Well, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is now fully official and headed for launch in a matter of weeks. But what if you’re a committed BlackBerry-ite with the original Bold 9000 in your possession? Is it really worth trading in your old model for the brash newcomer? Well, yes it bloomin’ well is – and if you read on we’ll give you no less than five reasons why…

1. It’s slimmer
This might be a minor point in some people’s eyes, but the Bold 9700 is 59mm wide. So, comparied to the original Bold 9000 with its hefty 66mm girth, the 9700 comes off as far more pocket-friendly. Great news for wearers of leg-hugging skinny jeans! Despite its lithe frame, it still sports a full QWERTY keyboard.

2. It’s speedier
The Bold 9700 comes packing the same software as the BlackBerry Storm (BlackBerry OS v5.0, if you’re asking for specifics). That means you get a big old boost on the speed front: BlackBerry reckons the web browser is 30-50 percent zippier than on the Bold 9000.

3. It’s, er, style-ier
You couldn’t call the Bold 9000 ugly, but the Bold 9700 is simply a more stylish proposition all round. Okay, so the chunky, eye-catching metal frame is gone, but the chrome accents, glossy plastic and highly strokeable leatherette back panel more than make up for its loss.

4. It’s got stamina
The battery life of the Bold 9700 is a bit special. Despite using the same battery as the original Bold 9000, it offers around three days of normal use per charge, six hours of talk time and 19 days of standby time – the Bold 9000 delivers 4.5 hours of talk time and 13 days of standby life. The Bold 9700’s newfound efficiency also means you can pump out 38 hours of music playback before the battery gives up the ghost.

5. It’s got slicker controls
Gone is the original Bold’s rather primitive trackball, to be replaced by a touch-sensitive trackpad. This makes the Bold 9700 much easier to use day-to-day, and web browsing becomes a much more pleasant experience.

Convinced? You can now pre-order the BlackBerry Bold 9700 at VodafoneUK