Those of you waiting anxiously for the official Bold 2 unveiling be happy: today’s the day.

Finally, RIM has officially announced version 2 of its Bold, i.e. the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

The design is not far from the classical BlackBerry line, and the new Bold 9700 is at first sight a heir of the Bold 9000 (whose design I personally like), with some major upgrades, namely:

• 256 MB memory;
• 3.2 MPxl camera;
• optical trackpad.

You can find part of the press release below, together with a video for a quick overview of the device.

From RIM:

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced the sleek and powerful BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone. The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers an extensive array of high-end communications and multimedia features in a compact and highly refined design that will appeal to both men and women and for both professional and personal use.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone offers top-of-the-line performance, functionality and features with support for 3G HSDPA networks around the world, a next-generation (624 MHz) processor, 256 MB Flash memory, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi, a 3.2MP camera and a sharp, dazzling display. Cutting edge engineering and premium finishes extend to the exterior of the handset as well, with a smoothly integrated touch-sensitive trackpad and a highly tactile, distinctive, fretted keyboard. The dark chrome frame and leatherette back add to the new smartphone’s sleek and elegant look, while the narrow profile, balanced weight and soft-touch sides allow it to feel incredibly comfortable in one hand.

"The BlackBerry Bold 9700 builds on the success of the original BlackBerry Bold with new, state-of-the-art features and a smaller, lighter and highly optimized design that looks, feels and performs great," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion.

Key features of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone include:

• Sleek design measuring 4.29" x 2.36" x 0.56" (109 mm x 60 mm x 14.1 mm) and weighing only 4.3 oz (122 grams)
• Sharp and dazzling 2.44" light-sensing display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi)
• Highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard – with finely sculpted keys and chrome frets – for fast, accurate typing
• Innovative touch-sensitive trackpad that allows intuitive and responsive navigation
• Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) with support for Wi-Fi calling via UMA where available
• 3.2 MP camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording
• BlackBerry OS 5.0, offering users email management and calendar enhancements (1.) as well as a better browsing experience with faster JavaScript and CSS processing
• Built-in GPS for maps and other location-based applications, as well as photo geotagging
• Media player for videos, pictures and music (music play now extended up to 38 hours), plus support for BlackBerry Desktop Manager for both PCs and Macs, and BlackBerry Media Sync for easily syncing iTunes and Windows Media Player music with the smartphone(2.)
• 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, dedicated volume controls, Lock and Mute keys seamlessly integrated across the top of the handset
• microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 16 GB cards today and is expected to support 32 GB cards when available; a 2GB card is included
• 256 MB of Flash memory
• Access to BlackBerry App World, featuring a broad and growing catalog of mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include games, entertainment, IM and social networking, news, weather, productivity and more.
• Premium and easy-to-access phone features, background noise suppression technology and high quality speakerphone
• Bluetooth (2.1) with support for Secure Simple Pairing, hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals
• Support for BlackBerry Internet Service and BlackBerry Enterprise Server
• Available in two versions to support various carrier 3G network frequency combinations:
• UMTS/HSDPA 2100/1900/850/800 MHz and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM
• UMTS/HSDPA 2100/1700/900 MHz and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM
• Removable, rechargeable 1500 mAhr battery that provides approximately 6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby time in 3G mode

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone is expected to be available from carriers around the world beginning in November. For more information visit www.blackberry.com/bold9700.

1. Some features require BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0
2. Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies.

The phone, which is also smaller than the previous Bold 9000, will be available starting from November.

Here you can find the video and the specs sheets.

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