AT&T to launch 3G BlackBerry Bold

Research In Motion debuted its latest BlackBerry, called Bold, which runs on HSDPA and comes with GPS and 802.11a/b/g WiFi. The device offers increased processing power and features a silver rim, which the Wall Street Journal pegs as a nod to its budding competitor the Apple iPhone.

The BlackBerry Bold, however, includes another enhancement that works toward Apple's favor: an easier syncing capability with Apple's iTunes. RIM's co-CEO Jim Balsillie explained the syncing feature as a natural progression: "We don't view it as a competition thing, we view it as a natural sync to an application that you use in your life."

While neither AT&T nor RIM announced a specific launch date for the BlackBerry Bold, it will hit shelves this summer around the same time that Apple is expected to launch its 3G iPhone. As part of the launch for Bold, RIM is teaming up with Thomson Reuters and the Royal Bank of Canada to form a $150 million venture capital fund to encourage applications for the BlackBerry platform.

For more on the Bold:
- read this press release
- read this WSJ article (sub. req.)
- check out this article on the BlackBerry VC fund over at FierceMobileContent