MONTREAL - The high-speed BlackBerry Bold that's aimed at global business users who want features such as fast Internet access, GPS and video will be launched in Canada this Thursday by Rogers Wireless.
Rogers is the only carrier in Canada with the network needed to operate the BlackBerry Bold by Research In Motion and it hasn't yet unveiled its pricing for the new smartphone.
Pricing could be a sore spot for Rogers. Also the only Canadian carrier of the iPhone, Rogers ended up cutting the price of its data plan for the iPhone for a limited time after consumer complaints.
Consumers will buy the 3G BlackBerry Bold, but it's going to depend on the price, technology analyst Nick Agostino said Monday.
"At the end of the day, I would say the only way the consumer jumps in is if it's subsidized," he said of pricing.
"We'd have to see a price point of somewhere around $200 to really show that they're (RIM) going after the Apple market, the iPhone market, or at least be more in the same ballpark," said Agostino of Toronto-based Research Capital Corporation.
Prices of the new, faster iPhone were cut in June to as low as $199, $200 lower than the previous model, to get the device into more hands worldwide. A 16-gigabyte version of the iPhone sells for $299.
The website CrackBerry.com says on a recent post that Rogers' pricing for the Bold will be $399 on a three-year contract.
"Ouch. And here I was still hoping that it would come in at $299 like the 16-gig iPhone 3G. Silly me," says the website, which bills itself as the "No. 1 site for BlackBerry users and abusers."
Tech website BoyGeniusReport.com compared the Bold and the iPhone last month and gave an even-handed comparison: "It really comes down to what you need more in a phone. While the Bold certainly has improved media and other consumer features, it really is a business device at the end of the day.
"The iPhone 3G is a consumer device that happens to play nice with a lot of corporations, and we honestly think you won't find many people dropping their BlackBerrys for an iPhone. They'll carry both as long as they can afford it," said the website.
Agostino said the much faster Internet access will be the main feature that appeals to business users.
"So some enterprise user who is very Internet-centric would certainly want to take advantage of the Bold. On the other hand, somebody who may use it more for email applications for the most part, the appeal isn't there."
Research In Motion is expected to unveil its answer to Apple's iPhone this fall with a touchscreen model aimed at consumers called, Thunder.
The Waterloo, Ont., based RIM is known for pioneering push email that goes automatically to the wireless hand-held devices without the user needing to download the messages.
The Bold also has GPS capabilities, a camera and can stream video, which could prove useful to businesses for training. In addition, it can take advantage of Wi-Fi Internet hotspots, which could save users money on their monthly plans.
Agostino said unlike the hoopla that surrounds iPhone launches, more global in nature, RIM usually launches its products based on regions and carriers and that creates less overall buzz about its smartphones.
The Bold is already available in Germany and Chile and is expected to be available in the United States this September.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky said in a recent research note that RIM is expected "to launch a broad consumer assault" in the second half of this year with "multiple" handsets including a touchscreen and flipscreen model.
"We believe investors should see RIM's growth outperforming peers in '08...," the note said, giving such reasons as increasing growth in smartphones and competitive advantages.
Agostino also said the Thunder touchscreen model could be released on Bell or Telus networks instead of Rogers 3G network.
