BlackBerry Bold Hits U.S. Snag, Again

Andrew R. Hickey

October 01, 2008, 10:14 AM EDT

The Bold, likely Research In Motion's most hyped smart phone, has been delayed stateside again, this time due to software and operating system issues.

Popular gadget blog The Boy Genius Report this week published an internal memo from AT&T, the device's exclusive carrier for its launch, explaining that training sessions for the Bold have been shelved indefinitely.

"As you are aware, with the anticipated launch of the 3G AT&T BlackBerry Bold, RIM has committed to hold training sessions in over 40 cities. A large number of these sessions were to take place this and next week. Due to the continued uncertainty of the device launch date, we will work with RIM to reschedule these sessions to a later date," the letter reads. "Any representatives that have registered will be informed by e-mail of the schedule change. No action is required from your part."

The most recent delay is the latest in a series of missteps that have kept the 3G Bold out of users' hands in the U.S. This time, the holdup is being blamed on delays in the operating system. The Bold is expected to run the next generation of BlackBerry's OS, and apparently there are still a few kinks to work out.

As early as July, the Bold hit a snag due to issues around software, battery life and overheating. Originally, the Bold was slated for a summer release in the U.S. to make it available long before Verizon hits with the BlackBerry Storm, the first touch-screen device from BlackBerry, originally called the BlackBerry Thunder.

The Bold was announced in May and quickly generated buzz throughout the smart phone industry, earning rave reviews and becoming one of the most sought-after devices in BlackBerry's history.