Research In Motion introduced a new version of its BlackBerry Bold smartphone, less than a week after announcing a successor to its Storm phone. The actions come as RIM and its rivals gear up for the critical fourth-quarter holiday shopping season.

The new Bold phone, called the BlackBerry Bold 9700, will be available through AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA, among other carriers around the world. The upgrade replaces the original Bold's trackball with an optical track pad and also has a faster browser and a slimmer and lighter profile than the original. The device is meant to appeal to enterprise users and serve as a high-end smartphone for consumers.