Like most of RIM’s new smartphones, the Pearl 9100 comes with an optical trackpad instead of a trackball. It has an overall glossy look, and a SureType keypad that looks larger than the one the 81xx models have.

The BlackBerry Pearl 9100 also features 3G and a camera with LED flash, but other specs are not known at the moment.

There’s no word yet on when RIM intends to announce the BlackBerry Pearl 9100, but, in the meantime, here’s a short video preview of it:

Via CrackBerry

• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 hits India via Airtel
• BlackBerry Pearl 8220 set to debut this week
• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 available in the UK via O2
• BlackBerry Tour may have a touchscreen display
• BlackBerry Kickstart’s official name actually BlackBerry Pearl 8220?

T-Mobile Complete doesn’t require an annual contract agreement and allows customers to buy four phone models starting at $59.99, with the first month of data being free.

Two of the phones included by T-Mobile in the new offering are the BlackBerry Curve 8520 (available for $299.99) and the BlackBerry Pearl (available for $149.99). The other two handsets were not unveiled, but they’re probably not made buy RIM.

T-Mobile Complete should be available across the US through Best Buy and select Walmart locations.

Via Engadget

• T-Mobile UK announces Pay Once for BlackBerry
• Pelago Whrrl opens up for BlackBerry Pearl and Curve
• T-Mobile USA’s BlackBerry Curve 8900 already in stores, available starting February 11
• AT&T Blackberry Plans Include 4 New Devices
• Rogers Wireless launches BlackBerry 8120 Pearl

Next we have a new RIM-Adobe collaboration that should allow app developers and creative professionals to use Adobe Creative Suite content and the Adobe Flash Platform technology for creating BlackBerry applications and content.

Starting with version 5, Adobe Creative Suite will let you import content from Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects into BlackBerry application development tools. More about the RIM-Adobe collaboration can be found here.

(BlackBerry Storm2)

Other new things announced by RIM:

• BlackBerry Advertising Service – it will provide devs with the ability to integrate ads into their BlackBerry apps. Ads from renown advertising networks (Jumptap, Navteq, Lat49, Millennial Media, 1020 Placecast, Quattro Wireless, Sympatico.ca) will be served. RIM expects to launch BlackBerry Advertising Service and a SDK for it in the first half of 2010.
• BlackBerry Payment Service, which should be launched in mid 2010, enabling “in-application transactions and streamlined payment processes”.
• BlackBerry Push Service – generally available in the first half of 2010, it “allows developers and content providers to deliver time-sensitive alerts and up to 8 KB of data to applications.” More info here.
• New Location Services: Cell Site Geolocation (”an alternative to GPS, providing an estimate of a smartphone’s location based on cell tower triangulation”), Travel Time (“incorporate estimated travel time within their applications for almost any destination in the US and Canada”), and Reverse Geocoding.
• BlackBerry Theme Studio, which replaces the Plazmic Content Developer’s Kit and includes BlackBerry Theme Builder and BlackBerry Composer; it allows developers to easily design themes, illustrations and animations. BlackBerry Theme Studio can be downloaded for free form here.

Via RIM here, here and here

• Flash is Coming to The iPhone. Well, Sort of.
• Blackberry App World to Get Carrier Billing Soon
• HTC Hero will come with full Adobe Flash support
• Palm Pre and the webOS platform will support Flash
• Flash 10.1 for Palm WebOS to come in the first half of 2010

Previously known as BlackBerry Aries, the Curve 8530 is the CDMA version of T-Mobile’s BlackBerry 8520.

The 8530 features EV-DO connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS, full QWERTY keyboard, QVGA display, optical trackpad, 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera and MicroSD card support.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be available at Verizon starting November 20 for $99.99 on contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate).

The other device announced by Verizon – Samsung u640 Convoy – is a rugged Push To Talk clamshell.

The Samsung Convoy meets military specifications 810F standards for dust and shock resistance, humidity, vibration, solar radiation, low/high temperature and altitude. It comes with VZ Navigator, external and internal displays, Bluetooth 2.1, 2MP camera and a 1300 mAh battery. The phone will be available from Verizon starting November 15 for $49.99 on contract.

Another rugged phone that’s headed to Verizon is the Casio G’Zone Brigade which, according to Engadget, is waterproof and features Push To Talk and document viewer. The G’Zone Brigade has a small display and an alphanumeric keypad on the outside, as well as a large display and a QWERTY keyboard on the inside.

The launch date and price of Casio G’Zone Brigade were not announced by Verizon.

Via Verizon here and here

• Verizon announces the rugged Casio G’zOne Rock
• Verizon’s Casio Brigade C741 approved by the FCC
• Verizon to launch Nokia Twist 7705, LG Chocolate Touch VX8575 and more
• BlackBerry Curve 8350i finally launched by Sprint
• Casio Exilim and Motorola Rival launched by Verizon

Well, the third largest US carrier prepares even more surprises for 2010.

According to GearLog, Sprint executive David Owens has just unveiled some of the carrier’s plans for next year.

Reportedly, Sprint plans to launch WiMax phones, plus lots of HTC and BlackBerry smartphones in 2010 – with the mention that the HTC ones will run Android and some BlackBerries will feature Wi-Fi.

Speaking of Android, Sprint says that handsets using Google’s OS “will get less expensive” as soon as more such handsets are released. Next year, the carrier might launch hybrid CDMA/GSM Android phones, and even an “Android phone with a built-in MiFi-type router.”

Sprint has also confirmed that Android updates will come to Samsung Moment and HTC Hero, although it’s not clear yet if we’re talking about Android 2.0.

Despite all this Android talk, Sprint hasn’t forgotten about Windows Mobile. WM 6.5 updates should come in early 2010 to the HTC Touch Pro2 and other WM phones. Moreover, Sprint is eagerly waiting for Windows Mobile 7 devices, although their release obviously depends on Microsoft.

• Android Devices Being Brought in Q4
• HTC Hero with Android to be exclusively sold by Orange
• Andy Rubin says Google won’t make an Android phone of its own
• Sprint to launch WM 6.5 Samsung Intrepid (Ace II), Samsung Moment
• First Samsung Android smartphone to come in June; other two handsets promised for the US

So, Verizon customers will be able to buy the Storm2 starting October 28 – the same date when Verizon and Motorola are hosting their Droid event.

With a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $100mail-in rebate, the BlackBerry Storm2 will cost $179.99 (it requires “a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan”).

The specs and features of Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm2 include:

• EV-DO Rev A connectivity
• Quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM and UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz) connectivity
• 3.25 inch touchscreen display with 480 x 360 pixels and new SurePress technology
• BlackBerry OS 5.0
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• BlackBerry Browser (enhanced with faster JavaScript and CSS processing and support for Gears and BlackBerry Widgets)
• BlackBerry App World
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 3.2MP autofocus camera with Image Stabilization, flash and video recording
• 2GB of on-board memory
• 16GB MicroSDHC card included

As of today, BlackBerry OS 5.0 is also available for the first generation BlackBerry Storm.

Via Press release

• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) video preview shows up
• New BlackBerry Storm 2 videos, Piezo technology included
• BlackBerry Storm 2 accessories show up at Best Buy
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) for Vodafone – pictures leaked
• Vodafone’s BlackBerry Storm2 9520 officially coming on October 26

One of the nicest new features available now for BlackBerry is Layers. With Layers, users can quickly view various types of info directly on their maps. There are different types of layers: the Wikipedia layer, the Google Latitude layer and so on.

To download the latest version of Google Maps on your phone, visit m.google.com/maps.

A video preview of Google Maps with Layers for BlackBerry can be watched below:

Via the Official Google Mobile Blog

• Google Maps’ new Latitude feature lets you easily locate your friends
• Street View and walking directions now available in Google Maps for Mobile,
• Google Mobile App now offered through Best Buy stores
• Google Maps for mobile gets voice search – only on BlackBerry Pearl devices, for now
• Google Maps for mobile now with NYC public transit directions for all platforms ‘cept iPhone

The handset makers are: Samsung, LG, Research in Motion and Sharp. It is the first time when giant phone manufactures announce their global commitment to the JIL widget standard.

Reportedly, the Joint Innovation Lab’s widgets “will be capable of enhancing the mobile internet experience for customers on a variety of smartphones as well as mid- and low-cost handsets across several operating systems and distributed through JIL operators’ applications stores”.

Verizon, Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank have a combined user base of more than 1 billion around the world (North America, Europe, Asia and Africa).

Via Press release

• Vodafone joins the app store race
• Vodafone buys Wayfinder for $29.3 million
• European telecom operators to sell HTC-branded handsets for a change
• Vodafone Music 24/7 service Launched
• QiGi i6 officially supports both Android and Windows Mobile 6.1

The 9700 is pretty much an improved and better looking BlackBerry Bold 9000. It runs BlackBerry OS 5.0 and it’s RIM’s second smartphone to have an optical trackpad (after the Curve 8520).

AT&T and T-Moible will both offer the Bold 9700 in the US. T-Mobile didn’t say how much its 9700 will cost, but AT&T plans to sell it for $199.99 on contract (after a $100 mail-in-rebate). You can register your interest either on AT&T’s website, or on T-Mobile’s.

The specs and features of BlackBerry Bold 9700 incude:

• Quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM connectivity
• 2100/1900/850/800 MHz or 2100/1700/900 UMTS/HSDPA connectivity
• 2.44 inch light-sensing display with 480 x 360 pixels
• Highly tactile QWERTY keyboard
• Wi-Fi with UMA (where available)
• GPS with Telenav maps
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Access to BlackBerry App World
• 3.2 MP autofocus camera with variable zoom, flash and video recording
• 624MHz processor
• 256 MB of Flash memory
• 2GB memory card in the box
• 4.29 x 2.36 x 0.56 inches (109 x 60 x 14.1 mm)
• 4.3 oz (122 grams)
• 1500 mAh battery

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 will be available starting November.

Update: Rogers announced the Bold 9700 too. It will be launched in Canada for $299 with a 3-yr contract agreement.

Via Press release

• BlackBerry Bold 9700 shows up at T-Mobile Germany
• AT&T finally brings the BlackBerry Bold: $299 starting November 4
• BlackBerry Curve 8900 officially released in Canada, via Rogers
• BlackBerry Bold goes to Pakistan too
• Verizon’s $199 BlackBerry Storm release scheduled for November 21st

According to CrackBerry, the watch will come as an accessory “designed specifically for BlackBerry from the ground up.” It has a nice OLED display and it can show notifications or messages that you receive on your BlackBerry smartphone.

The Bluetooth watch might be called BlackBerry inPulse, but this name isn’t confirmed.

No info yet on the release date or the price of BlackBerry inPulse.

• RIM to launch BlackBerry Bluetooth watch, new Bluetooth headset?
• InPulse Blackberry Watch is Official, Taking Pre-Orders Now
• BlackBerry 9000 Named BlackBerry Bold?
• Best Buy launches mIQ, its own mobile cloud service for smartphones
• Verizon’s BlackBerry Niagara 9630 confirmed for a May release?

Also known as BlackBerry Onyx, the Bold 9700 is obviously the successor of BlackBerry Bold 9000, which is now more than a year old.

The features of BlackBerry Bold 9700 include a 480 x 360 pixels display, optical trackpad, full QWERTY keyboard, HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, 3.2MP camera, 1500 mAh battery, and a 2GB card in the box.

The 9700 is slightly smaller than the original Bold, measuring 109 x 60 x 14 millimeters (as opposed to 116 x 66 x 14 mm).

BlackBerry Bold 9700 should be launched by T-Mobile USA and AT&T too, probably before the year’s end.

Via Engadget

• BlackBerry Bold 9700 now official, AT&T, T-Mobile and Rogers will carry it
• Verizon to launch the BlackBerry Niagara, netbooks
• AT&T finally brings the BlackBerry Bold: $299 starting November 4
• RIM to come with a Bold-like touchscreen BlackBerry plus a US HSDPA Storm
• T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8520 (Gemini) to come on August 5

Vodafone’s Storm2 (model name 9520) will be available in the following countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy and South Africa.

According to this pre-order page, Vodafone UK will ship the Storm2 starting October 26.

As expected, the new Storm comes with a significantly improved SurePress technology, which should let you easily control the 3.25 inch, 360 x 480 pixels capacitive touchscreen display.

Here are the main features of BlackBerry Storm2 9520:

• BlackBerry OS 5
• Quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM
• UMTS/HSPA (2100Mhz)
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• 3.5mm headset jack
• Vodafone music client pre-installed
• 3.2MP camera with autofocus and flash
• 256MB Flash memory
• MicroSD card support, up to 32GB
• 1400 mAh battery

Vodafone will offer the Storm2 9520 for free to customers who choose a 2-yr contract agreement and a data plan of at least £35 per month.

At the moment, there’s still no word on when exactly Verizon’s Storm2 will be available.

Via Press release

• Verizon announces the BlackBerry Storm2 for October 28
• Verizon’s $199 BlackBerry Storm release scheduled for November 21st
• Blackberry Storm 9500 and 9530 gets official on Verizon and Vodafone. Finally
• Blackberry Tour: Buy One Now!
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon

According to BlackBerry Rocks (the website is down right now), the unannounced BlackBerry Storm2 will be included in the promotion as well.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing official about this at the moment, and we only have this leaked flyer as proof:

As previously reported, the BlackBerry Storm2 should be announced by Verizon in late November. If the BOGO promotion turns out to be real, there will probably be many, many Storm 2 smartphones sold before the year’s end, regardless of the price of one unit (which cant’ possibly be higher than $300 on contract).

Via CrackBerry

• BlackBerry Storm 2 accessories show up at Best Buy
• Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm now only $50. Storm 2 launch imminent?
• Verizon announces the BlackBerry Storm2 for October 28
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) video preview shows up
• BlackBerry Storm 2 to come in September 2009 with Wi-Fi

The accessories in question are silicon cases, but what’s interesting is that the final name of Storm 2 seems to be still unclear. The model number is 9550, but the smartphone’s actual name might be BlackBerry Storm II, or even BlackBerry Odin.

Regardless of its name, the new Storm 2 should be way better than the first-generation Storm, mainly due to a new technology rumored to be used for its touchscreen display, technology called Piezo.

Most probably, the BlackBerry Storm 2 will first be launched by Verizon in late November, and then by Vodafone (in Europe).

Via Engadget

• New BlackBerry Storm 2 videos, Piezo technology included
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) for Vodafone – pictures leaked
• Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm now only $50. Storm 2 launch imminent?
• BlackBerry Storm 2 to come in September 2009 with Wi-Fi
• Verizon announces the BlackBerry Storm2 for October 28

The new RIM smartphone should be available from Rogers’ stores in the next few days. Its features, in case you don’t know them yet, include: 320 x 240 pixels display, full QWERTY keyboard, quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera with video recording, and MicroSD card support.

As you can see in the photo below, Rogers’ Curve 8520 will be sold in two color versions: black and some sort of violet.

Rogers will offer the BlackBerry Curve 8520 for $99.99 with a 3-yr contract agreement of at least $45 per month.

Via Howard Forums

• BlackBerry Curve 8900 quietly launched by Rogers?
• Rogers launches Nokia Surge, prepares Nokia N86, LG Eve
• BlackBerry Curve 8900 officially released in Canada, via Rogers
• RIM officially announces the BlackBerry Curve 8900, T-Mobile Germany gets it first
• Blackberry Bold 9700 Now on Rogers; Prices Cut on Other Blackberry Devices

Starting this date, Mac users will be able to download BlackBerry Desktop Manager from the BlackBerry official website.

The BlackBerry Desktop Manager software for Mac will obviously enable Mac users to sync data from Mac-specific applications (Address Book, iCal, Microsoft Entourage etc), as well as to install software updates, remove apps or encrypt backup files for their BlackBerry device.

Since it integrates BlackBerry Media Sync, BlackBerry Desktop Manager also provides iTunes syncing.

In related news, BlackBerry smartphone owners now have a dedicated TiVo application which lets them program favorite TV shows and access channel listings.

TiVo for BlackBerry is free and it’s available through BlackBerry App World.

Via Press release

• BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac – officially out in September
• Blackberry Media Sync to let BlackBerry Bold sync with iTunes
• TiVo and RIM team up for BlackBerry mobile entertainment services
• Apple iPod/iPhone as a remote control for Apple Media Centre
• INQ Chat 3G and Mini 3G – Twitter phones with iTunes syncing

The M330 is a simple slider that features 3G (EV-DO) connectivity, Bluetooth, web browser and a VGA photo camera.

Measuring 3.7 x 1.7 x 0.6 inches, the phone comes with a 960 mAh battery that can provide a talk time of up to 6.3 hours.

Samsung M330 is available for free with a 2-yr contract agreement – you can get it online here.

Sprint (which may be acquired by Deutsche Telekom)  has also introduced a camera-free edition of the BlackBerry Tour 9630.

The non-camera version of BlackBerry Tour is offered by Sprint for same price as the original Tour – $199.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a mail-in rebate.

Via PhoneScoop, IntoMobile

• LG LX290, Inferno BlackBerry Curve 8330 launched by Sprint
• Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon
• Sprint intros the HTC Snap S511 and Samsung Exclaim
• Deutsche Telekom to buy Sprint and merge it with T-Mobile USA?

The unannounced smartphone will probably be called BlackBerry Bold 9700 when released.

Spotted over at Cio, the official BlackBerry Onyx photo shows exactly what we’ve expected to see: a good looking QWERTY smartphone with an optical trackpad (instead of RIM’s traditional trackball).

The features of BlackBerry Onyx for T-Mobile will include 3G, Wi-Fi, visual voicemail, access to BlackBerry App World, TeleNav GPS Navigator, and an Amazon MP3 application.

T-Mobile intends to launch the BlackBerry Bold 9700 Onyx before the end of 2009, probably at about the same time with AT&T.

• BlackBerry Bold 9700 shows up at T-Mobile Germany
• BlackBerry Onyx and Magnum to hit AT&T; BlackBerry Driftwood for T-Mobile?
• BlackBerry 9700 coming to T-Mobile, live picture leaked
• BlackBerry Bold 9700 now official, AT&T, T-Mobile and Rogers will carry it
• BlackBerry Bold goes to Taiwan with a special QWERTY keyboard for Chinese input

Launched in the fall of 2008 (when it was priced at $200), BlackBerry Storm is the only RIM smartphone to feature a touchscreen display. The price cut is probably a sign that the new Storm 2 is on its way.

Rumored to be launched in October this year, BlackBerry Storm 2 9550 should come with a slightly changed design, as well as new features – including Wi-Fi and a more user-friendly touchscreen display.

The BlackBerry Storm 2 might be offered by Verizon for $200 on contract, but we’ll have to wait for an official confirmation to be sure of this.

Via PhoneArena

• New BlackBerry Storm 2 videos, Piezo technology included
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) video preview shows up
• Blackberry Storm 9500 and 9530 gets official on Verizon and Vodafone. Finally
• Verizon announces the BlackBerry Storm2 for October 28
• Verizon Storm 2 Could Launch on Oct 21

According to the Torch Mobile official website, as part of Research In Motion, the company’s developers “will continue to be active participants in the WebKit development community”.

So I guess that we should expect new BlackBerry smartphones to come with a WebKit-based browser pre-installed.

WebKit is the open source software that’s being used for browsers installed on the iPhone, the Palm Pre, Android smartphones, and some new Nokia smartphones.

Via Yahoo Finance

• UIQ platform gets full touch controllable browsing with Digia @Web
• Windows Mobile 7’s Internet Explorer could use open-source WebKit
• Google Chrome for Android in the works?
• Digia @Web launches in Beta for UIQ 3
• Yahoo intros new Yahoo! Mobile app, teams up with Opera

According to these videos, the Storm 2 is much better than the original Storm – first of all because it uses a new technology, called Piezo, which makes its touchscreen display very user-friendly.

It’s said that, thanks to this technology, typing on the Storm 2’s screen is even nicer than typing on the iPhone’s screen.

As you probably already know, there will be two versions of the BlackBerry Storm, both featuring Wi-Fi: 9550 for Verizon Wireless, and 9520 for GSM carriers, AT&T included.

The BlackBerry Storm 2 preview videos are a bit lengthy, but it’s worth watching them:

Unfortunately, there are still no official details about the release of BlackBerry Storm 2.

• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) video preview shows up
• Verizon announces the BlackBerry Storm2 for October 28
• Blackberry Storm 2 Official Video is Now Out
• BlackBerry Storm 2 accessories show up at Best Buy
• BlackBerry Storm 2 to come in September 2009 with Wi-Fi

According to a post found at BlackBerry OS, Antoine Boucher, RIM’s vice president of Accessories, has “confirmed” that they’re working on a Bluetooth watch, alongside a new Bluetooth headset codenamed Alpha 1.

Reportedly, RIM’s Bluetooth watch can be connected to a BlackBerry smartphone and receive email alerts, BlackBerry Messenger messages, SMS, and even Tweets and Facebook notifications. Moreover, the watch would allow you to transfer music and videos from you BB smartphone. Something similar to LG’s Prada Link watch, we guess.

As for the upcoming RIM Bluetooth headset, this will feature the BlackBerry logo and noise reduction technology. It might be the HS500 (pictured below), approved today by the Bluetooth SIG.

The HS500is not featured on RIM’s website, and only a few retailers are listing in as being on pre-order.

We’ll bring more on RIM’s new Bluetooth watch and Bluetooth headset as soon as new info emerges.

Via IntoMobile

• LG Prada Link appears on FCC web site
• LG Prada II KF900 arrives in Europe with a Bluetooth watch and a microsite
• RIM’s BlackBerry Bluetooth Watch (inPulse) shows up
• Wirelessly ride in style with Motorola H620 and H560 Bluetooth headsets
• BlackBerry 9700 coming to T-Mobile, live picture leaked

Obviously created for the BlackBerry developer community, the new blog is set to be “a key component to the overall BlackBerry Developer Zone experience.”

The BlackBerry Developer’s Blog will concentrate its posts on three distinct areas: Technical Discussion and Insights (including technical info on how to develop apps, development practices and code snippets), Developer Engagement (for communicating events to regional developers) and Market Insight (discussing opportunities and trends in mobile development).

Those who are interested (BlackBerry devs or not) can access the new blog at this address.

Via BlackBerry Cool

• Devs, rejoice! Apple NDA dropped for released iPhone software
• RIM announces BlackBerry OpenGL ES support, new deal with Adobe and more
• Microsoft prepares WinMoDevCamp events for WM developers
• Sony Ericsson launches Panels SDK for the Xperia X2
• Google Letting Android Developers Slip

Appeared over at CrackBerry, the image shows a device similar to what we saw last month as BlackBerry 9020.

Like the Curve 8520 (already available from T-Mobile), the BlackBerry 9700 is one of RIM’s smartphones that have an optical trackpad instead of a trackball. Other features should include 3G (T-Mobile’s first 3G BlackBerry), a 480 x 360 pixels display, Wi-Fi, GPS, and (of course) a QWERTY keyboard.

T-Mobile has not announced a release date for the BlackBerry 9700.

AT&T plans to launch the BlackBerry 9700 Onyx too, but, as in T-Mo’s case, a release date is not known.

• BlackBerry Bold 9700 (Onyx) for T-Mobile appears in press photo
• BlackBerry Onyx 9020 picture leaked, optical trackpad included
• T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8520 (Gemini) to come on August 5
• Onyx Promises to be T-Mobile’s First 3G Blackberry
• BlackBerry Bold 9700 shows up at T-Mobile Germany

Well, Vodafone’s Storm 2, aka 9520 aka Odin, has recently appeared in some live pictures, over at benezblog.de.

The smartphone works on Vodafone’s Germany network, it has 3G and it doesn’t looks too different from the first-gen BlackBerry Storm. However, like Verizon’s Storm 2 (9550), Vodafone’s new handset comes with Wi-Fi – a feature not included in the original model.

(BlackBerry Storm 2 on the left, BlackBerry Storm on the right)

As you can see in the image above, this BlackBerry Storm 2 runs the BlackBerry OS 5.0.0.138.

The release date of RIM’s BlackBerry Storm 2 is not known, although rumors say that the smartphone will be released by both Vodafone and Verizon in October this year.

Via IntoMobile

• BlackBerry Storm 2 to come in September 2009 with Wi-Fi
• Verizon announces the BlackBerry Storm2 for October 28
• Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm now only $50. Storm 2 launch imminent?
• New BlackBerry Storm 2 videos, Piezo technology included
• Vodafone’s BlackBerry Storm2 9520 officially coming on October 26

After all, capacitive touchscreen displays are faster, more responsive, support multi-touch, and are the holy grail of a modern user interface…

In real life it’s not so simple. First there is an issue of price, and, at least for now, capacitive displays are way more expensive then resistive ones. Then there’s the issue of precision/accuracy, where resistive touchscreens are  ahead. This is particularly important in Asia, where stylus based character entry is prevalent, and capacitive touch based devices are not up to the task for this.

And then don’t tell my girl friends about capacitive displays on some latest touch phones. I can still hear the screams and swearing as they try to text on a new LG Arena with those long polished nails…, while Diamond 2 works just fine.

But now RIM might have found a solution to the resistive or capacitive dilemma.  At least for their high end Blackberry devices.

Just merge the damn things, make a touchscreen display with both resistive and capacitive touch sensors/controllers.

And they filed a patent app for that.

By having both -capacitive and resistive – touchscreen controllers in the same device, you get the best of both worlds. Fast responsiveness to finger touch, support for various gestures, high precision and stylus character entry capabilities, in a single device.

Of course, the issue of the price remains. These hybrid capacitive/resistive touchscreen displays will certainly be mighty expensive. But for the high end device like Blackberry Storm 2 or 3, they might be perfect.

And it’s not only RIM that is thinking about combining capacitive and resistive touch. In fact, it is said, that Samsung Jet already comes with something called R-Resistive display tech, that combines the best features of capacitive and resistive touch screens.

• Next Nokia touch smartphone to come with capacitive touchscreen and multi-touch?
• Nokia’s Maemo 6 to support capacitive displays, multi-touch
• Nokia 6208c pops up on Nokia China’s web site
• Samsung to make 100 million touchscreen phones in 2010, 65% of them with capacitive screens
• Samsung announces single chip capacitive touchscreen controller

Indian customers will be able to buy the smartphone starting August 7, at the retail price of 15,990 INR (about $336).

The 8520 is the only (for now) BlackBerry Curve to have an optical trackpad instead of RIM’s traditional trackball.

The smartphone also features

• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity
• 2.46 inch QVGA display
• Wi-Fi
• Full HTML browser
• Advanced email capabilities
• 2MP camera
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 1150 mAh battery (providing up to 4.5 hours of talk time, or up to 17 days of standby time)

“We believe that the BlackBerry Curve 8520 will appeal to young professionals, students and a broad spectrum of retail customers who want the exceptional mobile experience for messaging, social networking, email, music and entertainment that you get from a BlackBerry smartphone,” declared Raghunath Mandava, Chief Marketing Officer, Mobile Services, Airtel.

Tomorrow, August 5 (two days before being released in India), the BlackBerry Curve 8520 will debut in the US, launched by T-Mobile.

Via Web Newswire

• India gets the BlackBerry Curve 8900 too
• RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 now official
• T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8520 (Gemini) to come on August 5
• T-Mobile USA’s BlackBerry Curve 8900 already in stores, available starting February 11
• BlackBerry Curve 8900 quietly launched by Rogers?

But some bits  of what they are up to might be found in the patent applications that company files. And today it’s time to look at what the researchers from RIM are up to.

Some time in early 2007, while RIM employees were contemplating the impact iPhone will have on their business and devising the strategies to take on consumer markets, RIM R&D labs were having a field day drawing up a new form factors future Blackberries could sport.

Then  they decided to put all of them into a single patent app, that now, two years later, is available for everyone to view. The concepts in the application range from smart and mundane, that can actually make it into your next Blackberry, to pretty exotic and stupid that will not see the light of day.

But enough of the talk, and let’s look some pictures.  Starting from some, more or less,  realistic designs.

Full touch screen device in a closed mode, that can be easily used for typing with a single hand on a narrow full or semi-QWERTY slide-out keyboard. Why not? It could be made to look just like any other Blackberry, the form factor and all the parts are pretty familiar and this one could find it’s own buyer.

Other designs are much more strange, like this dual mode phone with rotating screen:

It has the usual phone mode, rotate the screen 90 degrees and you get qwerty keyboard, rotate it 90 degrees more and you get the game controls.

Or these sliders:

And then we get to things even more exotic, like this cross between Motorola Aura and Nokia 6810:

This one, with a screen swiveling for no good reason:

Or this strange contraption with wings:

• What’s next for your Blackberry
• The new kind of HTC Slider
• Nokia is thinking about it’s own Sidekick
• Slanting Cradles Coming to Samsung Phones and Media Players
• Sony Ericsson’s bracelet phone

As you may already know, BlackBerry Curve 8520 is RIM’s first device to have an optical trackpad instead of a trackball.

The smartphone further features a “highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard”, Wi-Fi, quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, a 320 x 240 pixels display, a 2MP camera, and a 1GB MicroSD card in the box.

There’s also “out of the box Mac compatibility”, which sounds promising for Mac lovers.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be available from T-Mobile USA starting August 5, in two colors (black and frost). Also in August, the new Curve 8520 will go on sale in the UK. The smartphone’s price was not announced by RIM.

Via Press release

• BlackBerry Curve 8900 Javelin gets real on T-Mobile Germany’s website
• RIM officially announces the BlackBerry Curve 8900, T-Mobile Germany gets it first
• AT&T officially announces the BlackBerry Curve 8900
• T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8520 (Gemini) to come on August 5
• India gets the BlackBerry Curve 8900 too

Posted by the folks over at CrackBerry, the video shows the BlackBerry Storm 2 in action, and, despite presenting “early” software and hardware, it looks like the new Storm is definitely better than the first one.

The touchscreen display of BlackBerry Storm 9550 uses the SurePress technology, but it’s more user-friendly than the display of the original Storm. Moreover, the hardware seems to be nicer on the new smartphone.

Here’s the video preview:

RIM hasn’t announced a release date for the BlackBerry Storm 9550, but it will probably do it before the end of 2009.

• New BlackBerry Storm 2 videos, Piezo technology included
• Verizon announces the BlackBerry Storm2 for October 28
• BlackBerry Tour may have a touchscreen display
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) for Vodafone – pictures leaked
• Vodafone’s BlackBerry Storm2 9520 officially coming on October 26

According to BlackBerry Rocks, T-Mo will launch the 8520 (also known as BlackBerry Gemini) on this date via retail stores, RPS and Wallmart. The smartphone will also be available to employees and for upgrades.

Replacing the Curve 8320, the new Curve 8520 is the first BlackBerry device to come with optical trackpad navigation instead of the traditional trackball. It also features a full QWERTY keyboard (obviously), Wi-Fi, GSM/EDGE connectivity, a 2MP camera and access to BlackBerry App World.

The price of T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 is not known yet. Let’s hope it won’t be a high one on contract.

Via IntoMobile

• RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 now official
• BlackBerry Gemini 8325 appears in a live image
• BlackBerry Curve 8520 announced by Airtel for India
• Rogers BlackBerry Curve 8520 arrives in stores
• BlackBerry Curve 8900 officially released in Canada, via Rogers

The initial release will include features like: iTunes playlists, contacts, calendars, tasks and notes syncing; device updates; backup/restore devices; add/remove applications; multiple devices managing.

BlackBerry Desktop Manager will be compatible with Mac OS 10.5.5 and above.

Some screenshots of BlackBerry Desktop Software running on Mac can be seen below:

Mac users can sign up on the official BlackBerry website in order to be notified when exactly BlackBerry Desktop Manager will be available for them.

Via the Official BlackBerry Blog

• BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac comes on October 2; TiVo for BlackBerry available now
• Nokia Music desktop app tweaked. Major updates promised for later
• Best Buy launches mIQ, its own mobile cloud service for smartphones
• Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 now out of beta
• Android 0.9 SDK beta released

Well, according to the Financial Times, a music download service will be available for BlackBerry starting September 2009.

Apparently, RIM is working for this with 7Digital, a music download provider based in the UK.

RIM’s plan is to provide about 6 million songs that will be available for over-the-air downloads in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany Italy and Spain.

(BlackBerry Tour, the latest smartphone from RIM)

BlackBerry users first have to download an application via the App World – only then they’ll be able to access the new music service.

It’s said that most of the songs “will not have copy protection software,” meaning that they’re DRM-free. Users will be able to pay for a single track ($0.99), or for a whole album ($9.99).

• Motorola and Paramount Pictures working on new movie download service
• Nokia announces six Comes With Music handsets for Singapore; launches Music Stores in Austria, Switzerland
• Vodafone Music 24/7 service Launched
• Nokia Music Store launched in Poland
• Hackers crack Nokia “Comes With Music” DRM

RIM and T-Mobile will organize no less than 51 events across the US, which include giveaways, $1,000 in prizes, a mystery Contest Kickoff and the unveiling of a mystery device.

Well, it’s said that this mystery device is exactly the BlackBerry Gemini.

Whether or not this is true, we’ll find out after July 20. Until then, T-Mobile customers can register for the event via the BlackBerry Movie Night website. In order to register, you need a “referral code or T-Mobile referral”, and a Facebook account. Keep in mind that registrations end on July 19.

Via BerryReview

• BlackBerry Gemini 8325 appears in a live image
• Facebook messaging available for Symbian handsets; Java and Windows Mobile to follow
• BlackBerry Gemini 9300 to be the first 3G Curve
• T-Mobile UK announces Pay Once for BlackBerry
• Facebook 1.5 for BlackBerry available for download

Naturally, with Google Voice for mobile, you can call and send text messages from your Google Voice number. The application also provides voicemail transcriptions and cheap international dialing (starting at $0.02 per minute).

If you have a BlackBerry, visit m.google.com/voice on your smartphone to use Google Voice. Android phone owners can find the Google Voice app through Android Market.

A video presentation of Google Voice for mobile can be watched below:

iPhone owners will also get a Google Voice app, but it’s not clear yet when this will be launched.

Via the Google Mobile Blog

• Google Search by voice available for S60, in Chinese too
• Google Maps 3.2 brings Layers to BlackBerry
• Google Analytics now available for mobile apps (Android and iPhone)
• Google Product Search now available for iPhone, Android
• Barcode scanning available with Google Product Search for Android

According to The Street, Verizon sold between 275,000 and 300,000 Tour smartphones in the first 24 hours after launch.

Sales volumes through Sprint are not known at the moment, but they’re probably similar to the ones via Verizon.

Since the Tour is also available in Canada, from Telus, it’s quite possible that the device was sold in more than 1 million units by now.

The BlackBerry Tour is one of RIM’s global smartphones, featuring both CDMA and GSM/HSPA connectivity, a 480 x 360 pixels TFT display, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, a 3.2MP autofocus camera and so on.

• Blackberry Tour: Buy One Now!
• Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon
• BlackBerry 9630 Niagara in live pics
• RIM reports strong growth, 3.9 million new BlackBerry subscribers

Launched by Research in Motion as “the official BlackBerry community”, MyBlackBerry is the place where those who own or want to own a BlackBerry smartphone will be able to interact with BB users from all over the world.

You can ask questions, give answers, search for tips and tricks, and so on.

You can join MyBlackBerry at its official website – not that you will have to create a user in order to actually enter the community.

• Google Mobile Help Forum launched to answer user questions fast
• Multiplied Media launches Poynt for BlackBerry beta in North America
• Samsung Innovation Quest 2009 debuts, asks you to develop widgets for the Omnia HD
• Google Maps for mobile gets voice search – only on BlackBerry Pearl devices, for now
• Nokia Nseries get Baidu

The LX290 comes with “four conveniently-located shortcut keys for quick access to texting, email, personal calendar and alarm.”

Its other features include: QVGA display with 262K colors, GPS (Sprint Navigation), Bluetooth, Sprint Mobile Email, 1.3MP camera, and a 950 mAh battery for up to 6 hours of talk time.

The LG LX290 can be bought as of today, either online, or via Sprint’s retail stores.

Sprint has also released a new color version of the BlackBerry Curve 8330: Inferno (which is actually some sort of orange).

The Inferno BlackBerry Curve 8330 costs $49.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Like the LG LX290, the new Curve can be bought both online and from Sprint’s retail locations.

Of course, you can always buy the brand new BlackBerry Tour instead.

• BlackBerry Curve 8350i finally launched by Sprint
• Sprint launches Samsung M330, camera-less BlackBerry Tour 9630
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon
• Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
• Samsung Instinct HD announced by Sprint; $249.99 on contract

Unlike the Magnum, the Onyx doesn’t have a touchscreen display.

However, it’s still an interesting BlackBerry, as it features the same optical trackpad first seen on the entry-level BlackBerry Gemini.

Appeared over at BlackBerry Underground, the new leaked picture shows the Onyx 9020 with the Gemini in the background:

As far as we know, BlackBerry Onyx will be released by both AT&T and T-Mobile sometime later this year.

The smartphone should feature 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and a 480 x 360 pixels display.

Via Boy Genius Report

• BlackBerry Onyx and Magnum to hit AT&T; BlackBerry Driftwood for T-Mobile?
• AT&T Blackberry Plans Include 4 New Devices
• BlackBerry 9700 coming to T-Mobile, live picture leaked
• Rogers-branded BlackBerry Magnum shows up
• BlackBerry Bold 9700 (Onyx) for T-Mobile appears in press photo

It’s said that the Magnum will be RIM’s first smartphone to have both a hardware QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen display (480 x 320 pixels). It should also feature 3G, and probably many other advanced capabilities.

Unfortunately, the person who took the picture of BlackBerry Magnum wanted to make a joke and literally put a Trojan Magnum condom over the smartphone’s display. So, yeah, we can’t actually see its display:

What we can see, though, is Rogers Wireless’ logo on the Magnum, which means that the largest Canadian carrier will soon release it, probably at about the same time with AT&T, which will obviously launch it in the US.

For the moment, we don’t know when exactly RIM wants to officially announce the BlackBerry Magnum, but let’s hope that it will happen this summer.

Via CrackBerry

• Rogers gets official with Nokia E71
• BlackBerry Curve 8900 quietly launched by Rogers?
• Rogers Wireless launches BlackBerry 8120 Pearl
• Rogers Blackberry Roadmap Updated
• BlackBerry Onyx and Magnum to hit AT&T; BlackBerry Driftwood for T-Mobile?

Apart from the BlackBerry Tour 9630, which should be available in Canada starting July 15, Telus will also introduce two new Windows Mobile handsets: HTC Snap and HTC Touch Pro2.

Reportedly, HTC Snap will be sold for $449.99, while HTC Touch Pro2 will cost a bit more, namely $549.99 – both prices are free of contract, of course.

With a contract agreement, the two smartphones will be available for much less, but we don’t know the exact prices.

No details yet on the release dates of Telus’ HTC Snap and HTC Touch Pro2, but they might both be launched before the end of July – apparently via Best Buy.

Via Mobile Syrup

• Telus’ BlackBerry Tour to land on July 15 for $249.99
• HTC Snap, Touch Pro2 Given Release Dates on T-Mobile
• Vodafone UK launches the HTC HD2, free on select plans
• Rogers launches Nokia Surge, prepares Nokia N86, LG Eve
• Bell intros the Palm Treo Pro, BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230

Unsurprisingly, Sprint will sell the Tour for the same price as Verizon: $199.99 on contract, probably after a $100 rebate.

Announced by Research in Motion on June 16, BlackBerry Tour 9630 is a global smartphone, having both GSM and CDMA/EV-DO connectivity. The device looks like a mix between the Bold and the Curve 8900 – and that’s obviously a good thing.

The Tour will come with features like: a 480 x 360 pixels display, full QWERTY keyboard, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack and a 3.2MP camera.

Canada will also get the Tour this summer, as Bell is getting ready to release it on July 15 – or maybe a bit later.

• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 flying off the shelves
• Verizon confirms: BlackBerry Tour will be out on July 12 for $200
• BlackBerry Tour may have a touchscreen display
• BlackBerry 9630 Niagara in live pics

Well, now the largest North American carrier has confirmed that the new RIM smartphone will indeed be available starting July 12.

Customers can already pre-order the handset, through Verizon’s website.

Interestingly, Verizon will offer two versions of the Tour: a regular one, and a camera-free one – for those who work in institutions where camera phones are banned.

Sprint will launch the BlackBerry Tour for $199 as well, but an exact date for this is currently not known.

Bell Canada will also offer the Tour, sometime after July 15.

Via Press release

• Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 flying off the shelves
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon
• Telus’ BlackBerry Tour to land on July 15 for $249.99
• BlackBerry Tour may have a touchscreen display

According to The Street, the 8530 Aries was delayed and thus it will be released by Verizon sometime in February 2010.

Coming as the CDMA version of T-Mobile’s BlackBerry 8520 Gemini, BlackBerry Curve 8530 should feature an optical trackball, a QVGA display, Wi-Fi and a 2MP camera.

(image via CrackBerry)

If you really want a new BlackBerry from Verizon this year, you should know that the carrier will launch the Tour 9630 this summer – at about the same time with Sprint.

Or, if you’re into Windows Mobile, you might want to check out Verizon’s new HTC Ozone, which will be available for as low as $49.99 starting June 29.

• Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
• Verizon confirms: BlackBerry Tour will be out on July 12 for $200
• Blackberry Tour on Verizon July 12, Will Be First to Launch
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon
• Blackberry Tour: Buy One Now!

A couple of leaked documents have unveiled not only the Tour’s possible release date on Telus, but also the prices for which it will be available.

Reportedly, the new BlackBerry will cost 249.99 Canadian dollars with a 3-yr contract agreement and a voice & data plan of at least $35. With a 3-yr agreement but without a voice & data plan, the smartphone costs much more: $449.99.

Obviously, the price is even higher if you don’t want a Telus contract – $649.99.

Telus will offer the Tour with a 1GB microSD card in the box. This aside, the handset has the features that we presented yesterday.

BlackBerry Tour 9630 will also be launched by Verizon and Sprint in the US, but the two carriers didn’t say when exactly this will happen.

Source: Howard Forums via Engadget

• BlackBerry Tour 9630 announced by RIM, Verizon and Sprint will launch it soon
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 flying off the shelves
• Verizon confirms: BlackBerry Tour will be out on July 12 for $200
• Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
• Sprint launches Samsung M330, camera-less BlackBerry Tour 9630

Reportedly, the Nokia N97 Mini will come to Vodafone Ireland “later this year”.

There are basically no details about the handset, save for the fact that it will have a competitive price.

Well, if it features a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard, I guess it can’t be too different from the N97, right?

In addition to the Nokia N97 Mini, Vodafone Ireland will also launch the BlackBerry Storm 2. However, it will not carry the Palm Pre, since “another operator has exclusivity” on it – probably O2.

Now, if Vodafone Ireland indeed readies a Mini N97, it means that Vodafone markets around the globe might also get the new smartphone. Of course, that’s pure speculation, so until something official comes from Vodafone or Nokia, we shouldn’t put too much trust in all this.

Via MobileBurn

• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) for Vodafone – pictures leaked
• BlackBerry Tour may have a touchscreen display
• Vodafone’s BlackBerry Storm2 9520 officially coming on October 26
• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 hits India via Airtel
• Blackberry Storm 2 to add “new way of typing” and lose carrier exclusivity in Europe in late 2009

The Tour 9630 will be launched later this summer, by both Verizon and Sprint in the US, and probably by Bell and Telus in Canada.

Verizon didn’t unveil the new smartphone’s price, but it has launched a web page for it, accessible here.

Sprint made things a bit clearer, saying that the Tour 9630 will be available for $199 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Sprint BlackBerry Tour web page is accessible here.

So, what does the Tour has to offer? Pretty much everything, except Wi-Fi.

Here are its mains specs and capabilities:

• Dual-band CDMA/EVDO Rev A (800/1900 MHz)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA
• 2.44 inch, 480 x 360 pixels TFT display with 65k colors (nope, it’s not a touchscreen)
• 35-key QWERTY keyboard
• GPS / A-GPS
• BlackBerry Maps
• Full HTML web browser
• DataViz Documents to Go
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• 3.5 mm headset jack
• Music, video players
• 3.2MP autofocus camera with image stabilization, flash and video recording
• 256MB internal flash memory
• microSD card support, up to 32GB
• 1400 mAh battery
• Talk time: up to 5 hours
• Standby time: up to 14 days
• 112 x 62 x 14.2 mm
• 130 g

As you can see, the BlackBerry Tour is a global smartphone, so you’ll be able to use it almost anywhere in the world.

Via Press release

• Blackberry Tour: Buy One Now!
• Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
• Sprint launches Samsung M330, camera-less BlackBerry Tour 9630
• Telus’ BlackBerry Tour to land on July 15 for $249.99
• BlackBerry Tour 9630 flying off the shelves

Obviously running on Android (version 1.5, more exactly), T-Mobile MyTouch 3G looks exactly as you’d expect: a slightly modified version of the HTC Magic, which is already available in Europe.

The MyTouch 3G will be released in three color versions (black, white and merlot), but we only have images with the white one:

T-Mobile should announce the new Android smartphone this summer, but there’s no word yet on when exactly this will happen.

As for T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Gemini 8520 (aka Curve 8520), this looks just like the unbranded 8520:

Its features should include a QVGA display, optical trackpad, Wi-Fi, a 2MP camera and quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity.

The Gemini / Curve 8520 should be out before the end of 2009, coming with a rather low price tag.

Via Android Forums and IntoMobile

• BlackBerry Gemini 8325 appears in a live image
• T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8520 (Gemini) to come on August 5
• BlackBerry Gemini 9300 to be the first 3G Curve
• T-Mobile MyTouch 3G box art leaked – three color versions confirmed
• Verizon to launch the BlackBerry Curve 8530 Aries in February 2010

If this is true, BlackBerry Tour will be a Bold-meets-Storm, so it should be a pretty interesting smartphone –  like that rumored BlackBerry Magnum.

Phone Arena has it that Tour’s 480 x 360 pixels touchscreen uses the SurePress technology featured by the BlackBerry Storm.

(image via CrackBerry)

It’s said that the BlackBerry Tour will have both GSM and EV-DO connectivity, a 3.2MP camera, GPS and 1GB of internal memory. No word yet on when RIM intends to announce it, but we know that the smartphone should be soon released by Verizon in the US, and Bell in Canada.

• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) video preview shows up
• Verizon to offer two BlackBerry Storm2 phones for the price of one?
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520) for Vodafone – pictures leaked
• BlackBerry Storm 2 accessories show up at Best Buy
• Verizon BlackBerry Storm official pics

Sure, the smartphone is already available via Alltel and T-Mobile (in a GSM version, the Pearl Flip 8220), but Verizon’s loyal customers who also happen to love BlackBerries and flip phones will probably be happy about this.

Verizon’s BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 is VZ Navigator capable and comes with all those already-known features, including: internal and external displays, SureType QWERTY keypad, 2MP camera with flash, voice-activated dialing, microSD card support and access to BlackBerry App World.

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 will be available from Verizon in only one color (silver), starting June 19. The price? Well, it’s $129.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $70 mail-in rebate. And yes, that’s $50 more than the price Alltel is asking for its Pearl.

Via Press release

• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 announced by Alltel; Verizon still waiting
• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 available in the UK via O2
• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 for Verizon spotted
• Rogers outs the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 for $49.99, pink version coming too
• A CDMA BlackBerry Pearl Flip? Seems so, and Canada could get it in February