Let the 3G-Phone War Begin

SAN FRANCISCO -- Get ready for a titanic 3G-phone war this summer.

That's when BlackBerry maker Research In MotionRIMM and AppleAAPL will be rolling out their flashy products at the high-end smartphone market.

RIM is set to launch its latest device, the BlackBerry Bold, a feature-packed smartphone with functionality and style. Apple is preparing its own response in the form of the much-awaited 3G iPhone.

At its analyst day Monday, the Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM unveiled the BlackBerry Bold phone, the first in its stable to support high-speed HSDPA 3G networks.

Apple Might Not Win the Smartphone War

The phone also sports a sophisticated design that includes a faster processor, integrated GPS, media player and 2-megapixel camera. RIM hasn't announced the pricing for the device yet but said it will be available this summer. Some analysts believe the device could debut on AT&TT.

There are certainly glaring differences between BlackBerry's latest phone and Apple's iPhone. "The Bold is not a touch screen, has a keyboard and it doesn't do music as well as the iPhone," says Darren Chervitz, director of research with the Jacob Internet Fund, which holds Apple shares. "And the iPhone is yet to do email as well as the BlackBerry."

Still competition between the two companies is likely to heat up.

"This is the first shot of the RIM-Apple war that is starting," says Samuel Wilson, an analyst at JMP Securities in a research note. JMP Securities does not own shares of RIM or have an investment banking relationship with the company. "These two companies are squaring off against one another."

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