Hardware details on the two new PlayBook models are uncertain. The 3G+ of the new 7-inch version is apparently a chipset limitation, preventing LTE being included. However previous leaks of PlayBook OS 2.0 revealed LTE iconography and support for 1280 x 800 resolution, which could indicate one or both of the new models are stepping up to a more pixel-packed screen.

The first BlackBerry 10 handset isn’t expected until September this year, according to the source, in keeping with RIM’s own public “late-2012″ timescale. Exactly what the device will be is unspecified, though it seems likely to be the BlackBerry “London”, the only phone believed left uncancelled from those we’ve seen leak from the Canadian firm.

Before that point, however, there’ll supposedly be two new BlackBerry Curve handsets, targeting emerging markets; one will be 2G-only. PlayBook OS 2.0 will drop at the end of February 2012, while the PlayBook Admin Service will drop this coming summer. Meanwhile, BlackBerry Mobile Fusion - which will allow remote configuration, locking, secure wiping and connectivity management across BlackBerry phones, the PlayBook, Android smartphones or tablets, or an iPhone or iPad – will arrive in April, a month later than RIM previously expected.

RIM is expected to preview BlackBerry 10 at Mobile World Congress 2012 late next month – a timescale that would fit in with the tipped PlayBook OS 2.0 release, suggesting the two could well coincide – though that’s said to be a behind-glass showcase with no hands-on devices available. In the meantime, RIM is supposedly working with investment bank Goldman Sachs on exploring the potential of selling off the company.

If this is your first BlackBerry, you should know that not all BlackBerries come in one one black berry color – this 9360 comes in either black or a lovely merlot. You’ll get a 2.4-inch display, a full QWERTY keypad, the classic BlackBerry setup with the display sitting to the north of the keypad, the full device in a portrait configuration. You’ll also find that this keypad is one of the most comfortable to use in BlackBerry history, the spacing and the curvature of the setup optimized for your fingers to tap tap tap away on. You’ll get your ever-present navigation track-pad and four BlackBerry menu buttons as well, no worries!

Inside you’ll find the latest release of BBM BlackBerry Messenger, this version now connected to a range of other apps including the now ultra-popular Foursquare, all this through a new BBM Connected app. On the back of the device you’ll find a 5-megapixel camera with flash as well. A simple device with essential bits all around.

This BlackBerry, the Curve 9360, will be available in an exclusive pre-sale for T-Mobile business customers beginning the same day this post is posted, September 21, 2011. The black color finish will be available nationwide starting on September 28th, while the merlot color finish will be released on October 12th. This device will cost $79.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card, all this attached to a 2-year service agreement and qualifying classic voice and data plan.

Can you barely contain yourself?!

The three models boast a sleek new look but retain the traditional BlackBerry Curve form factor with a 2.44-inch 480×360 display, a backlit QWERTY keyboard and optical trackpad. They each have a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording. They also support WiFi, GPS, and microSD for storage expandable with a memory card up to 32GB.

All three handsets run on an 800MHz processor and look identical on the outside. The main difference between the three models is the connectivity and storage options. The Curve 9350 is CDMA while the 9360 is EDGE/HSDPA, but both have 512MB of RAM and 512MB of storage. The Curve 9370 has CDMA/EVDO and EDGE with 512MB RAM and 1GB of storage.

The devices are expected to launch in Canada this month and worldwide in September. RIM recently launched three other BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones, including the BlackBerry Bold 9930, the Blackberry Torch 9850/9860, and the BlackBerry Torch 9810.

[via RIM]

Motorola’s long delayed 4G LTE dual-core flagship phone, the Droid Bionic, has been confirmed for a launch next month. But now we get an exact date for September 8. Also scheduled for release that date, is Motorola’s 4G LTE version of the XOOM tablet and the 4G LTE BlackBerry Curve 9370.

Other interesting bits to note from the leak is that the rumored handset designed for women, the HTC Bliss, is scheduled for a September 29 launch. There also looks to be a replacement for the LG Revolution in late October and what might possibly be the 4G LTE 8.9-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab in November.

[via IGN]

Specifications for the new QWERTY candybar haven’t been revealed, though looking at the photos it clearly has 3G, an optical trackpad, full keyboard and microUSB connectivity. There’s also BlackBerry 7, the company’s new OS.

So, was RIM meant to announce the Curve 9360 this morning, but decided on a change of plans at the eleventh hour? According to at least one leaked T-Mobile USA roadmap, RIM is readying the Curve 9360 for release on August 31, so the Canadian firm hasn’t long to get its story straight.

The program has already begun inviting select customers for the trial. Only customers with BlackBerry smartphones will be able to test out the new service. A new battery cover and a microSD card is being sent out to testers to make their existing smartphones NFC-enabled. The following phones are supported: BlackBerry Curve 8520, 8530; BlackBerry Bold 9000, 9650, 9700; and BlackBerry Tour 9630.

Payments using the NFC-enabled BlackBerry phones can be made at any location that accepts Mastercard’s PayPass. The trial program is scheduled to start this Spring.

[via BGR]

The BlackBerry Curve 3G may not be a powerhouse when it comes to smartphones, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. RIM has managed to pack 512MB of RAM into the Curve 3G, and the display features a resolution of 320 x 240. The device is going to ship with RIM’s BlackBerry 5 mobile Operating System, but it is officially a “BlackBerry 6-ready device.” The device is expected to get upgraded to the new Operating System some time in 2011.

Other features you can expect is a Pandora radio app pre-installed, and WiFi b/g available. You’ll have access to BlackBerry apps, like your favorite social networking sites, courtesy of the BlackBerry App World. You also get GPS, and Sprint is planning to add visual voicemail to the device some time soon. You’ll be able to get your order on for the device, as well as through Business Solutions, beginning on September 26th. It will then be available in Sprint stores and every other sales channel on October 10th. You’ll be able to buy it for $49.99 on a new, two-year contract, which is also after a $100 mail-in rebate. You’ll need to sign up for Sprint’s Everything Data plan or Business Advantage Messaging and Data plan, though.

Press Release

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Sept. 15, 2010 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the upcoming availability of BlackBerry® Curve™ 3G (model 9330), a new addition to the popular BlackBerry Curve family of smartphones. The new model offers Sprint customers a powerful, feature-rich handset at an easily affordable price.

BlackBerry Curve 3G will be available beginning Sunday, Sept. 26, through Sprint’s direct ship sales channels including Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web sales (www.sprint.com) for $49.99 with a new two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes and surcharges excluded). It will then be available in all remaining Sprint sales channels beginning Sunday, Oct. 10.

The new BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone features a sleek and professional look with its slim and lightweight form factor, textured battery door and a new chrome-like finish in Graphite Gray or Royal Purple. BlackBerry Curve 3G has 512MB Flash memory as well as a MicroSD/SDHC slot that supports up to 32GB memory cards for media storage.

This new smartphone ships with BlackBerry® 5 out of the box and is BlackBerry® 6 ready. BlackBerry 6 is a new operating system for BlackBerry® smartphones that will be available to Sprint BlackBerry Curve 3G customers in 2011. It retains the trusted features that distinguish the BlackBerry brand while delivering a fresh and engaging experience that is both powerful and easy to use. Key enhancements will include a new intuitive user interface, new Social Feeds application, WebKit browser and universal search.

“The BlackBerry Curve series continues to be a tremendous success,” said David Owens, vice president of Marketing for Sprint. “We are excited to offer this new model and then bring the new BlackBerry 6 operating system to it in 2011. BlackBerry Curve 3G offers the same value and form factor our customers have come to expect but it also provides key enhancements to stay productive and entertained with email messaging and the latest multimedia and social media features.”

BlackBerry Curve 3G offers many popular features including:
Convenient trackpad interface with full QWERTY keyboard
2.0 MP camera with support for video recording
Dedicated media keys to play, pause and skip songs
Wi-Fi®: 802-11 B/G and GPS
Visual Voicemail
512MB Flash memory plus a MicroSD/SDHC slot for up to 32GB of media storage, 2GB card included

“The new BlackBerry Curve 3G is an extremely attractive, approachable and affordable handset that provides a perfect choice for Sprint customers who are looking for a user-friendly 3G smartphone to help them make the most of their day,” said David J. Smith, vice president of Product Management, Research In Motion.

The BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone will support a variety of multimedia applications, including Sprint Music Store™, Sprint TV™ and Pandora™. It also boasts dedicated applications for a smoothly integrated social networking experience with Facebook®, MySpace™ and Flickr™.

BlackBerry Curve 3G requires activation on an Everything Data plan or a Business Advantage Messaging and Data plan. Additional plan options are available for business customers. Sprint’s industry-leading Everything Data plans with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM include unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from every mobile in America while on the Sprint network. Everything Data plans start at $69.99 per month – the same price Verizon and AT&T charge for unlimited talk only (all price plans exclude surcharges and taxes).1

With the Sprint Free Guarantee, customers can take advantage of BlackBerry Curve 3G for 30 days. If not completely satisfied, customers may return the smartphone within 30 days to get reimbursed for the handset purchase and activation fee, get both the early termination and restocking fees waived, and receive a full refund for the monthly service plan charges.2
Sprint is the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now service with trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their BlackBerry Curve 3G, set up features and demonstrate how it works before the customer leaves the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time at www.sprint.com/storelocator.

The camera – despite what Vodafone’s listing says – is a 2-megapixel unit with no flash and fixed focus, and there’s the new(ish) optical trackpad above the hardware keyboard.  Dedicated media playback keys round out the main specs, and there’s lashings of rubberized plastic to help you avoid dropping it.

What you don’t get, at least right now, is BlackBerry 6, and the smartphone was absent from RIM’s list of devices guaranteed to get an update to the new version of the OS.  That doesn’t mean OS 6 isn’t going to arrive on the Curve 3G at some point, but with the Torch 9800 launching with the newest software we wish RIM could’ve done the same for this more entry-level device.

Meanwhile the Curve 9300 is accompanied by the Motorola FLIPOUT, also fresh to Rogers, and on sale in Canada now from $29.99 on new, three-year agreements.  That has a 2.8-inch touchscreen, MOTOBLUR and a rotating QWERTY keyboard; check out more details in our hands-on report here.

[via Unwired View]

The shift in balance is being credited to strong promotional pushes by US carriers to drive Android device adoption, particularly in the face of the iPhone’s current exclusivity on AT&T.  ”In order to compete with the iPhone,” NPD analyst Ross Rubin explains, “Verizon Wireless has expanded its buy-one-get-one offer beyond RIM devices to now include all of their smartphones.”  This promotion saw particularly strong sales of the DROID, DROID Eris, and Blackberry Curve.

Nonetheless, AT&T’s smartphone sales alone accounted for 32-percent of the smartphone market in the US as a whole, ahead of Verizon’s 30-percent, T-Mobile’s 17-percent and Sprint’s 15-percent.  It’s possible that the situation may not change until Q3 2010, when the new iPhone HD is expected to make its sales debut.

Press Release:

Android Shakes Up U.S. Smartphone Market

First quarter 2010 information from The NPD Group’s Mobile Phone Track reveals a shift in the smartphone market, as Android OS edged out Apple’s OS for the number-two position behind RIM

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Android operating system (OS) continued to shake up the U.S. mobile phone market in the first quarter (Q1) of 2010, moving past Apple for to take the number-two position among smartphone operating systems, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research company. NPD’s wireless market research reveals that based on unit sales to consumers last quarter the Android operating system moved into second position at 28 percent behind RIM’s OS (36 percent) and ahead of Apple’s OS (21 percent).

“Recent previews of BlackBerry 6, the recently announced acquisition of Palm by HP, and the pending release of Windows Phone 7 demonstrates the industry’s willingness to make investments to address consumer demand for smartphones and other mobile devices”
“As in the past, carrier distribution and promotion have played a crucial role in determining smartphone market share,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. “In order to compete with the iPhone, Verizon Wireless has expanded its buy-one-get-one offer beyond RIM devices to now include all of their smartphones.”

Strong sales of the Droid, Droid Eris, and Blackberry Curve via these promotions helped keep Verizon Wireless’s smartphone sales on par with AT&T in Q1. According to NPD’s Mobile Phone Track, smartphone sales at AT&T comprised nearly a third of the entire smartphone market (32 percent), followed by Verizon Wireless (30 percent), T-Mobile (17 percent) and Sprint (15 percent).

“Recent previews of BlackBerry 6, the recently announced acquisition of Palm by HP, and the pending release of Windows Phone 7 demonstrates the industry’s willingness to make investments to address consumer demand for smartphones and other mobile devices,” Rubin said. “Carriers continue to offer attractive pricing for devices, but will need to present other data-plan options to attract more customers in the future.”

The continued popularity of messaging phones and smartphones resulted in slightly higher prices for all mobile phones, despite an overall drop in the number of mobile phones purchased in the first quarter. The average selling price for all mobile phones in Q1 reached $88, which is a 5 percent increase from Q1 2009. Smartphone unit prices, by comparison, averaged $151 in Q1 2010, which is a 3 percent decrease over the previous year.

Methodology: The NPD Group compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and demographically-representative sample, and results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers. Note: Sales figures do not include corporate/enterprise mobile phone sales.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us, visit http://www.npd.com/, or follow us Twitter at https://twitter.com/npdgroup.

Other specifications aren’t completely known as yet, but the Curve 8910 is believed to be running BlackBerry OS 5.0 and have pretty much the same chassis as its trackball-blessed predecessor.  We’re holding out weak hopes that RIM see sense and update the Curve line with 3G UMTS, since that’s pretty much an expected feature for today’s smartphones.

The optical pad – which is basically a low resolution camera that tracks the movement of your thumb against the translucent panel – makes more sense for RIM because it essentially has no moving parts, unlike the traditional trackball.  That makes it cheaper and less prone to sticking, breaking or generally gunking up with use.

[via GSMHelpdesk]

As a true CrackBerry addict, I had opted to replace my Verizon Curve 88330 with the new Curve 8530. Yes, rather than a Droid, I went with the BlackBerry because I am a Blackberry Messenger fiend, love the speed of the e-mail and my fingers can’t live without the physical keyboards. However, within a few minutes of using the new trackpad equipped Curve, I was just downright disappointed in the Canadian smartphone pioneers.  What used to be a groundbreaking mobile operating system a couple of years ago, has been minimally updated with only new skins and a slightly improved interface.  The attempts to catch up to the Apple iPhones, Palm Pres and Motorola Droids of the world haven’t been executed correctly.

Take RIM’s shot at its own application store. Deemed Blackberry App World, the application store is not even preloaded on the brand new device! In order to get the application portal on the smartphone I had to search for it via Google, and download the application. Yep, I had to download the application to get applications. Counterintuitive, much? I’m not sure how RIM expects its customers to know this store is even available and that it contains hundreds of applications, nonetheless that it compete with application-centric phones like the iPhone and Android that have simple, preloaded application marketplaces.

Once running, the store is actually quite nice and easy to navigate but its inventory is a different story. I couldn’t find a number of applications for my phone, including TweetGenius and TwitterBerry. And don’t think it is just  a coincidence that the two missing applications  were social networking based.

Sure, Facebook makes a decent application for BlackBerry, but unlike the Palm Pre or the iPhone it lacks social skills. There is no integrated contact management with the option to fill in your current address book with different social networking information (though the Facebook app does have an option for that it isn’t integrated in the OS or within other social networking applications). Even when new and promising features like visual voicemail seem to be preloaded, they end up requiring a download and what feels like a 10-step process to configure. Unfortunately, while RIM is attempting to bring these newer features offered by its competitors and the social Web ecosystem to its own operating system, the implementation is halfhearted.

RIM, what worked a few years ago just doesn’t anymore. Although you may continue to attract enterprise customers with superior security and e-mail, to compete today in the consumer game you need products that add simplicity, engage with Internet integration and offer easy access to compelling third-party applications.  Yes, there remains a dedicated group of consumers (eh hem, me) that are still looking for the BlackBerry bread and butter – the strong email support, the speed of services like BlackBerry Messenger and good hardware – but they aren’t willing to deal with lagging features and incomplete experiences.  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel (seriously, we don’t want the scroll wheel anymore), but continuing to drop the ball isn’t going to work anymore. Please, get it rolling again.

There’s also a timeline which indicates a “private sale” event at some point in-between November 8th and November 23rd, which tallies neatly with the launch schedule of the Verizon Droid.  That’s one of perhaps three key devices for the carrier, with the others being the BlackBerry Storm2 and the Curve2.

Obviously there’s also a fair few feature-phones which Verizon will be pushing, together with accessories, but if you’re looking for those we reckon you’ll get the best deal by holding off until the carrier’s Black Friday promotions, starting November 23rd.  More slides over at BGR.

The cheapest monthly plan AT&T offer with the Curve 8900 is $39.99, offering 450 inclusive minutes, 5000 nights/weekends minutes and unlimited mobile to mobile calls.  On top of that, there’s the carrier’s data plans, starting at $30 per month for the BlackBerry Personal package; sign up for that, and you also get inclusive WiFi access at AT&T’s hotspots across the US.

It’s not cheap, then, but the 8900 does come recommended.  We spent some hands-on time with the T-Mobile USA version back in January and, despite the absence of 3G, came away impressed.  The keyboard is perhaps the phone’s best feature, but the 3.2-megapixel camera, high-res 480 x 360 display and slim build all add up to a decent smartphone.

[Thanks Tony!]

The carrier first announced the upcoming 8900 back at the start of May, though did not confirm any specific release date beyond an “early Summer” launch.  May 22nd might be pushing that definition, but we won’t argue with the Curve 8900 dropping earlier than expected.

While we’re yet to try the AT&T Curve 8900, we did spend some hands-on time with the T-Mobile USA version of the smartphone back in January.  While it lacks 3G, it’s nonetheless a very usable messaging phone, with an excellent hardware QWERTY keyboard and solid battery life; AT&T estimate roughly 5.5hrs of talktime or 15 days of standby.  Those buyers who choose an unlimited AT&T data plan will also get free WiFi hotspot access at nearly 20,000 locations across the US.

CrackBerry give the Curve 8520 kudos for its optical trackpad, too, a first for BlackBerry devices.  Rather than the trackball which the RIM handsets have become somewhat known for, the 8520 uses a tiny camera – similar to that on the original Samsung Omnia – to control direction.  Whereas the success of the Omnia’s optical trackpad was mixed, the 8520′s is seemingly much better.

Unfortunately, that can’t make up for the absence of 3G, the sub-par 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera, and a 320 x 240 screen that is “a step down if you’ve ever used the Bold, 8900, Storm or 9630″.  The expectation is that this will end up as a pay-as-you-go (aka prepay) handset, in which company it will look far more tempting.

T-Mobile and Rogers already have the latest Curve, which features a 3.2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 480 x 360 display. It also has the newest BlackBerry operating system. The AT&T version of the BlackBerry 8900 will be a tad different, however.

Specifically, it won’t feature Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) support for VoIP. However, it will have AT&T Navigator, XM Radio Mobile and Yellow Pages. We don’t know how much the phone will cost on AT&T, but they are likely to keep it competitive with T-Mobile, which is currently priced at $149.99 with a two-year contract. The release date is also unknown, though expected to fall within the early summer months.

In fact BlackBerry handsets occupy three spots in the top five, with the Storm holding position three and the BlackBerry Pearl (not including the clamshell model) at number four.  The T-Mobile G1 comes in at fifth place. 

Analysts at The NPD Group put the BlackBerry success down to Verizon’s “aggressive marketing of the BlackBerry Storm”, together with the buy-one-get-one promotion.  That, plus its low price and presence at four US national carriers, pushed the Curve ahead.

Obviously that’s dependent on you taking out a new, two-year agreement with T-Mobile USA.  Then of course there’s the BlackBerry service tariff on top of that.  It isn’t going to end up necessarily cheap, but the 8900 is a slick little handset – as we found in our hands-on with it – and unless 3G figures highly in your priorities you’re unlikely to be too disappointed with it.

Unfortunately, it looks like the rumored pricing for the Curve – which tipped an after-rebates price of $149.99 – was a little too ambitious.  Still, this ought to tide you over until the 3G Gemini arrives.

In addition, the screen will be both larger and higher-resolution than that on the BlackBerry 8900.  Specific changes to the keyboard include more rounded keys, while the Send/End keys are rounded instead of being flat on the sides.  There’s no word on GPS or WiFi, but the BGR are presuming both will be present, together with a camera of at least 3.2-megapixels but, potentially, better.

As well as triband 3G the BlackBerry Gemini 9300 also has quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE.  What we don’t know for sure is when we might be seeing the Gemini 9300 on shelves; given that RIM have only just announced the latest iteration of the Curve, the current guess is either Q4 2009 or Q1 2010.

Netbooks slammed back into the headlines this week, with Acer seizing most attention with the official announcement of their 10-inch Aspire One.  We’ve seen the live pictures, we’ve read the specs – including confirmed SSD and Linux options sometime after launch – and you may even have placed a pre-order; now we just want the real thing to play with.  Meanwhile MSI’s Wind U120 got its first review – mediocre at best – while the Samsung NC20 impressed with its HD-capable VIA Nano chipset.  Lastly, NVIDIA’s outspoken CEO had some harsh words for Intel and some flattering ones for their rivals, while of course saving the most love for Ion and Tegra.

In other mobile devices, we’re expecting Amazon to announce the Kindle 2 ebook reader at their February 9th press conference, while also predicted for February is the Virgin Mobile Helio Ocean 2.  Will it be better late than never for the much-delayed smartphone?  Other QWERTY goodness is promised from T-Mobile, with leaked details of the Sidekick LX 2009, and Verizon, whose LG VX9600 – complete with trick detachable keyboard module – is expected on February 22nd.

Elsewhere, the financial bad news continued with surprise announcements from Canon and Sony, the former revealing an 81-percent dive in profits while the latter reported an even worse 95-percent crash.  It looks like Canon can’t release the freshly-teased Mark III N DSLR fast enough.

Finally, if you thought the Palm/Apple IP furore was over, think again – the US Patent Office have finally awarded Apple their multitouch patent, leaving analysts, users and pundits all scrabbling for information over what exactly the Cupertino company hold the keys to.  Apple, for their part, seem to be too busy preparing the successor to the iPhone 3G to bother filling us in.

This coming week we’ll have the full review of the BlackBerry Curve 8900, together with the Orbita Mouse.  We’ll also be looking at the run-up to Mobile World Congress, and wondering out loud exactly what Barcelona has in store.  Thanks for reading SlashGear!

As looks go, the 8900 doesn’t break any new ground for RIM.  Happily, the Curve family has always been blessed with handsome looks and sturdy build, and this latest device is no different.  Solid and tough, it’s also surprisingly light and compact, nestling well in the hand.  The display is amazingly crisp, an area which RIM have been excelling in recently with both the Bold and the Storm, and the latest BlackBerry OS 4.61.114 does its usual job of making the majority of functions available from the first level of menus.  The keyboard, while not as aesthetically pleasing as that of the Bold, is responsive and highly usable, with just the right amount of key spacing (in fact some of us prefer it over the Bold) and clickiness.

As with the Bold, the web browser is a huge step forward for a BlackBerry.  While it’s not up to the standard of mobile Safari on the iPhone, nor in fact some third-party offerings such as Opera’s browsers, it’s nonetheless capable of showing full desktop webpages and, thanks to the trackball, navigating and zooming through them easily.  Here the 480 x 360 display really comes into its own.

For that reason, the absence of 3G is all the more frustrating.  We’re not sure exactly why, but RIM have given the Curve 8900 WiFi b/g and, at most, EDGE data capabilities.  In a suitable hotspot the 8900 is as speedy as you need, which makes it incredibly noticeable when you slip out of range and fall into 2.5G coverage.

We’re also not entirely convinced with this BlackBerry’s UMA call quality.  Several times during test calls we’ve had people tell us that we sound odd, or that they can hear digital artifacts.  It’s a strange inconsistency, as at other times the 8900 manage good to very good quality.  We’ll be testing this out much more over the coming days, to see whether it’s a network issue or something implicit to the smartphone itself.

The camera is a 3.2-megapixel unit with auto-focus and image stabilization, together with a flash and 2x digital zoom.  It’s capable of still images and recording video, with the latter maxing out at 480 x 352 resolution (though our Curve shipped switched to the lesser 320 x 240 setting).  Image quality is good, though the flash is pretty anemic, and the zoom, while digital, doesn’t involve too much quality loss.  Video, meanwhile, is less impressive, with frequent blocky patches and poor refresh rates.

With a 1,400mAh battery, RIM are suggesting 5.5hrs talktime or up to 15 days standby from the Curve 8900.  With WiFi permanently switched on, minimal web surfing but plenty of emailing, UMA calls and instant messaging, we got through the day with two bars remaining.  Frankly, we have no concerns about battery life on the 8900, and are happy it could make it through a hectic workday without complaint.

To be frank, which seems to be the audience the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is aiming for: the mobile professional.  Without 3G or superlative media functionality, it’s less likely to appeal to the consumer market; instead, lengthy battery life and a severely bashable keyboard make for a reassuring business partner.

We’ll be putting the BlackBerry Curve 8900 through its paces over the coming days, so expect the full SlashGear review at the end of the week.  It goes on sale in T-Mobile retail stores, at select retailers and online beginning February 11th, priced at $199.99 with a new two-year contract and data plan.