China Mobile and RIM introduce BlackBerry Bold 9788

First BlackBerry smartphone to support TD-SCDMA technology fit for Chinese SMBs and professionals.

Research In Motion (RIM) and China Mobile on Tuesday introduced the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9788 smartphone, the newest addition to China Mobile’s BlackBerry® smartphone offering and the first to support the nation’s TD-SCDMA wireless network.

Featuring a sleek, iconic design and an incredibly easy-to-use keyboard, the BlackBerry Bold 9788 is elegantly styled and packed with powerful communications, multimedia and productivity features. 

China Mobile and RIM have to date been focused on successfully introducing the BlackBerry solution to enterprise customers in China. The launch of the BlackBerry Bold 9788 smartphone showcases the strong partnership between China Mobile and RIM, and provides a solid foundation from which the two companies will continue to work to better address local market needs. The new smartphone also marks China Mobile and RIM’s efforts to broaden the reach of BlackBerry smartphones and services to Chinese SMBs and professional individuals.

The BlackBerry Bold 9788 is a compact and stylish smartphone that offers a compelling blend of features, performance and design. It supports China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA network, as well as Wi-Fi® connectivity and GPS for location-based applications and geo-tagging. The 5 MP camera comes with a full complement of high-end features including continuous auto focus, scene modes, image stabilization, flash and video recording. The smartphone also includes an expandable memory card slot.

As a customized smartphone for China Mobile, the BlackBerry Bold 9788 is preloaded with a range of tailor-made applications and services from the operator.

Featuring the BlackBerry® 6 operating system, the BlackBerry Bold 9788 smartphone integrates a new, rich WebKit-based browser that renders HTML web pages quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience. Additional features of BlackBerry 6 include expanded messaging capabilities with intuitive features to simplify the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and integrated access to various instant messaging applications. The BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger) software preloaded on the BlackBerry Bold 9788 provides an easy and reliable way for people to instantly and reliably communicate. The BlackBerry Bold 9788 also supports BlackBerry App World™, enabling users to explore BlackBerry applications tailored for China Mobile customers, according to a RIM report.

With more than 500 IT policies available, the BlackBerry Bold 9788 and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server together provide a secure, manageable mobile solution for enterprise customers. The BlackBerry solution is the leading mobile solution for enterprises globally and has been adopted by a wide range of Chinese corporations.

The BlackBerry Bold 9788 smartphone is expected to be available from authorized China Mobile and RIM channels in China in September.