Release dates for RIM's BlackBerry Bold cellphone have been leaked, a report claims. Though having missed its July 25th release date, Rogers' Canadian version of the phone is still expected to ship first, on July 29th. Next is believed to be the Vodafone UK edition, shipping August 1st, followed by the T-Mobile Germany model, coming August 4th. An O2 variant is expected sometime in September.Notable is that despite the proximity of RIM's Canadian headquarters to the United States, AT&T is not expected to carry the Bold until at least September 1st, or possibly later. RIM has traditionally pointed to a "summer" launch for the Bold, most recently picking August as the main window. Overheating problems are rumored to have delayed the phone by at least a month however, and if accurate the new dates could indicate additional troubles.
The Bold, along with the Thunder, is considered by analysts to be extremely important in RIM's defense against the Apple iPhone. A delayed Bold release could allow the iPhone 3G to gain further traction, particularly as it has the corporate infrastructure support BlackBerries have normally excelled in.
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