RIM unwraps BlackBerry Bold 9780 for November launch

RIM has unveiled the latest addition to its popular business smartphone range, the BlackBerry Bold 9780, which will be available from various carriers in November.

The Bold 9780 has near identical specifications to its predecessor, the Bold 9700, and is a traditional candy bar design with an optical trackpad.

However, a number of improvements have made, and the handset comes with the latest BlackBerry 6 operating system.

BlackBerry 6 supports multitasking, and comes with a new WebKit browser along with the ability to create social feeds.

Access to BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook, Twitter and other networking applications are also integrated, and the handset offers a Universal Search tool.

The device features 512MB of flash memory, and supports up to 32GB of additional storage via a micro-SD slot.

It also supports 3G, carrier-supported Wi-Fi calling and GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging.

RIM's BlackBerry Torch debuted to a mixed reception in the US in August, and launched in the UK at the end of September.

RIM told V3.co.uk that the Bold 9700, Curve 3G and Pearl 3G will be upgradeable to BlackBerry 6, but was unable to provide a possible date.

"We are very excited to introduce the BlackBerry Bold 9780 featuring the new BlackBerry 6 operating system," said Carlo Chiarello, vice president of product management at RIM.

"This new model builds on the highly refined mobile experience that BlackBerry Bold users already know and love."

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