RESEARCH In Motion Ltd has unveiled a BlackBerry phone with quicker Web browsing and more room for songs and videos, getting a jump on a faster iPhone that analysts expect to be released next month.
The device, called the BlackBerry Bold, has a brighter screen and better Web browser than previous models, co-chief executive officer James Balsillie told Bloomberg News yesterday. The phone, which also has satellite navigation and a video camera, will start selling at AT&T Inc for US$300 to US$400 this summer in the United States, he said.
The product sets up a showdown between Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs and Balsillie in the market for so-called third-generation phones, which offer speedier Web access and video downloads. Such phones are the fastest-growing part of the handset market, with users expected to quadruple to 400 million in the next three years, according to an RBC Capital Markets estimate.
"You need to provide faster networks, faster processors," said Balsillie.