RIM has made some interesting design decisions with the Bold 9900. Gone is the leatherette back, replaced by a carbon fibre panel. The shiny chrome strip of old has been replaced by an iPhone 4-aping stainless steel band that no longer loops round the front and back like on its predecessor, the BlackBerry Bold 9780, but harks back to the original Bold 9000 by only encircling the front. The edges of the back have also been bevelled and given a soft touch matt black plastic finish. The result is a phone that looks at first glance very familiar but up close retains a modern vibe – the carbon fibre is a particularly nice touch.