T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9900 NFC phone $300 on contract!
Posted by Seth Planck
August 17th, 2011 at 5:19 PM Filed Under Latest News, Press Release
T-Mobile has made the official announcement that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 NFC phone will launch for $299 after a $50 mail-in-rebate
We now have a date that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 NFC phone will launch on T-Mobile US, which is August 31st. Before the celebrations begin, however, you should probably consider whether $350 minus a $50 mail-in-rebate is a little steep for your tastes or for that of your wallet. From what we are seeing around the interwebs, BlackBerry fans are not best pleased with the premium being charged for the pleasure of running a BlackBerry over T-Mobile’s network.
Again, No mention of NFC for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 on T-Mobile
Perhaps not so surprisingly, there was no mention of NFC as a feature in the T-Mobile press release that you can find below. We reported the other day about issues with the NFC component of the BlackBerry near field communications features. Our reliable source told us that MNOs were not impressed with its experience and the phones didn’t have support to read most NFC tags and came with no software to utilize any information anyway. This issue is being brushed under the carpet by Mobile Network Operators at the moment, while they wait for RIM to get its NFC software in order and so far all carriers we have heard of have disabled NFC at the software level on BlackBerry’s with NFC chips.
The BlackBerry Bold specifically was marketed as an NFC capable phone which many buyers may have taken into consideration on deciding to purchase the phone. The T-Mobile pricing for the phone is steep and that may dissuade consumers from purchasing the BlackBerry 9900 on the network. T-Mobile will no doubt discount the phone in the not too distant future if sales are flat after the early adopters who are willing to pay a premium have all had their fill. So, our advice – hold off for a month and maybe BlackBerry may have even sorted out he NFC problems by then also.
T-Mobile Launches the BlackBerry Bold 9900,
Its First 4G BlackBerry Smartphone
Featuring the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, the smartphone will be T-Mobile’s fastest BlackBerry to date, leveraging a 1.2 GHz processor and America’s Largest 4G Network
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Aug. 17, 2011 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the upcoming nationwide availability of the first 4G BlackBerry® smartphone to run on America’s Largest 4G Network™ — the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900. Available today in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers and launching nationwide on Aug. 31, the 4G-capable BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever (at only 10.5mm) and the first to offer the perfect union of a high-NFC performance keyboard and brilliant touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. Featuring a range of powerful hardware enhancements including a 1.2 GHz processor, Liquid Graphics™ technology 24-bit high-resolution graphics and advanced sensors, the new NFC smartphone is designed to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity.
“T-Mobile is excited to add a BlackBerry smartphone to T-Mobile’s best 4G product lineup ever,” said Andrew Morrison, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “With the new BlackBerry Bold 9900, we are offering our socially-active and business-minded customers a powerful device with a unique proposition — the pairing of a nationwide 4G network with the mobile communications efficiency that has become NFC synonymous with BlackBerry smartphones.”
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is powered by the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, which introduces a next-generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid Web browsing experience that is among the best in the industry. Additional enhancements to this next-generation BlackBerry browser have also optimized zooming and panning for smoother Web navigation and optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences.
“We continue to deliver innovative products for our customers, and we’re excited to offer our first 4G BlackBerry smartphone,” said Femi Lakeru, vice president of business sales, T-Mobile USA. “Since T-Mobile offers 4G speeds in more places than any other wireless broadband network in the U.S., CIOs can trust that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 will give their employees the ultimate combination of speed, productivity and security.”
T-Mobile’s high-speed 4G network NFC continues to expand and is now available in more than 190 markets, reaching more than 200 million people nationwide*. With the addition of the BlackBerry Bold 9900, T-Mobile now offers a wide variety of 4G devices including smartphones, tablets, laptop sticks, a netbook and a mobile hotspot. Running on America’s Largest 4G Network, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 helps NFC make life truly mobile — all at 4G speeds. NFC Whether a ccessing email, sending an invoice, getting directions or uploading photos, T-Mobile customers stay connected and informed virtually anywhere life takes them.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone continues the tradition of delivering a leading mobile NFC communications experience with a highly refined and integrated suite of phone, email, messaging and social apps to keep users connected and productive throughout the day. Recent enhancements include the newest release of BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger), and an updated Social Feeds (2.0) app. The new Facebook® for BlackBerry smartphones (2.0) app introduces features like Facebook chat and BBM integration that make it easier for users to connect with their Facebook friends in real time.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is also the first device to come preloaded with T-Mobile’s new MobileLife® Family Organizer application. Powered by Cozi, MobileLife Family Organizer makes managing families’ busy schedules easier with centralized calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists, and family journals that NFC allow family members to share updates with each other on the go. Calendar reminders can be sent by text or email allowing customers to avoid missing their kids’ soccer practice or an important shared appointment. More information about MobileLife Family NFC Organizer can be found at http://www.t-mobile.com/calendar.
Availability
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is expected to be available in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers beginning today, Aug. 17. The smartphone is expected to be available at T-Mobile retail stores and at select dealers and national retailers nationwide starting Aug. 31. For more information about T-Mobile products and services, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
T-Mobile’s 4G network has expanded to additional markets, including Atlantic City, N.J., and Florence, Ala. A complete list of all the markets where T-Mobile’s 4G network is live can be found at http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/articles/4g-fact-sheet.
For more information about T-Mobile’s 4G products, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
*T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere
BlackBerry Bold 9900 NFC