Telstra boldly launches the BlackBerry Bold... first

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 18 August 2008 10:11

Opinion and Analysis

Telecommunications, an ever expanding frontier. This is the latest chapter in the voyages of the Starship Telstra, it’s continuing mission to deliver new handsets, to seek out new customers and extend existing contracts, and to boldly go where its competitors will soon follow: the launch of the BlackBerry Bold!

First to launch RIM’s BlackBerry Bold into the Australian marketplace is the dominant local telco, Telstra, to “selected business customers”, all of whom are expected to be human (because Klingons, Ferengi, Vulcans, Romulans, Andorians and others are but characters on a certain well known sci-fi show).

Arriving at warp speed over the weekend on a special shipment from Europe (because reliable teleportation doesn’t yet exist), Telstra says it has taken this special action “to meet high demand from customers” – and no doubt to be able to issue a “we’re first” press release which is being science fictionalised with every passing word.

Set to retail for AUD $999, the Bold is also available on a range of plans to suit “enterprise and business customers’ needs”, although one of the most popular will likely be Telstra’s standard $80 plan over 24 monthly stardate cycles, (min cost $1920 plus usage) although this plan does not include email access, which is as important to the BlackBerry as dilithium crystals are to Starships.

Telstra says it has also has an “exclusive email plan offer on the $89.95 BlackBerry email plan for customers connecting 24 months with existing BlackBerry Enterprise Solution software including 200MB of data free for the first 2 months (after which excess usage charges apply), with a minimum cost of $2158.80 plus usage. After the first two months, standard PAYG charges apply.

While these prices seem high enough that you'll need to live long and prosper to pay them off, they're quite standard prices for today's stellar smartphones.

That said I can cetainly imagine the Ferengi wanting to strike a bargain for a better rate, although even the Ferengi would undoubtedly find Telstra to be a formidable and likely unmoving negotiator.

Telstra also tries its own Corbomite Maneuvre by suggesting that “there are additional benefits for customers who move their BlackBerry services back to Telstra.”

A BlackBerry Bold shimmered its way into my life a few days ago when a review model materialised (thanks to the rather archaic technology of the physical courier) and I’ve had a chance to have a play with what is arguably the galaxy’s best handheld email “communicator”.

Its beautiful screen seems less than half the size of the iPhone’s, but has the same resolution, delivering stunning image quality, while its 3G chipset makes for fast email and web page delivery.

Powered-up with HTML email capability, the bland text emails of the past are no longer, with HTML emails delivering the much richer experience we’re used to on desktop computers.

So, what else has BlackBerry beamed into the Bold? Continued on page 2.