When Research In Motion introduces a hot new BlackBerry model, versions of the device—unlike Palm, Inc. Treo smartphones, for example—quickly make the rounds to carriers worldwide. The new re-engineered BlackBerry 8700 model is no exception.

Earlier this month, Cingular Wireless launched the BlackBerry 8700 in the U.S., while two weeks later Rogers Wireless followed suit in Canada. Today, Orange France becomes the first operator in Europe to offer the slimmest, most compact - 4.3 x 2.7 x 0.77 inches (110 x 69.5 x 19.5 millimeters) - BlackBerry yet. The 8700 weighs a mere 4.7 ounces (134 grams) too.

Other than slight variations in name—the Cingular model is called the 8700c, Roger's the 8700r and Orange France's the 8700f—and color, the basic hardware of each carrier's 8700 model is the same.

In addition to the aforementioned modest dimensions, the 8700 series uses a 312 MHz PXA9xx XScale processor, the result of a previously announced deal between RIM and Intel. At the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) 2005 trade show in San Francisco last month, the companies said RIM would turn to Intel microprocessors for its next generation of BlackBerry handhelds.

The quad-band GSM/GPRS (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) BlackBerry 8700 is also the first RIM handheld to support high-speed (for cellular) EDGE (Enhanced Data for Global Evolution) wireless networking, delivering average data exchange speeds of 135 kilobits per second (kbps).

Additional 8700 series hardware includes RIM's signature 35-key QWERTY thumb-keyboard plus a QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) resolution display that supports over 65,000 colors. RIM says the BlackBerry 8700 incorporates intelligent light sensing technology that automatically adjusts both the LCD and keyboard lighting to provide an optimized view in outdoor, indoor and dark environments.

Call management features for handsets include “send,” “end” and “mute” keys plus a speakerphone, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing and call forwarding. There's Bluetooth for connecting to wireless headsets.

For corporate users - as with past RIM handhelds - there's BlackBerry Enterprise Server to integrate with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise. The server also works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based, wireless access to e-mail and other corporate data. Enterprise customers can also use BlackBerry MDS for secure, wireless access to other back-office applications.

For individuals and smaller businesses, the carrier's offer BlackBerry Internet Service, which allows customers to access up to ten supported e-mail accounts from a single device.

The BlackBerry 8700f is expected to be available for Orange's enterprise customers in France on December 15th, with retail availability planned for January. It will be available in other Orange markets across Europe in a phased rollout during 2006. The device should go for 199 Euros ($233) with a two-year contract, or 229 Euros ($268) with a one-year agreement.