In an official press release today, Verizon Wireless officially announced that the long-awaited Blackberry Curve 8830 smartphone will become available in it’s stores on Monday, May 12th.

Customers can already order the device online, too. It is just $169.99 after rebate and with a two-year plan from Verizon. Nice phone and a pretty good price, although signing a 2 year agreement might be a downside to some people.

Speaking of the 8830 itself, it’s the smallest and lightest of all full QWERTY keyboard smartphones from RIM. One of the more unique features is it’s dual-network capabilities: you are able to switch between CDMA and GSM signals, which must be great for travelers who use roaming services. Here’s the Blackberry Curve 8830 in all it’s shiny, sleek glory, with Verizon logo already slapped on (photo from the official PR):

The features include Bluetooth, GPS complete with Blackberry Maps application, high-res screen, modem capability (using your phone as a modem for your laptop), a rich media player and a load of useful software.

It was also mentioned that the Curve 8830 will be available with Verizon’s recently introduced e-mail and internet plans for smartphones that we wrote about a month ago and that cost $29.99 and $34.99 respectively. The latter is a data-only plan and provides unlimited access.

Via: VZW