RIM Unveils The BlackBerry Bold 9790 And Curve 9380

We may have gotten a glimpse at what RIM has planned for the future, but for now RIM devotees will have to make do with a new pair of current-gen BlackBerrys. The new Bold 9790 and the Curve 9380 both run RIM’s BlackBerry 7 OS, but that’s about where the similarities stop.

As the model number suggests, the 9790 is an extension of RIM’s pint-sized 9700 series. The Bold 9790 sticks with the tried-and-true BlackBerry design, albeit with some revamped buttons that caused a bit of a stir when they were first spotted. Unlike the other BB7-powered Bold, the 9790 sports a smaller 2.44-inch 360×480 display, a 1GHz processor, and 8GB of internal storage.

Meanwhile, the Curve 9380 takes its cues from the other touchscreen BlackBerrys of late, but it’s a hair shorter and wider than it’s other all-touchscreen brother, the Torch 9850. The 9380 keeps the same 360×480 resolution as seen in the new Bold, and stretches those pixels over a larger 3.2-inch display. RIM is keeping mum on the new Curve’s specs, but considering the Curve series’s budget-friendly pedigree, I wouldn’t expect much of a barnburner.

Speaking of the Curve, something about it has been irking me since I first saw it, and I think I’ve just figured out what it is. Save for the optical trackpad, the 9380 looks almost exactly like the original BlackBerry Storm. Even the screen sizes are similar, with the Storm beating out the Curve by .05 inches. It’s an interesting development, considering how awful the Storm was, but in fairness its design was probably the least offensive thing about it.

RIM has yet to reveal specifics like pricing and availability, but here’s hoping these BlackBerrys get pushed out the door soon. I have a feeling RIM will need all the extra time they can get to polish up their new OS and the hardware that will go with it.