Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the launch of the stylish and powerful BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 smartphone. The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers a wide range of high-end communications and multimedia features in a sleek and stylish design that will appeal to users for both professional and personal use.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone is expected to be available nationally from leading large format retail stores and multi brand outlets serviced by Redington India as well as from operators including Airtel, Aircel, BSNL, Idea Cellular, Loop Mobile, MTNL, Reliance, Tata and Vodafone beginning January 28, 2010.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers top-of-the-line performance, functionality and features. With its robust connectivity options this global 3G smartphone enables users to stay easily connected, whether it is through phone, email, IM or social networking sites. In addition, the full-QWERTY keyboard on the BlackBerry Bold 9700 allows for comfortable and accurate typing and the touch-sensitive trackpad helps users navigate effortlessly.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone supports 3G HSDPA networks around the world and is equipped with a next-generation, high-performance (624 MHz) processor and 256 MB on-board Flash memory. The exciting new BlackBerry Bold 9700 also features a dazzling high-resolution display and 3.2MP camera with support for video recording. Its dark chrome frame and leatherette back add to the new smartphone’s sleek and elegant look, while the narrow profile, balanced weight and soft-touch sides allow it to feel incredibly comfortable in one hand.

“Building on the success of the original BlackBerry Bold, we are now pleased to  introduce the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone to customers in India. The new 3G BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers top-of-the-line features and performance in a sleek and elegant design that will appeal to both business professionals and consumers,” said Frenny Bawa, Vice President, India, Research In Motion.

Key features of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone include:

* Sleek design measuring 4.29″ x 2.36″ x 0.56″ (109 mm x 60 mm x 14.1 mm) and weighing only 4.3 oz (122 grams)
* Sharp and dazzling 2.44” light-sensing display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi)
* Highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard – with finely sculpted keys and chrome frets – for fast, accurate typing
* Innovative touch-sensitive trackpad that allows intuitive and responsive navigation
*  Built-in Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g) for faster web browsing and extended data coverage, as well as support for Wi-Fi calling via UMA where available
* 3.2 MP camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording
* BlackBerry OS 5.0, offering users email management and calendar enhancements* as well as a better browsing experience with faster JavaScript and CSS processing
* Built-in GPS for maps and other location-based applications, as well as photo geotagging
* Media player for videos, pictures and music (music plays up to 38 hours), and BlackBerry® Media Sync for easily syncing photos as well as iTunes® and Windows Media® Player music with the smartphone**
* BlackBerry® Desktop Manager for both PCs and Macs to enable synching data such as contacts and calendar appointments between a computer and the smartphone
* 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, dedicated volume controls, Lock and Mute keys seamlessly integrated across the top of the handset
* microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 16 GB cards today and is expected to support 32 GB cards when available; a 2GB card is included
* 256 MB of Flash memory
* Access to BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include games, entertainment, IM and social networking, news, weather, productivity and more.
* Premium and easy-to-access phone features, background noise suppression technology and high quality speakerphone
* Bluetooth® (2.1) with support for Secure Simple Pairing, hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals
* Support for BlackBerry® Internet Service and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
* Support for 3G networks around the world
* Removable, rechargeable 1500 mAhr battery that provides approximately 6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby time in 3G mode