My first couple of days using the BlackBerry Bold has seen me check my hands many times for that invisible glue that does not want me to put it down.

The first thing I noticed was the new look. The Bold sports a very sleek looking keyboard and screen, surrounded by a silver band, and black faux leather back.

Turn it on, and the true beauty of the Bold is displayed.

The display is a 65,000 colour display, half VGA (480 x 320 pixels) gives you (to quote the folk at RIM) “razor-sharp display that is designed to deliver clarity and colour that exceeds expectations”. A pretty strong statement – one that certainly needed to be put to the test.

RIM have cranked up their screen performance by fusing the LCD to the under surface of the lens. After viewing several video clips, reading a Word Document, reviewing a PowerPoint presentation, then playing a quick game, I can definitely give RIM a 10/10 for their display!

The Bold has a new operating system – something that makes it easy to use. I can see a whole new generation of BlackBerry users taking up this product – its gone from being the “must have” device for up and coming lawyers and finance people to the “definitely must have” organiser/smart phone for both business and personal use.

The Bold supports the 802.11 a/b/g WiFi standards – something that can be useful if you have a wireless network at home or in a coffee lounge.

On top of everything, you get the benefits of the Next G network as well.

RIM have added some classy features to the Bold, including voice activated dialling, Bluetooth 2.0 supporting Stereo Bluetooth headsets and car kits (including Bluetooth Remote SIM Access Profile kits). A nice inclusion the noise cancellation technology that can offset background noise – perfect for a noisy office environment or outdoor use.