EnterpriseMobileToday BlackBerryToday

Home | News | Reviews | Features | Tips | Mobile Product Watch | Forums

Update: BlackBerry Curve Rumored for This Week

Update: AT&T just confirmed it would release the BlackBerry Curve on May 3st. The Curve, at 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and 3.9 ounces, is RIM's smallest and lightest full QWERTY thumb-keyboard model yet.

How many rumors have we heard saying the Curve is coming? The latest seems to hold a little more water than the others. I've seen bits of what appears to be an internal AT&T e-mail from a couple different sources, including Pinstack and The Boy Genius Report, that says AT&T (Cingular) will release the Curve on May 31st.

The BlackBerry will cost $449.99 without a contract, $274.99 with a one-year agreement, or $199.99 when you sign up for a two years. It looks like AT&T have a 90 exclusive, which means T-Mobile subscribers have to wait a while for a stab at the new device.

Packaging may say BlackBerry 8300, but it is the same as the Curve. For AT&T customers, the Curve will support AT&T Mobile Music, AT&T Mall, and AT&T Push-to-Talk.

Additional BlackBerry Curve features include:

  • Quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
  • New audio technology adjusts call volume automatically
  • Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo headset support, speakerphone and voice-activated dialing
  • 2 megapixel camera with 5x zoom and flash
  • Media player for loading music, videos and pictures via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager
  • Split screen interface and trackball scrolling
  • Spell checker with a customizable dictionary
  • Battery life: 4 hours talk time, 17 days standby
  • Programmable convenience keys
  • 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
  • Mini USB port and microSD card slot
  • Email set-up assistant with support for up to 10 accounts
  • View Word, Excel, PDF and JPEG attachments
  • TeleNav Maps for text driving directions

    With AT&T Mobile Music integrated, users have access to XM Satellite Radio with 25 commercial-free music channels. In addition, the service allows them to access songs, music videos, ringtones, music news, a MusicID service, music-related chat rooms, streaming music and more from their Pocket PC Phone.

    AT&T is also the first U.S. carrier to offer access to music subscription services, Yahoo! Music and eMusic, from a mobile handset. Users can buy tracks for 99 cents each.

    Update: BlackBerry Curve Rumored for This Week