We’ve just been sent a mother lode of shots of RIM’s upcoming BlackBerry 9800 — a phone whose market name is still unknown — but whether it’s called the Bold, the Torch, or something else altogether, we think we’re looking at near-final hardware here. The software is identified as version 0.9, but you can clearly tell from the UI that it’s running BlackBerry 6 with an ever-so-slightly refined look and subtle 3D elements missing from prior releases. This particular phone is AT&T-branded, and it starts up with a carrier logo screen that proudly proclaims the 9800 a world phone — sure enough, the About screen shows support for WCDMA bands I, II, V, and VI, which means you’ll be able to use the phone for 3G service in Japan and most of Europe. Generally speaking, BlackBerrys haven’t been known to be the prettiest things around (with the possible exception of the Curve 8900), but we’ll admit — we’re digging this. Check out the full gallery below!

[Thanks, Om]

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