Monday, August 25, 2008
BlackBerry Bold to Rival iPhone in 3G Reception Issues
If misery loves company, then Apple (AAPL) may have a friend in RIM (RIMM). A Citigroup analyst who has tested the company’s forthcoming BlackBerry Bold claims that the device is troubled by 3G reception woes similar to those plaguing Apple’s new handset. A noteworthy data point, since Bold will initially run on AT&T’s (T) wireless network, just as the iPhone does. “We had a few occasional 3G signal-dropping troubles at some locations especially on high-rise building streets and on our 34th floor (EDGE picked up immediately but at slower Internet speeds),” Citigroup analyst Jim Suva wrote in a recent research note to clients. “[This] may be why AT&T has yet to launch the product.”
Interesting to hear that the Bold shares the iPhone’s erratic 3G connection because the device doesn’t share the same Infineon Technologies (IFX) chip believed to be the source of the iPhone’s troubles. Which means the only real point of commonality between the two phones is AT&T’s 3G network, which may still be a bit too immature for either of them.
With its curvier edges, stylish silver trim, half-VGA 480-by-320 pixel screen and improved iTunes compatibility, Research in Motion’s (RIMM) 