RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 photos

The RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the next-generation version of the Bold and brings such improvements as a sleeker design, faster processor, and updated operating system. The smartphone will be available for AT&T and T-Mobile for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is T-Mobile's first 3G BlackBerry. In addition, the device offers integrated Wi-Fi with UMA support so you can make calls over a Wi-Fi network.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 looks nothing like its predecessor. RIM redesigned the smartphone and made it smaller and less masculine in the hopes of attracting a wider audience that included more women and consumers. We think RIM achieved its goal. Here is the Bold pictured next to the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900.

At 4.29 inches tall by 2.36 inches wide by 0.56 inch thick and 4.3 ounces, the Bold 9700 is certainly more pocketable and is even smaller and lighter than the BlackBerry Tour.

Given the smaller size, you do lose a little bit in screen real estate. The Bold 9700 has a 2.44-inch display (compared with the 2.75 inches), but its sharp and vibrant with a 480x360-pixel resolution.

Like the BlackBerry Curve 8520, the Bold now has an optical touch pad rather than a trackball. We found it to be extremely responsive and provided an even smoother experience when scrolling through long lists and Web pages.

Though not as spacious as the original Bold's, we still found the Bold 9700's QWERTY keyboard easy to use. The buttons are a good size and comfortable for typing short text messages and longer e-mails.

The Bold 9700 gets a bit of an upgrade in the camera department, going from 2 megapixels to 3.2 meagapixels. The camera also offers a flash, variable zoom, auto focus, and video recording capabilities.