BlackBerry Curve to be released May 31st? Whatever.
I know what everyone is thinking, "Please stop!". We do have this on sort of confirmed authority: the BlackBerry Curve will be released this Thursday, the 31st of May. It should appear in all "distribution channels", and AT&T will have their usual 90 day exclusive in the USA. By now we all know the run down — AT&T Mobile Music, 2 megapixel camera, spell checker, and AT&T’s Mall feature to buy ringtones and other downloadable content. Anyone interested in pricing? It will run ya’ $449.99 to buy it outright, $274.99 with a one year agreement, and $199.99 for a 2 year agreement with a $39.99 voice plan. That’s about it, check out the full "press release" after the jump!
Thanks, Jamie!
BlackBerry Curve to Launch May 31
Exclusive to AT&T for at least 90 days after launch.
AT&T will launch the full-featured and much anticipated BlackBerry Curve on May 31 in all distribution channels. The BlackBerry Curve is exclusive to AT&T for at least 90 days after launch and is the smallest, lightest full QWERTY BlackBerry yet offered. It combines a compact design with many new features and broad international coverage.
With an exclusive, liquid silver finish and new trackball navigation system, the Curve is the first BlackBerry device to support AT&T Mobile Music, an enhanced media player, support for stereo Bluetooth headsets and a 3.5 mm headset jack. The device also features a 2-megapixel camera. The Curve is the first BlackBerry to offer spell-checker for e-mail, AT&T Push-to-Talk, TeleNav Maps and the AT&T Mall feature for purchasing ring tones and downloads.
The Curve offers support for phone, BES/BIS e-mail access, text messaging, Web browser, organizer, corporate data applications and more.
The quad-band BlackBerry Curve gives customers the ability to make phone calls in more than 190 countries and access e-mail and other data applications in 130 countries. All AT&T BlackBerry devices enjoy this advantage, giving the company the largest portfolio of BlackBerry products with global roaming capabilities of any U.S. carrier.
Special Note on Product Packaging at Launch
The BlackBerry Curve may also be identified as the BlackBerry 8300 on packaging and in-box materials for up to 30 days after launch.
Accessory packaging may have the BlackBerry 8300 designation for several months after launch. Please note these names refer to the same product. But in all customer-facing marketing materials (advertising, Web, merchandising), the BlackBerry Curve name will be used.
Other product highlights:
Dimensions: 4.21 inches x 2.36 inches x .61 inches; weight: 3.93 oz .
Excellent battery life: up to four hours talk time, up to 17 days standby time.
Supports expandable MicroSD memory.
Powerful 312 MHz processor.
BlackBerry Messaging ("IM-like" messaging to other BB devices).
Pricing
BlackBerry Curve will launch with a $100 instant rebate in BMG channels:
No Commitment – $449.99
One-Year Contract without $100 rebate – 374.99
One-Year Contract with $100 rebate – $274.99
Two-Year Contract without $100 rebate – $299.99
Best Price (two-year unlimited + $39.99 voice) – $199.99
awesome…but what is a BMG channel?
WHEN W/ WIFI?!?!?!!?!?
So now do I wish to go to AT&T. . . *beep* I have nothing against them, just don’t want them lol
awesome thanks for finally comfirming it! … any news on the 8300 w/ wifi ? So hard to wait though!
yay thank you bgr i will be a happy man when i get off work on fri
If the HTC Kaiser and Windows Mobile 6 now offer Direct Push of email, why should we be at the mercy of RIM for these devices? I know BlackBerry’s have always looked so damn sexy….but that HTC Kaiser looks pretty good too…I just dunno if wanna switch. I’ve been loyal to BBerry since the black and white screen era!!! Decisions, Decisions!!
Let’s not forget that the Kaiser has wi-fi and a 3 megapixel camera too! I may have to buy 100 shares of that tomorrow
Dial 800-331-0500 from a landline, don’t enter your number and press 0 to get to a business care rep..
The reason to still get a blackberry is simple: Wimdows mobile is unstable and blows through a battery in half a day; blackberry OS practically never crashes
the Curve is not the first BB with email spell check, the 8830 has it.
Finally I can sleep easy at night!!! Wow great news BG this is going to make alot of people happy!
It mentions tele nav maps. Wonder if this will have GPS. I have the 8800 and tele nav came on that and it has GPS
I can’t wait!!!!!
90 days…omg…gunna have to get me a att version since tmo wont have it for awhile
I understand that at&t will have the exclu for 90 days for the 8300. Have you heard anything about tmo releasing the 8320 anytime soon? or am I better off just buying the at&t 8300 and un-locking it?
How do you unlock it? lol I’m not feeling $107 before taxes.
Who would opt for a contract WITHOUT a REBATE? I could care less about the price WITHOUT rebate.
My birthday is Friday……goodbye 7130c. Hello Curve. Happy birthday to me!
my birthday is sat. the big 30…..
Abut time!!! See you Thursday morning first_thing!!!
Can someone please tell me – If my company has issued me a blackberry (8800), but will not let me use a “personal” device on our network – if I buy the Curve outright and swap the sim am I in business? Will it function normally, or is there some encryption to keep it off the company’s network?
This device is sweet and the price is good too. Now I need to know is about the 8820, engadget got their mitts on one, so why can’t I? Well I hope that as soon as they release it enjoys some time in the sun. I will wait for the 8820, the one that has wi-fi, that is unless they plan on releasing a 3g version of the 8800 or maybe the infamous 9xxx.
If this is going to be released Thursday I guess the store employees and managers get absolutely no notice, because they know nothing as of today.
Cingular employees(honest ones) will tell you that customers usually know about release dates before they do! BYE BYE 8800 HELLO CURVE!
i personally think the price is actually good too, unlike the 8800. does the 90 day exclusive mean that T-mobile wont be getting it until august? Or if t-mo was to release the 8320, that would be a whole different phone and has nothing to do with the exclusive? i hope it gets to t-mo fast, i need to get rid of this sidekick! lol