Learned friends,

It seems that the 9000 is due out imminently via AT&T in the US, but for us folks this side of the pond, does anyone have the scoop on when it's released here, and which carrier will get it first?

I've searched Google UK, Yahoo UK, and even BBs UK website....nothing!

Cheers people.

Nothing has been set in stone, but you can expect Vodafone and sometime around the AT&T release in June.

Are you sure it'll be vodafone? O2 generally get first run of the best kit here (they still have an exclusive on the iPhone). My contract expires this month with vodafone, and I've aalready requested my PAC to move to O2 for a BB. With the 9000 due out that quickly, i'll wait til things are confirmed.

Does anyone else have an inside scoop on the UK release?

Don't be silly!!! It'll be out on Vodafone, O2 and Orange, possibly T-Mobile but I'm not sure yet. There's no exclusivity on it in any territory, so even if Vodafone comes out first in the UK, then O2 and the others will only be moments behind.

You're absolutely right.....I decided to ring the good people at RIM UK, and got put through to a very cheerful sounding man. Whilst he wasnt able to offer any firm statements, he played along well enough with my questions to confirm that there's no exclusivity deal with any carrier, and it'll be released pretty soon.

'This summer' was his opening statement, which after probing, I take to mean within the next few weeks. Hurrah!

I'd bet on UK Voda being the first, with a June release, for three reasons.

Voda have not led a BB model release since the 8300 a year ago, they'd love to get their huge corporate BB user base across to 3G quickly because it costs them less, and they don't have a deal on the forthcoming 3G iPhone, which may start to hurt once the implications of its support for MS Exchange become known.

O2 and Orange got the 8x20's first...
And if it's imminent on AT&T in the US, then it would be O2 over out side of the pond.
Having said that, as david-uk said, its time Vodafone had some sort of 'first pickings' on the device so to speak.

I agree that I'd put my money on Vodafone getting in to gear first, but as for the iPhone I disagree - nobody gives a monkeys about the iPhone here and it's not because of the connectivity speeds, it's the price point. Unless the contractual price of the iPhone is under £150 on a bundled airtime agreement of under £45 a month then it just won't sell here. If anything, Vodafone would be more likely be interested in getting the 9000 to market for political reasons - they pissed RIM off when they signed up with Visto to bring 'Vodafone Business Email' to the table and it fell predictably on it's arse and now you see Visto staff being laid off all over the place. Vodafone tried to bring their own unproven front end brand to a mobile email platform and it sank, and now they need to get back in bed with RIM. Lets also not forget that Vodafone's UK 3G network puts O2's to shame, and this would be a big win for them.

Well, as I'm now out of contract with vodafone, I get regular calls to see what I want to do. I told them today that I'm waiting til the 9000 is released, and going with whoever offers the best contract for it. The muppet I spoke to hadn't even heard of it, and the only future release info they had was on an 8310 (I may have mis-heard the exact model) which their system said was due out on June 1st.

Surely if Vodafone were gearing up for a first-pickings deal with RIM, they'd be priming people at the sharp end with a basic awareness of the model at the very least. I'm personally hoping to move to O2. Despite being with vodafone for over 12 years, i've always had to threaten to leave before getting anything comparable to other carrier offers, and my loyalty has never been recognised. The only way they'll keep me is if its an exclusive 9000 deal, or they drop their pants on pricing.

June 32, 2010

Well, I've been with Voda since they started in 1985, which probably says more about my inertia than Voda's compelling customer proposition.

It's clear from trawling BBForums that most if not all carriers suffer from poor product awareness. And the fact that Voda's CS team were unaware of the Bold 24 hours after RIM's announcement doesn't surprise me a bit; after all they're only briefed on products that are already on the system, ie days away from stock.

Like you, I consider migrating at the end of each contract. I evaluate coverage first (I roam frequently and rates and quality vary widely), then pricing. A new handset won't change my life - but a carrier with no coverage when/where I need it could be a disaster. As with so many purchasing decisions, it's the devil you know...

I agree david, coverage is king, but I'd say that 02's coverage more than matched voda's, and their treatment of customers seems to be significantly better. The BB deals from them are way ahead of Voda's, and in order to get something near it, you have to go through the threatening to leave palava, which is just plain wrong.

Nope - whay is some kid in a customer retention department going to be educated on the latest device just announced at WES?

I couldn't disagree more. Current BlackBerry experience is better with O2 yeas, because they run an EDGE network, but when the 9000 launched Vodafone will offer better network service as they have a more comprehensive and significantly faster 3G network than O2.

Agreed - O2's consumer offerings are much much stronger.

Its obviously going to the UK networks but i have had an interesting conversation with a BB colleague and he has been allowed to put a pre-order in for their mid-July release.

Having said that it did take him talking to 3 individuals before any information was made available.

So how legit that is we will wait to see.

Hi all,

The problem with 02 that hasn't affected BB's to date but with the Bold and 3G/HSDPA 02 are at a massive disadvantage to some of the other Networks IMO. As people on 02 are struggling to even get 3G speeds of 384kbps where as on VodaFone i get speeds of 1,745kbps the only good thing about 02 is there current pricing. So i will need to see just what price plans VodaFone are offering now they have there new price plans. But seeing as VodaFone are getting the Touch Screen BB exclusive for Europe i wouldn't be surprised if they also get the Bold first this time round.

Marc

Is it possible that '3' could now move into selling Blackberries?

Thoughts?

It would make sense, but they don't really target the business market & have their own Mobile Mail product (powered by Seven) which they chuck at most of their customers.

I'm due to upgrade with o2 soon, hopefully the BB 9000 will be out soon!!!

Sometimes UK carriers make new models available with new contracts some months before they appear as upgrades.

Strange how getting new customers always seems more important than satisfying the ones they've got.

I know!! If thats the case I'll just cancel my BB contract then start another 12 month one!!

I emailed 3 about the 9000 and the response I got was :-

' Currently, we're unable to give you any details of the launch of Blackberry Bold 9000.

However, you can keep looking on our website for further information as it is updated regularly with current and future events'

I was with '3' previously before I got a BB and thier service was excellent so a move into Blackberry could see me returning to them bearing in mind that they are a 3G network.

I e-mailed o2 earlier asking about the BB 9000 and got the following response:

Hello Louise,

Thanks for emailing us to find out more about Blackberry® 9000.

I'm unable to tell you the exact release date and the price for the Blackberry® 9000. You'll need to call our sales team on 08702 257 879. Lines are open Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 9:00pm and Saturday and Sunday between 10:00am and 6:00pm. If you call from an O2 Pay Monthly mobile phone, it'll be free of charge. If you call from any other mobile phones, you'll be charged at 20p per minute. Calls from your fixed line will be charged at your telephone provider's published rates

LOl. They are very cagey aren't they. I guess they will tell us when they are good and ready!!

Vodafone are saying late July/Early August.

O2 keep saying they have just released Pearl 2 in Pink and the Curve in Red, no idea about the Bold/9000.

o2 told me today that the Bold will be available in September but this may change due to testing!!

I think I'm gonna get a curve next week when I'm due to renew then get a Bold later on from Expansys, as it's quite possible T-Mob won't have it for months yet, they only a offer a choice of 2 blackberries now!

I just spoke to Vodafone, and the Bold/9000 is now appearing on their system....with an availability date of JULY 24th. Hoorah!

Spoke to a few service providers today, here are the answers that I received:-

Vodafone - They say they are expecting a late July date
O2 - September
T-Mobile .... well you have to explain to them what a Blackberry bold is, so thats not a good start !,
Orange ..... Who cares, they are crap !!!!
3 - You having a laugh.

The wait continues ..... but gut feeling is going with Vodafone for late July. This has also been confirmed by a RIM source in the UK.

Vodafone BES version should be out on the 9th of July and BIS version in the end of July.

Vodafone offers Blackberry services at the moment, they offer BIS right now. Not sure what the position is with BES.

Sorry to be dense, but what are BIS and BES? They sound like Blue Peter labradors.

We have been told for us (UK Indirect Distributors) it will be August time. I am in Slough tomorrow with RIM, I will ask again

BIS is the BlackBerry Internet Server (Service?)

BES is the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. You need to have a Microsoft Exchange Server, Lotus Domino or Novell GroupWise server.

This is also known as the Enterprise Version of BlackBerries.

In other words, if you don't know what it is, you probably don't need it

Are the BIS and BES models physically different? I'd always thought they were identical, with BES being provisioned via the SIM.

I don't know. What I know is that Vodafone (UK) sent me a "consumer" version (BIS) once and it wouldn't connect to my BES. When the replacement came, it worked like a charm.

Same happened to one of my customers on Vodafone as well.

Another customer is on Orange (UK) and they guaranteed me that they don't have different versions for BIS and BES.

Look in your Options screen and see if you have "Enterprise Activation" there. It's the tell tale sign.

But then again, I might be talking complete rubish

Only speaking from my experience

Spoke to Vodafone UK yesterday.

They say theres two different BB Bolds that they are gonna release. One for BIS Server and one for BES server. Something to do with different firmware configurations.

Release dates:-

7th july for BIS
22nd july for BES


BIS version- Has Free vodafonesat nav for 1 year. sat nav provided Telcom
BES - GPS included , but not activated.

It's the same bit of kit, just provisioned differently. Where some networks differentiate between BIS and BES by the tariff (APN), Vodafone have a single APN for BlackBerry but the device PIN is provisioned on one of two subsystems at the NOC - BIS is called 'Prosumer' and BES is called 'Enterprise' and obviously there are different service books associated with each. Other than that, they're the same.

Presumably every handset can be provisioned on either or both RIM systems? My Service Status says I have both BIS and BES running concurrently.

From memory, the BBs that Voda supply - red boxes etc - are labelled Prosumer and the SIM Free versions are not. I've never had a problem Enterprise Activating a SIM Free, though I've heard of folk who are on BES but only paying for BIS (legacy?), they upgrade their handset, are shipped a Prosumer version then find they have to "upgrade" to BES (UKP25 per month) in order to EA.

As I said in another thread, it's all a bit flaky for a major cellco, compare and contrast T-Mob Stateside who make pricing options for BIS and BES crystal clear on their website.

Just spoke to Vodafone UK and they tell me it is 9th of July for BES.