrated access to BBM (BlackBerry Messenger), Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and various instant messaging applications on the BlackBerry Bold 9780 smartphone.

 

The BlackBerry Bold 9780 smartphone will be available from participating Vodashops and selected Vodacom outlets countrywide and is free on a BlackBerry Talk 100 contract. The Retail selling price will range between R4499 and R4699.

 

Look out for our Bold 9780 review later this week.