As soon as I received my BlackBerry Bold 9700 from T-Mobile I whipped out my camera and did a quick unboxing video. In this video you’ll see what you can expect to find in the box if you decide to get the 9700.

This is my second unboxing video and, unlike the last one, I actually talk as I go through the box’s contents. If you have any feedback or would like to see more in these kinds of videos feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments.

By the way, in case you missed it earlier, the T-Mobile Bold 9700 is now available in the BBRocks! Smartphone Store.

The T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 is now available for purchase in the BBRocks! Smartphone Store!

If you haven’t gotten one yet here’s your chance to save an extra $50 when purchasing the Bold 9700 with a new 2 year contract from our store for $149.99, compared to $199.99 if you get it from T-Mobile. If you’re already a T-Mobile customer you can get it for the same price as a new activation if you extend your contract by 2 years. The retail price is the same so without a contract it will still be $449.99.

Visit the  BBRocks! Smartphone Store for more details and to purchase the T-Mobile Bold 9700.

AT&T has announced the BlackBerry Curve 8520 as being “available in the coming weeks.” Earlier today I let you know that AT&T would be launching the BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 22nd but CrackBerry Bla1ze found out that customers with a business account can buy it as of today in addition to it being available through the AT&T Premier site.

Since the Bold 9700 is (generally) launching before the Curve 8520, I’m wondering if it will affect the Curve 8520’s sales especially with all the 9700 hype. Of course, the two devices are different in various ways so personal preference (or even the price tag) will be some deciding factors, even though the Bold 9700 is supposed to be the best BlackBerry yet. Decisions, decisions…

Curve 8520 pricing info:

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone will be available in the coming weeks for $99.99 after mail-in rebate. (Pay $199.99 and receive $100 AT&T Promotion Card. 2-year agreement on a min. $69.99 plan required.) AT&T smartphones require the purchase of a monthly data plan. Other monthly charges apply.

For more info about the Curve 8520 check out the AT&T press release after the jump.

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I’ve been waiting for this day since the rumors of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 first started leaking and it’s finally here, but it looks like T-Mobile screwed up the website launch. The T-Mobile website has been updated to allow purchasing of the Bold 9700 but  they accidentally included a sample photo of the Curve 8900.

It doesn’t really matter since we already know what it looks like, but I just thought it was odd that they would screw up the launch of their first Bold and first 3G BlackBerry device. But hey…no one’s perfect.  At least it’s out!

The Bold 9700 will be available from T-Mobile for $199.99 ($250 instant discount) with a  new 2-year agreement on the Even More plan, or $449.99 (retail) without a contract on the Even More Plus plan.

More details for the Even More plan:

As a qualified Even More^SM customer, you have the option to pay for your phone in four interest-free installments. You make the first payment when you purchase your phone, then we charge the remaining payments to your monthly bill. It’s that easy.

More details for the Even More Plus plan:

As a qualified Even More Plus^SM customer, you have the option to pay for your phone in 20 interest-free installments. You make the first payment when you purchase your phone, then we charge the remaining payments to your monthly bill. It’s that easy.

The Bold 9700 should be available for purchase in T-Mobile retail stores tomorrow, November 16th. For more info visit the T-Mobile Bold 9700 page.

Who’s planning on picking one of these up? Let me know in the comments!

Loopt let me know that they have just released a major update for their BlackBerry client that adds a bunch of new features. Loopt mobile updates your location in real-time while it runs in the background so you can meet up with nearby friends, explore new places to grab food, and find local events wherever you are.

Here are some of the features:

• Discover the best places and events, including those rated highly by your friends on Pulse
• See where your friends are on maps – view their latest updates listed in real-time and comment on them
• Check-in to instantly share your updates with friends – easily update Facebook and Twitter with your photos and places in one Loopt check-in
• Browse and rate local places and events – peruse detailed information from Zagat, Citysearch, and the Loopt community
• Save money through special offers from nearby retailers with local coupons

I’m not sure how this application will affect battery life since it constantly updates in the background so if you try it out be sure to let me know how it worked for you in the comments.

Loopt is currently available in the BlackBerry App World as a free download for the BlackBerry Curve 8900 (T-Mobile, AT&T), BlackBerry Tour 9630 (Sprint, Verizon) and BlackBerry Bold 9000 (AT&T). For more info about this update check out the press release after the jump.

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Earlier this morning I posted about T-Mobile Germany updating their site to include contract and pricing info for the BlackBerry Bold 9700. T-Mobile USA has yet to announce official pricing but here is the rumored pricing according to a PhoneArena tipster:

• $199.99 with a new 2 year agreement
• $449.99 with no contract, or an installment plan of 20 $22.50 monthly payments on the “Even More Plus Plan”

Still no official launch date but since T-Mobile stores already have dummy units and they just had a launch party last week, we should be seeing an official announcement or site update to include the Bold 9700 real soon. For now you can check out T-Mobile’s promo page at t-mobile9700.com.

Back in mid-October T-Mobile Germany listed the BlackBerry Bold 9700 as being available in November but no pricing info was available at the time. T-Mobile Germany has updated their site (translated) with pricing and contract info for the Bold 9700.

Pricing for the Bold 9700 with T-Mobile Germany starts at 159,95€ ($240.18) on a new “Relax 120″ plan, up to 499,95€ ($750.23) with no contract. Since T-Mobile USA already has dummy units in stores hopefully they will follow with a site update of their own.

For more info visit the T-Mobile Germany Bold 9700 page.

My buddy Thomas (@aka_thewarrior) and his buddy BES let me know that BlackBerry Bold 9700 dummy units are arriving at T-Mobile USA stores!

As a reminder, RIM announced that the Bold 9700 would be launching worldwide in November and T-Mobile is having a Go Bolder Event tomorrow so I’m sure we’ll be seeing an official announcement real soon. The Bold 9700 has already launched on a few carriers so it looks like the worldwide launch is right on schedule.

While you wait be sure to check out the Bold 9700 features and specifications to become familiar with this device if you haven’t already. Any T-Mobile customers excited about getting this awesome BlackBerry?

A few hours ago my area (Central Jersey) was hit with a network outage affecting voice and messaging services, so I sent a tweet to @Tmobile_USA about it. I soon found out that this outage was a nationwide issue and not just in my area, according to chatter on Twitter.

@Tmobile_USA sent out their own tweet vaguely addressing the issue but a T-Mobile Forums moderator posted a more detailed response:

We’re making good progress restoring voice and messaging service to affected customers.
At this time, approximately 5 percent of T-Mobile customers are experiencing service disruptions.

Issues began at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.  Our rapid response team is working continuously to fully resolve this disruption.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused our customers.

My service seems to be restored but I’m getting reports that users are still being affected in other areas. Were you affected by T-Mobile’s network outage? If so let me know when and where in the comments!

T-Mobile UK has released OS 4.6.1.314 for the BlackBerry Curve 8520. This release contains a fix for the BlackBerry Browser bug I mentioned last month. For more info about this bug click here.

• Direct Download: OS 4.6.1.314 for the Curve 8520 from T-Mobile UK
• How To:
  • Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry
  • Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS)

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments.

REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. *