TELUS to offer the BlackBerry Bold 9700 in November

TORONTO , Oct. 21 /CNW/ - TELUS today announced that it will be offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 in November, the latest 3G smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM).

"The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 will offer both our business and consumer clients an amazing mobile experience," said David Neale , senior vice-president of Product and Services at TELUS. "TELUS is focused on smartphone leadership for the benefit of our customers, and to that end we offer a comprehensive line-up of state of the art smarphones to meet our customers' need to stay connected, informed and entertained on the go. The BlackBerry Bold is definitely a great addition to our smartphone selection."

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone offers top-of-the-line performance, functionality and features with support for 3G HSDPA networks around the world, a next-generation (624 MHz) processor, 256 MB Flash memory, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi, 3.2MP camera and, a sharp, dazzling display and a premium finish. Its cutting edge engineering and premium finishes extends to the exterior of the handset as well, with the new model integrating apremiere of BlackBerry's new touch-sensitive trackpad and added to the highly tactile, distinctive, fretted keyboard found in RIM's premium full-QWERTY handsets. Chrome highlights and a leatherette back add to the new smartphone's sleek and elegant look, while the narrow profile, balanced weight and soft-touch frame allow it to sit comfortably in one hand.

"The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 delivers state-of-the-art features and performance in a compact and beautifully designed handset," said Don Morrison , Chief Operating Officer at Research In Motion. "This sleek and powerful 3G smartphone offers an incredibly refined mobile experience that is ideal for both personal and professional use."

    
    Features of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone from TELUS include:

    -   Sleek design measuring 109 mm x 60 mm x 14.1 mm and weighing just 122
        grams
    -   Sharp and dazzling 2.44" (62mm) 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)
    -   3.2 MP camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video
        recording
    -   256 MB of Flash memory
    -   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
    -   Media player for videos, pictures and music, plus support for
        BlackBerry Desktop Manager for both PCs and Macs, and BlackBerry
        Media Sync for easily syncing iTunes and Windows Media Player music
        with the smartphone*
    -   A 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, dedicated volume controls, Lock and
        Mute keys seamlessly integrated across the top of the handset
    -   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
    -   HSDPA and quad-band EDGE support for global roaming
    -   BlackBerry OS 5.0, offering users email management and calendar
        enhancements(xx) as well as a better browsing experience with faster
        JavaScript and CSS processing
    -   BlackBerry Internet Service and BlackBerry Enterprise Server support
    -   Removable, rechargeable 1500 mAhr battery that provides approximately
        6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby time in 3G mode

    Additional information about pricing and availability will be shared in
the coming weeks.

    -------------
    *  Certain music files may not be supported, including files that
         contain digital rights management technologies.
    (xx) Some features require BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0
    

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada , with $9.7 billion of annual revenue and 11.8 million customer connections including 6.3 million wireless subscribers, 4.1 million wireline network access lines, 1.2 million Internet subscribers and more than 100,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle , TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $137 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.6 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: AJ Gratton, TELUS Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]