RIM Launches Blackberry Bold 9900 and Torch 9810 in Indonesia

The launch event this afternoon for the Bold 9900 and Torch 9810 at Plaza Senayan, Jakarta.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9810 are being launched officially today in Indonesia by Research In Motion (RIM). The launch event took place at Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, where RIM offered the chance for people to be one of the first owners of the revamped phones. Indonesian prices are set at 5,999,999 IDR (US$685) for the 9900 and 5,399,000 IDR ($617) for the 9810.

Indonesian pop trio RAN showed up at the Jakarta launch. (Click to enlarge).

The Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry yet, and integrates touch into its screen. The new model is also the first Blackberry to support NFC, which will soon be useful for mobile payments or social LBS check-ins. Today’s 9810 is an evolution from the previous Torch 9800, now with stronger hardware and OS 7 on board, giving a greater BB experience with stronger multimedia abilities. The newest OS also comes with the newest browser built in, with a claimed 40 percent speed bump in terms of page-loads over OS 6, and a full 100 percent faster than OS 5.

Hastings Singh, Vice President of RIM South Asia, said at the Jakarta event:

Just for fun we also played with a PlayBook, seen projected onto a larger TV screen.

We are very happy to introduce two new BlackBerry 7 smartphones in Indonesia. Both of these smartphones show the newest generation of our hardware and software, and offer you the best experience in communication, multimedia and also productivity.

After getting a hold of a BlackBerry 9900, my opinion is that combines some of the best features of the present Blackberry line-up with a satisfying touchscreen, plus a welcome appearance for the newest OS 7. The iconic Bold hardware remains, yet it has been trimmed to be thinner than ever. It is really the perfect timing for Research In Motion to launch this, because a lot of people who bought their BlackBerry two or three years ago can buy the newest iterations and get a far richer experience.

Rival Samsung sold out both its Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S 2 on the first day, leaving RIM with a huge challenge to match such a feat. But the 9900 and 9810 were still able to attract quite a lot of buyers at its launch today. BlackBerry might be more expensive with the new tax – and RIM has been in quite some trouble with the Indonesian government of late – yet I think Indonesia is still a BB-lovin’ nation. The Canadian company will be hoping it stays that way, despite recent political troubles, and an onslaught from Android. What do you make of the two new models?