By Brian T. Horowitz
January 7, 2009
Research In Motion's
BlackBerry Bold appears to be at a crossroads. According to reports, U.K.-based carrier
Orange may drop the device from its network following a high number of returns and complaints of dropped calls and poor reception. Orange in the UK had suspended the device in October due to these performance issues.
Meanwhile, Sprint is reportedly set to add a version of the BlackBerry Bold, code-named "Niagara." The unit will offer EV-DO connectivity, according to
Brighthand.
When we reviewed the device in October, AT&T was the only U.S. carrier. Despite its faults, the BlackBerry Bold features a high resolution display that's among the best looking available on a smartphone.
AT&T delayed its release of the BlackBerry Bold because it wanted to make sure the smartphone played nice with its 3G network. The carrier, which ran into trouble with the wireless performance of the iPhone 3g, wasn't about to launch another high profile smartphone without making sure the device connected properly.
