What do the Blackberry Bold, Nokia 5800, and the HTC Touch HD have in common? They're all 3G smartphones that have no US release date.
Research in Motion's latest BlackBerry, the 3G Bold, was released in Canada in August, but continues to be delayed in the US due to extensive testing of AT&T's HSPA network.
Many have echoed the Associated Press' inference that RIM wants to avoid a situation similar to the one Apple faced with the launch of its 3G iPhone, because of RIM co-CEO Mike Lazardis' statement that "a certain device" has brought a great deal of critical inspection to "that network."
While the US has missed out on no small number of excellent feature phones in the past from such companies as Sony Ericsson, Nokia, LG, and Samsung, we may have to admit we've been a little spoiled by the Apple iPhone.
Prior to being the launch pad for the iconic device, the US was frequently a second-tier release market, usually following a device maker's homeland. But Apple inaugurated a trend in phone design, and did so through the United States. Now the HTC G1 Android Phone is keeping up that pace. And its hype.
However, when Nokia's first "TouchPhone," the Xpressmusic 5800, was debuted last week, it carried no mention of a release date for the Western market. This action, coupled with the Bold delay, could temper the excitement of the exclusive Google phone.
The vexation surrounding the Nokia 5800's release isn't localized in the United States, either. Dutch publication TelecomPaper, for example, released a report today bluntly entitled "Analysts disappointed about Nokia 5800 availability."
Furthermore, the debut of the G1 may leave Americans feeling a little bittersweet about getting the device first when they see what HTC will not be selling in the US because of it.
Source: BetaNews
