Software trouble has hit the BlackBerry Bold, with RIM's latest handset no longer available for purchase on the Orange UK site.
The BlackBerry Bold was listed as out of stock' on the Orange online shop on Friday afternoon, following online rumours it had been pulled by the mobile retailer because of problems with the smartphone. The Bold was still available for purchase from Vodafone, however.
A spokesperson from Orange UK told IT PRO that the operator and Research in Motion (RIM) were working on a "maintenance release" to fix 3G-related software problems.
"Orange UK is committed to providing the BlackBerry Bold to its customers in the UK, however Orange UK and RIM are currently working on providing a maintenance release of software to address some reported 3G related concerns," an emailed statement from RIM and Orange said.
"Although the reported 3G concerns have been limited to a minority of Orange customers in the UK, Orange UK and RIM both take customer concerns very seriously and felt it was prudent to introduce a maintenance release of software for Orange UK customers at this time," the statement continued.
A report on a mobile technology website showed an apparently leaked internal document from Orange, which read in part: "Following reports of software issues with the BlackBerry Bold handset across a variety of mobile operators, Orange has decided to act in the interest of its customers by suspending shipments of the device in the UK."
The leaked memo also said Orange was waiting for an industry-wide fix for the software problem, but warned that it could take weeks.
