Research In Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry handhelds captured a devoted following for their superior mobile messaging capabilities. Yet many users find them severely lacking when it comes to multimedia and some other features.

That could change later this year if the Internet rumor mill is correct. According to Untrung, analysts got a sneak peak at a new UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) 3G BlackBerry with more advanced multimedia capabilities, a music player even, designed to compete against the likes of Palm's Treo and other feature-rich - particularly Microsoft-based - smartphones— more so, it seems, than RIM's already more phone-like 7100 series models, which nixed the familiar QWERTY thumb-keyboard for a keyboard/keypad hybrid.

The new BlackBerry would presumably enhance business productivity through the ability to download, edit and forward large PowerPoint files as well.

J.Gold Associates analyst Jack Gold, who saw the device, said "It's like a pseudo-Treo" and that "they (RIM) have to do this to stay competitive." Why?Because operators want to support handsets that maximize the sending and receiving of all types of wireless content (from ringtones to music to pictures to e-mail) for revenue purposes.

RIM has been hush hush about the new device, which would be its second 3G handheld after the EV-D0 BlackBerry 7130e—offered by Verizon Wireless in the U.S. for its CDMA network—and its first broadband GSM model. Gold opines a price of about $400 for the UMTS BlackBerry—in line with the Treo—and a possible due date in the third quarter.