BlackBerry Bold 9700 refresh may add speed, BlackBerry OS 6
updated 11:10 am EDT, Fri June 4, 2010
BB Bold 9700 sequel may be internal update
A low-key update to the BlackBerry Bold 9700 could be enroute based on multiple rumors. The design, nicknamed Onyx II, would be identical on the outside but would have a new processor with OpenGL-capable graphics, twice as much RAM at 512MB and a five-megapixel camera. RIM would almost certainly load the new phone with BlackBerry OS 6.0 and get the benefits of both the faster graphics and the vaunted WebKit browser.
The conservative nature of the upgrade could have the phone ship later this year, but whether it would reach both AT&T and T-Mobile isn't as evident. A recent Cell Phone Junkie podcast also made mention that a long-term update, the Onyx III, would be more substantial and could have a touchscreen without sacrificing the QWERTY keyboard.
Onyx II if borne out would show RIM slowing down its emphasis on traditional BlackBerries, possibly in favor of touchscreen/QWERTY hybrids like the Onyx III and closer releases such as the BlackBerry 9800. [via CrackBerry]
