We first saw the BlackBerry Bold 9900 during BlackBerry World earlier this year, but we figured we’d bring you a fresh new look since we’re up in Toronto checking out the release version. We’re loving the thin design just as much as the first time we saw it, and it’s definitely the most elegant BlackBerry Bold to date. The metal bezel gives it a premium feel that will be right at home in an executive’s hands — or a BlackBerry die-hard’s hands — and we also appreciate the extra power under the hood for moving around RIM’s new BlackBerry 7 operating system quickly and smoothly. AT&T said that it will carry the BlackBerry Bold 9900 beginning later this month, so ahead of our full review, be sure to check out our hands-on gallery below.

AT&T announced early Wednesday morning that it will offer three new BlackBerry smartphones this year. It will first launch the 4G HSPA+ capable BlackBerry Torch 9810 in August. AT&T promises to then launch the 4G BlackBerry Bold 9900 later this year, as well as the full-touchscreen BlackBerry Torch 9860. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 packs a 1.2GHz processor, a dual-microphone, a 640 x 480-pixel display, 8GB of storage, 768MB of RAM, HSPA+ support, a digital compass and a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD video. It’s unclear at this point what pricing will be unfortunately, and AT&T didn’t provide branded images or a complete spec list for either of the other two BlackBerry devices it announced. Thankfully, we’ve already shown you exclusive leaked images of the Torch 9860 and we published a hands-on look at the Bold 9900 back in May. We also have a feeling we’ll be getting up-close and personal with these new devices again very soon. In the meantime, read on for AT&T’s full press release.

AT&T ANNOUNCES 4G BLACKBERRY PORTFOLIO

Exclusive 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 to Precede 4G BlackBerry Bold 9900 and New, 4G, All-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2011 —

Key Facts

• AT&T* today outlined plans for its future portfolio of 4G BlackBerry smartphones including the exclusive 4G BlackBerry^® Torch™ 9810, planned to be launched in August.
• Also planned for 2011, AT&T customers will have the opportunity to select the 4G BlackBerry^® Bold™ 9900 and the 4G, all-touch, BlackBerry^® Torch™ 9860.
• AT&T’s premium BlackBerry lineup will be capable of speeds up to nearly four times the network speed capability of previous models, so you can talk and surf even faster on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network.

4G BlackBerry Torch 9810

Exclusive to AT&T customers, the next-generation 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 is faster and more fluid with high performance hardware features and the new BlackBerry® 7 OS delivering an enhanced multimedia experience. It features the signature BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard that easily slides out to allow fast typing and a full touch screen display, and delivers high-speed 4G capabilities. The 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 is planned to be available in August.

The new 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone boasts significant hardware improvements including a 1.2GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera with HD 720p video recording, 8 gigabytes of onboard storage and a high resolution, 3.2-inch touch display powered by BlackBerry Liquid Graphics™ technology to deliver an incredibly fast, smooth and responsive visual experience.

A powerful evolution of the BlackBerry software, BlackBerry 7 OS delivers speed, efficiency and UI enhancements and enables new hardware capabilities, including HD video recording, more fluid and responsive graphics, digital compass, and augmented reality. Browsing with the new BlackBerry 7 based smartphones is up to 40% faster than BlackBerry® 6 based smartphones and up to 100% faster than BlackBerry® 5 based smartphones**.

AT&T BlackBerry Smartphone Portfolio

In addition to the 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810, AT&T plans to also add even more 4G-capable versions of  BlackBerry smartphones to its portfolio later this year including the 4G BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the 4G, all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860, which will be AT&T’s first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone.

RIM officially revealed the BlackBerry Bold 9900 earlier this year during its annual BlackBerry World tradeshow and now it appears carriers are finally preparing to launch the phone. PhoneArena has obtained a leaked internal T-Mobile screenshot that suggests the phone will become available on August 31st. It also mentions that there will be a $50 mail-in rebate but does not confirm the subsidized price of the Bold 9900. BlackBerry fans will appreciate the device’s thinner design, more powerful hardware, and revamped BlackBerry 7 operating system, but this device doesn’t stray far from those that came before it. We expect we’ll hear more of a confirmation on its official launch date in the coming weeks.

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BlackBerry fans on Bell won’t have to wait long for a new Torch, Bold, or Curve. TechFIBE picked up some leaked documentation that suggests the carrier will sell the new phones — which we leaked in April — in just a few months. Specifically, Bell will launch the BlackBerry Torch 9810, BlackBerry Bold 9900, and the full-touchscreen BlackBerry Torch 9860 in late August, followed by the BlackBerry Curve 9360 launch in September. BGR reported this past May that the Monaco 9850 and Monza 9860 could launch under a new “Volt” banner or the BlackBerry Torch brand, and according to this document it looks like RIM may have gone with the latter. Bell also confirms what we already knew: that the Torch 9810, Bold 9900, and Torch 9860 will all offer 1.2GHz processors, while the Curve 9360 will be powered by a slower 800MHz chip.

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T-Mobile USA has announced its intentions to carry the “first 4G capable BlackBerry smartphone” later this year, the BlackBerry Bold 9900. Made official earlier today, the press release stated that the 9900 would be HSPA+ capable, and we now have a U.S. carrier cashing in on those capabilities. Pricing and availability have not yet been disclosed, but we would expect the new and improved Bold to replace the 9780 in T-Mobile’s lineup and retail for $199.99 with a signed two-year contract.

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We’re here in Orlando at RIM’s BlackBerry World developer event and have scored some more hands-on time with the recently announced BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930… and we’re pretty impressed with what we see so far. The Bold 9900 felt light in the hand, but definitely had a premium feel thanks to its thin form factor and metal accents around the body — it’s also the thinnest BlackBerry to date. The new BlackBerry 7 operating system was very snappy and we didn’t experience any lag when bouncing around the new OS, likely thanks to the 1.2GHz processor under its hood. The keyboard reminds us a lot of the original BlackBerry Bold 9000, and the form factor is more akin to that phone than the handset it is replacing, the 9700. The industrial design of the phone is solid, but we do wish RIM would venture away from a form factor that’s feeling pretty stale. We’ll need to spend more time with BlackBerry 7, but superficially it looks nearly identical to BlackBerry 6 — which could be a positive or negative depending on your viewpoint. We’re excited to see what RIM does with the built-in NFC technology, and the faster processor should definitely open the flood gates to more robust applications in the future. We’ve assembled a gallery of photos for your scrutiny. Have a look and let us know what you think of RIM’s latest creation.

Included in the company’s barrage of press releases this morning, Research In Motion officially announced BlackBerry 7. The new smartphone operating system — formerly known as BlackBerry 6.1 — brings HTML 5 and a new Just-In-Time (JIT) JavaScript engine to the browser, along with BlackBerry Balance support, enhanced universal search, and a new “Liquid Graphics” theme. BlackBerry 7 will debut on the recently announced BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 — the company did not, however, mention if older hardware would be upgraded to the new code.

UPDATE: RIM has confirmed that BlackBerry devices currently in-market will not be upgraded to BlackBerry 7.

What, you thought we were stopping with our exclusive hands-on with the BlackBerry Touch (Monaco / Monza)? Not at all, we’re back at it with the big boy in RIM’s 2011 lineup: the BlackBerry Bold Touch. We first scooped this smartphone back in January and we have to say, it most certainly looks better in person compared to the product renders — and that’s pretty spectacular seeing how appetizing those renders looked. The unit itself is extremely solid and the touchscreen is very responsive… and who could forget that great and spacious BlackBerry keyboard? The BlackBerry Bold Touch also uses a new battery from RIM, so hopefully the addition of a touchscreen to this famous BlackBerry form factor won’t have too much of a negative impact on battery life. We’re told the device will be announced at BlackBerry World and a global release is slated for the June-July time frame. Make sure to check out all the photos in our hands-on gallery!

According to them, the device actually failed in early diagnostic testing a whopping 4 out of 5 times (which is supposed to be extremely rare for RIM devices). The only other handset that failed, we’re told, is the BlackBerry Pearl Flip. What’s even more interesting, is that the BlackBerry slider our guy saw was Sprint branded. Want to go one step further? We’ve been told there is also a GSM/HSPA version and that the model numbers are BlackBerry 9900 and BlackBerry 9930. Lastly, it looks like the HSPA version of the device will support 850/1900MHz UMTS bands which would make it compatible with both AT&T and Rogers’ 3G networks.

Could Sprint be gunning for an exclusive on the brand new BlackBerry form factor? Our bets would be yes.

P.S. Our guy didn’t see the word “Bold” anywhere in relation to the sliding BlackBerry device.

So… one of our ninjas just hit us up with some really interesting BlackBerry info. While the specs of the following codenames are confirmed, releases are not, and as such, this should be used for information sake. Here’s what we got:

BlackBerry Onyx:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS device
• GPS
• Camera
• Wi-Fi (no UMA support)
• QWERTY keyboard
• 480×360 resolution screen
• Confirmed carriers: AT&T

BlackBerry Driftwood:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS device
• GPS
• Camera
• Wi-Fi with UMA
• QWERTY keyboard

BlackBerry Magnum:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS device
• GPS
• Camera
• Wi-Fi (no UMA support)
• QWERTY keyboard
• 480×360 resolution screen
• Confirmed carriers: AT&T

Now, those are three different devices with practically the same rough specs. We’d wager than the BlackBerry Magnum and Driftwood are the same device just meant for different carriers. Possibly the Driftwood for T-Mobile let’s say, and the Magnum for AT&T (who doesn’t offer UMA). Is that the BlackBerry with touch screen and physical QWERTY? Probably.

Also, we learned that RIM might be slowly refreshing the Bold with a UMA-capable version. Again, we’re not sure if that’s just a version meant for T-Mobile or maybe Rogers or this will be a global refresh (we doubt the last part).

Remember the BlackBerry Gemini? Well, it seems as if that’s not just one device, but rather an entire line of devices. Don’t get too excited, though. We’re told it could possibly just be a refresh of the Curve line-up. (Low cost handsets). The same could also be done with the Pearl line-up.

To recap: the Onyx, Driftwood and Magnum devices are all in the 9000-series family, all have 3G, and all should be absolutely delicious.

Next time when you post a photoshopped image of a BlackBerry, make sure you don’t leave the mic hole from a BlackBerry 8800 on the bottom. It’s a dead giveaway. So is it 100% photoshopped? No. But we’d go as far as 99.99% since we made this in about 8 minutes and the original picture just doesn’t feel right. Who knows.