Research in Motion created one of the most popular smartphones when they designed the Blackberry. The businesslike handset quickly became renowned for its email capabilities and innovations. In order to keep the Blackberry fresh and at the front of the smartphone field, RIM developed the Blackberry Bold, a device that takes what came before and improves upon it.

Quite possible the biggest improvement (and certainly the most eye catching) over previous Blackberries is the Bold’s vibrant screen. It is a 2.6-inch diagonal screen, a tenth of an inch improvement over the Curve. The more noticeable difference is that the Bold bumps up the width of the screen from the Curve’s 1.5 inches to a robust 2.25 inches. Older Blackberries also seem rather dull next to the Bold, as the resolution on this phone has been ramped up to 480 x 320p. Taking advantage of the larger screen, the Blackberry Bold offers an updated user interface with larger icons that are easier to see and manipulate.

Speaking of UI, the Bold operates on BlackBerry OS 4.6. Wallpaper can be set for the home screen, and the default theme is the Precision Zen. This allows for the display of six icons along the bottom of the screen in dock style. The user may also choose Dimension Zen, which places color only in the icon that is selected. Because the icons are larger, only three rows of icons appear instead of four, so users will have to scroll a bit more than on other models. For those who are looking to kill some time, they will notice the Games folder that contains Sudoku and solitaire as well as two online games that allow you to go head to head with others.

Everyone knows that the Blackberry’s claim to fame is email. RIM certainly knows this and hasn’t changed much with the Bold. Because previous Blackberry handsets already had it right, RIM has simply freshened things up, such as adding the ability to see pictures in message and full HTML. Attachment viewing is also included but outside of that, it is pretty much the same email experience. Of course, the text is easier to read on the improved screen, but the process is the same.

The Blackberry Bold has taken a proven performer and freshened things up a bit. RIM has made some adjustments with the Bold in order to stay relevant, but longtime users as well as those new to Blackberry will appreciate the Bold.

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