Fran Foo | August 27, 2008
VODAFONE will become the third carrier in Australia to carry Research In Motion's new 3G BlackBerry Bold smartphone, going to market from mid-September.
Both Telstra and Optus began selling the device on August 18 while Hutchison's 3 Mobile has yet to confirm a launch date.Vodafone said it would offer the device with "updated software" from RIM.
Yesterday The Australian reported that some Telstra corporate clients, such as Visy, have had to defer their Bold purchasing decisions as the smartphones had outdated software.
Vodafone said its Bold range has been vigorously tested before going to market.
"We scheduled the launch of the BlackBerry Bold in Australia to coincide with the release of RIM's updated software, Gold Code 3.2," Vodafone said in a statement.
"Vodafone Group engineers recently completed stringent testing of the Bold and have approved the GC3.2 software for global distribution.
"Our engineers in Australia also tested the new software to ensure synchronisation with additional local services," the carrier said.
RIM maintained that the new smartphone is bug-free.
"RIM is working closely with all carriers to launch the BlackBerry Bold smartphone in Australia. Our indirect business model means that all products and software are fully tested by carriers before each product is launched," a local RIM spokesperson said.
"It is very common for carriers to require customised software for their networks," the spokesperson said.