Sprint gets Bold 9650 May 23; Rogers and Telus get Pearl 3G
updated 11:15 am EDT, Mon April 26, 2010
Carriers commit to new BlackBerries
A trio of carriers took advantage of RIM's Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G launches today to commit themselves to the new smartphones early. Sprint is the first to plan a hard launch and expects to carry the Bold 9650 on May 23rd for $200 on contract. Its version will cling to the reference BlackBerry but will add Sprint-specific extras like the music store and Internet streaming TV.
In Canada, Rogers and Telus have already pledged to carry the Pearl 3G and will each have their own cosmetic exclusives. The Rogers version will come in a unique red-to-black gradient, while Telus will be the only carrier in the country to sell the phone in pink. Rogers hasn't set its pricing, but Telus promises an extremely low $30 price when the phone is attached to a three-year contract. Both will only put their release sometime in the "coming weeks."
Bell hasn't publicized any plans of its own to carry the Pearl 3G.
