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RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis explained to the AP the other day that the BlackBerry Bold's been delayed because it's still undergoing testing with AT&T. The carrier wants to make sure the new smartphone plays nice with its HSPA 3G network.

It appears AT&T, which ran into trouble with the wireless performance of the iPhone 3g, isn't about to launch another high profile smartphone without making sure the device connects properly to its network.

"There's great scrutiny, as you might know, on that network and a certain device. So I guess everyone wants to be sure on every last test," Lazaridis said to the AP. "We're very meticulous about what our product does," he added.

Although there's been no official announcement of a BlackBerry Bold release date, AT&T and RIM said the BlackBerry Bold would hit the U.S. during the summer when first introducing it late last spring. It didn't.

Early last month, RIM's other co-CEO Jim Balsillie's said he hoped to see the BlackBerry Bold released in the U.S. somtime this month. During his keynote address at CTIA, Balsillie said, "We expect the U.S. launch in early October...We're hopeful."

Several rumored fall releases dates have come and gone as well. The latest rumor places the release in November.

The BlackBerry Bold started shipping in some foreign markets back in August