Two hilariously complementary news items have hit at about the same time regarding the BlackBerry Bold: first, iSuppli's $US169 price estimate for the cost to build the handset, and second, Best Buy's announcement that they are selling the unlocked version for $US660. iSuppli's cost analysis reveals a handset that costs the same amount to build as the iPhone 3G, but that, even under contract, will sell for significantly more. Of course, this is all unfortunately pretty typical. [Best Buy and Digitimes]

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Whatever hellish limbo the BlackBerry Bold is trapped in keeping it off of AT&T, it's poking out its head just a little bit. If you've got an unlocked Bold running on AT&T, you might notice a few new icons and service books for YellowPages.com Mobile and AT&T Navigator just got pushed to it. So it is actually moving forward in some way, even if it's definitely stretching into the full range of the "year's end" promise from AT&T and RIM. [BGR]

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According to a leaked memo obtained by Mobile Tech Addicts, UK based mobile phone carrier Orange have pulled the BlackBerry Bold off of their shelves temporarily citing quality issues with the device. What specific issues they are referring to are unknown, but Orange claims they are awaiting solutions from RIM and plan to have the device back on shelves in "a couple of weeks." As you probably already know, the US debut of the Bold has been pushed back repeatedly—perhaps these issues have something to do with the delay over here as well. [Mobile Tech Addicts via Mobility Today]

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Say it ain't so, Joe AT&T. According to RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis, the communications giant has delayed the release of the Bold on their network due to testing, possibly to safely avoid epic, bug-related fails. AT&T did go on record, only saying the phone is still scheduled to drop this year. But the longer you keep the BB faithful from the Bold, the more time they have to consider that other phone on AT&T. [AP via Phonescoop]

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Boy Genius has a fairly juicy bit of backstory on the delays plaguing the BlackBerry Bold, and the serious, stab-you-in-the-throat infighting between AT&T and RIM that drove RIM to deliver their touchscreen baby, the Storm, exclusively to Verizon in the US (probably in Nov.), where it will apparently be going for just US$199 with a two-year contract and rebates.

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For any med students who coveted the original BlackBerry pager back in '98 almost as much as they can't wait for the Bold to drop on AT&T, CRN's evolution of the BlackBerry will bring joy to your heart. Within which we realise that RIM actually hasn't evolved their drug-metaphor-laden email device all that much.

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If you were feverishly anticipating a mobile phone this year, it was one of two phones: the iPhone 3G or this phone. The BlackBerry Bold is RIM's most powerful, polished handset ever. With 3G, a glossy new UI, a real web browser, serious hardware and an almost beautiful body, the Bold doesn't redefine the BlackBerry experience, but it does elevate to the highest point its ever been.

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