Research in Motion (RIM) and T-Mobile USA on Tuesday announced the latest addition to the BlackBerry maker's U.S. lineup: The BlackBerry Curve 8900. With so many new BlackBerrys landing on the scene in recent months, including the touch screen Storm, consumer-oriented Pearl Flip and the high-end Bold, picking a new 'Berry can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few reasons why the new Curve might be a good fit for you.
First of all, some background on the BlackBerry Curve 8900, as well as some tech specs from RIM. The new Curve was initially released by T-Mobile Germany in November, and then later in December by Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless. Though official pricing information is not currently available from RIM or T-Mobile USA, Rogers is asking for $199.99 along with a three-year service commitment. T-Mobile expects to release the device next month, and initial pricing is likely to be similar to Rogers', but with a two-year contract.
BlackBerry Curve Tech Specs from RIM:
The features that really jump out at me here are the 512-Mhz processor, internal GPS and Wi-Fi, the HVGA+/480x360 display and 3.2 MP camera. The new device also features support for T-Mobile's great HomeSpot@Home service, which lets users place unlimited calls at home via Wi-Fi, as well as a cool new black trackball, which is easier to keep clean. (Early rumors suggested that the new "atomic" trackball was also designed to help keep dirt and grit out of its inner workings, a common problem with existing RIM devices with trackballs; however, neither RIM nor T-Mobile mentioned anything about this, and the black trackball appears to be the same except for its color.)
If you're in the market for a new BlackBerry or smartphone, the above features are the ones that set the Curve 8900 apart from its earlier Curve 83xx brothers and other BlackBerry siblings.
It's important to note that the device is only available in the U.S. via T-Mobile at this point, so if you're not a T-Mobile customer or aren't willing to make the switch, you'll have to wait for the new Curve to land on other carriers. As the current 8900 version is a GSM device, it seems likely that AT&T will be next to get new Curve. CDMA versions for carriers like Verizon and Sprint are also likely to follow, but I bet it'll be at least a number of months before that happens.
The Curve 8900 is similar in styling to the Storm, but it features a full QWERTY keyboard. If you're a fan of the Storm aesthetic, but require a physical keyboard, you're sure to appreciate the Curve 8900.
RIM's latest BlackBerry also features an external memory slot, which can support microSDHC cards up to 16GB—the same amount available to Pearl 8220, Storm and Bold users.
And it's significantly smaller than RIM's flagship device, the
