November 23, 2009 — CIO — BlackBerry enthusiasts, “CrackBerry” addicts and gadget-heads in the United States can now officially purchase Research In Motion’s (RIM) latest and greatest smartphone: the BlackBerry Bold 9700. I’ve used many BlackBerrys in my day, but this is almost my dream smartphone…almost.

T-Mobile became the first U.S. carrier to offer RIM’s new Bold smartphone when it listed the device for sale last Monday for $199.99 with a new, qualifying two-year wireless service contract. AT&T quickly followed suit, releasing its own version of the Bold 9700 to the masses a week later for the same exact price and contract commitment–after a mail-in rebate.

I’ve been using the T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 for a few weeks now, and I’m nothing short of infatuated with the smartphone. It has nearly everything I want in a high-end device. It’s reasonably priced–the original BlackBerry Bold, the Bold 9000, was more expensive upon release more than a year ago and still sells for $199.99 on contract. And the 9700′s just plain ol’ good-lookin’.

Here are nine reasons, in reverse order, why the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 is RIM’s best BlackBerry ever. If you’re considering a BlackBerry upgrade or are thinking of taking the plunge into the world of BlackBerry for the first time, I strongly suggest you keep these points in mind when checking out the Bold 9700.

Still, you’ll find a few minor shortcomings. None of them are deal-breakers in my opinion–I wouldn’t be naming the Bold 9700 RIM’s best BlackBerry ever if they were—but the points are worth noting, nonetheless.

Hit that jump for specifics. And you can check out a full BlackBerry Bold 9700 unboxing here.