RIM's latest BlackBerry aims for broader appeal

Research In Motion Ltd. on Monday is introducing its first major new BlackBerry model in more than a year: the Bold, a high-end model that further demonstrates the company's desire to make tools for both work and play.

The Bold, or 9000, has twice the screen resolution of the current Curve model, making for a very sharp display. It matches the resolution, but not the size, of the screen on Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which has emerged as a potent competitor in the "smart phone" category.

It also has much more internal memory, a glossy metallic look, and adds strongerWi-Fi capabilities to third-generation cellular and Bluetooth radios.

Otherwise it stays close to the formula of the Curve, with a horizontal screen above a trackball and a keyboard with one letter per key.

Waterloo, Ont.-based RIM didn't announce a price for the Bold, nor agreements with specific carriers. It said the phone would be available from various carriers this summer.

The Bold only works on networks using GSM technology and is not compatible with rival CDMA networks. AT&T Inc. announced it would be the exclusive carrier in the United States. A spokesperson for Rogers Communications Inc., Canada's only GSM carrier,said the company would also carry the Bold, but would not elaborate on timing or pricing.

Like the Curve and the Pearl, BlackBerry's consumer-oriented phones, the Bold has a full-size headset jack and a camera that can also capture video. At the same time, it has dual-band Wi-Fi, a feature previously only found on a model aimed at the corporate market.

The Bold will also have exchangable back plates in different colors, a first for a BlackBerry.

RIM also was set to announce a $150-million fund that will invest in companies creating software for BlackBerrys and other mobile devices. The Royal Bank of Canada and Thomson Reuters are co-investors.

The BlackBerry Partners Fund will be managed by JLA Ventures and RBC Venture Partners.

The move echoes Apple's March announcement that it would set up a $100 million "iFund" for the development of iPhone and iPod Touch applications.

Shares of Research in Motion surged $8.90 to close at $142.25 on the TSX on Monday. That's a new record close for the stock.