BlackBerry Bold 9700 priced, dated for UK

The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 is expected to hit the UK on 9 November, online retailer Expansys has revealed.

RIM's Bold 9700 (right) and the old Bold 9000

Manufacturer Research in Motion unveiled the Bold 9000's follow-up yesterday, but as far as a UK launch date goes said only that it would be released at some point next month.

Expansys has, however, already begun accepting advance orders for the Bold 9700, which it has priced at a VAT and postage inclusive price of £422 ($696/€465) SIM free.

RIM’s Bold 9700 measures 109 x 60 x 14.1mm, has a 2.4in “light-sensing display” and a rear-mounted 3.2Mp camera.

In terms of connectivity, the handset supports 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, HSDPA 3G and Bluetooth. The 9700 can also access BlackBerry App World, RIM's answer to Apple's iTunes App Store. ®