RIM starts selling new BlackBerry

TORONTO: Research In Motion Ltd has started selling its new BlackBerry model in Germany and Chile, and analysts expect it will be released in North America within a month.

The BlackBerry Bold is a high-end BlackBerry that has twice the screen resolution of current RIM models. The Bold, or 9000, matches the resolution, but not the size, of the screen on Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which has emerged as a potent competitor in the ``smart phone'' category.

AT&T Inc. says it will be the exclusive US carrier for the Bold. An AT&T spokesman declined to say on Thursday when the company will release it.

Peter Misek, an analyst with Canaccord Adams, says he expects AT&T to start selling it on Sept 15 and Rogers Communications in Canada to release it on Aug 18.

Some stores in Canada have already unveiled a store model and fliers. Genuity Capital Markets analyst Deepak Chopra also expects it will be released in the US in mid-September.

RIM didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.