T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Curve (8320) on September 24th
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Filed in BlackBerry, EDGE, Exclusives, GPRS, GSM, Handsets, RIM, T-Mobile
Well, isn’t this a glorious day. You begged, you pleaded with the T-Mobile gods, and now we finally have something concrete. It seems as if September 24th is the rumored launch date set in stone for one of the most anticipated BlackBerry devices to date — the BlackBerry Curve with WiFi + UMA (8320). We’ve got a string of other handsets we’re sifting through at moment from our oh-so-fabulous informants, but in the meantime, I guess we can all just "marinate" on this BlackBerry Curve launch date. Yeah, it’s golden. Hey T-Mobz, care to send us an embargoed unit? Thank ya’s
Thanks, tmophonehome!
@ stevenreanimator,
It looks like the color of the Samsung Trace and T629…
Silver/Gold.
Right?
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As a newbee to blackberry island, can someone tell me what the simple difference will be between the Tmobile curve and the 8800 or the 8820.
I figured out the curve has a camera where the 8800’s dont.
thanks for your patience.
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Okay great- now when does Verizon get this thing already!!?!?
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According to cnet 8800 has no camera and a more awkward keyboard, but does have GPS…
Now can someone please answer MY newbie question??? Are you required to purchase the data plan with t-mobile blackberrys or can you just use WiFi when in a zone???
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finally an answer! i had SK since black n white, now im rockin the SK3 and awww man i had nothin but problems, and haven’t seen a phone worth my time i never really like windows mobile since i used the dash for a brief time i’ll never get a windows OS phone again uses to much memory and runs hella slow and freezes every 20sec, so i always came back to my roots(SK) everytime i ventured off into another phone, but im startin to get sick of the danger OS and looking for somethin new without windows! i hope this crackBerry 8320 is worth all the hype if not ima try my luck with the NJ kid who unlocked the iphone, aye hotz keep up the good work kid, prolly see u in a magazine next few years for discovering a cure for dumb people who make dumb phones LOL im out
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I have the BlackBerry Pearl and before that the 7100t, for four years between the two.
IMHO RIM makes damn good products. I expect the Pearl to be the same.
Chad, why don’t you call T-Mo, they will be glad to answer your question. I don’t know that anyone knows the answer to your question because as far as I know there are not too many T-Mo WiFi phones.
I have the Nokia 6086 for use with the hotspot@home, but I can’t use a data plan with it since it is not a BlackBerry phone.
I switch out the SIM into the Pearl for use of the BB features.
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Oops, on my post above I meant I expect the Curve to be the same.
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It comes out september 24th geez you people are crazy. If it is gold its not as bad as the color picture. I work for T mobile and have seen the gold pearl its actually a decent gold color. And yes the samsung t639 is t mobiles first 3g phone. however dont expect any 3g launch until sometime in the first quarter. However it is possible some major cities might and the keyword is MIGHT get 3g late in the 4th quarter of this year
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Well, I got the Nokia 6086 WiFi phone today [eBay purchase]. Have to say the hotspot@home is pretty cool. I used the hotspot in my house, then went to the store.
All was seamless, when I went out of range of the hotspot at home, the Nokia switched to the cell network.
Berry, berry cool.
I hope that the Curve is a WiFi phone for use with T-Mo’s hotspot service. I don’t like swapping the SIM between the Pearl and the Nokia.
Oh, I asked the T-Mo tech guy who was helping me activate the hotspot if he knew about the Curve or not. He said that all he has heard is that there are some new hotspot phones coming out soon, but he does not know the models. He said that if I heard one was going to be the Curve that that is most likely accurate.
Sidenote: If any of you are thinking about signing up for hotspot@home, better do it soon. The $10 monthly rate shoots up to $20 monthly around Sept. 4 or so.
It is NOT considered a new service or what not, so you do NOT have to extend your contract. It is simply an add on and you can cancel it if you don’t want it over time.
You get a free router for your PC [after $50 rebate] and you can do what I did, look on eBay for a cheap T-Mo WiFi phone to tide you over until the Curve comes out. Or you can simply sign up for the service and not use it until you get a Curve.
I got my Nokia for $100, about one week old. I think when T-Mo had it they were asking $180 for it. Screw that.
When the Curve comes out, I will sell the Nokia and use my T-Mo upgrade to get the Curve.
Just a tip.
Bonus comment: if you don’t know what hotspot@home is, your phone’s WiFi connects to the router in your home and uses it as a sort of mini cell tower. You can also use the phone’s WiFi in any of T-Mo’s hotspot locations, such as any Starbucks.
You can talk 24 hours a day at no charge, other than the $10 monthly. When you leave your residence it reverts or switches to your cell phone plan and uses your allotted minutes, unless, of course, you are using a T-Mo hotspot at Starbucks or maybe an airport.
I’ll be depressed if the Curve is not hotspot capable.
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Yeah, it sure seems like the hotspot at home should work with the 8320 for data, otherwise it wouldn’t be real WiFi. T-mobile reps don’t know anything yet cause they haven’t been briefed fully, it seems. But it only makes sense, sequentially, that the hotspot at home would work with data since they introduced the service right before the 8320 came out. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
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wow so nice blackberry curve 8320 with wifi i am still waithing
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Thanks guys for all of the great feedback! I have 30 days 2 try out the at&t blackberry so I’ll test it and the t-mobile version should b out b4 my at&t trail period is up. BTW what is the big deal about wi-fi?
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JUST IN:
I ordered a second hotspot@home service for another $10 for my neighbor’s line [which is also on my account. She went over on minutes to the tune of $150 last month, hence ordering the additional hotspot].
Anyway, I asked the T-Mo rep had she heard anything about the Curve. She said that they are NOT allowed to volunteer info on phones UNLESS A CUSTOMER ASKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT IT.
So I said “Well, I’m asking.”
So she calls up a bulletin that she just got yesterday. She read from it.
The Curve will debut on September 24.
It will have all the features discussed herein.
It will have WiFi.
It will be a featured “hotspot@home” phone.
I did not get a phone for the additional hotspot service because we want the Curve. She said “Yes, that is definitely a phone you want to wait for.”
I’m smiling.
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Chris, read my posts. hotspot@home can be set up at home or an office. [It uses a network router].
You can then make unlimited calls for free, during the day. In other words, the calls won’t come out of your minutes plan.
You can also use the WiFi phone at any of the thousands of T-Mo hotspots, e.g. airports and Starbucks.
The reason one wants a specific hotspot@home compatible phone is that when you venture away from the router signal the phone automatically and seamlessly [meaning you don't notice] switches to the cellular network. Any calls made in the cell network count against your plan, on whatever terms you plan provides.
That’s the big deal with WiFi to me. But I believe that one can also access the Net with a WiFi phone, wherever there is a WiFi signal provided.
In other words, one could use WiFi for Net access and not need a carrier’s data plan. At least I think that is how WiFi also works. I think that is one of the reasons carrier’s don’t make WiFi phones is because it allows users to avoid data plans.
For me, however, I will still use T-Mo’s $20 unlimited data/BlackBerry plan because I like RIM’s push e-mail service.
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Oh man, while I think the Curve is safe, etc. just heard on the news that Microsoft is interested in buying RIM.
What a drag. Typical MS, when their product fails [Mobile PC], buy the competitor’s product.
The Curve may be the last good RIM product. That is, before MS gets their incompetent fingers on RIM.
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To put and end on switching from T-Mobile to AT&T (which I’m a loyal t-mobster). At my job I have a coworker who recently decided to work at AT&T and while he admits AT&T has sleeker and newer models, he would rather get service with T-Mobile because of their rates and customer service. By the way he has Verizon and hates it so he is going to pay off his contract and go back to T-Mobile. If an AT&T employee thinks their service sucks, why would you want to be a costumer?
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I bought the 8300 Curve from ATT because I had to have this phone. It truly is the best phone I have ever owned. I had it unlocked immediately for TMO service. WiFi would have been nice, but slight warnings for all doing this:
Unless you are on a BES, you will lose functionality to the web browser….using tzones only. BES functionality is awesome, as I am a reseller.
Also…..FYI…..the outter surface (sides, top & bottom) feel “rubberized” as if it’s a bit more durable. This (after 2 months), started to peel off.
RIM understands how to make a GOLDEN EGG. Nicely done!
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Had a great cs rep at a new tmo outlet today. I have the spec sheet. Its as someone posted above. the spec sheet says specifically that info is not to be shared with a customer unless the customer asks. Yes, home hotspot — in fact she pitched me on it. Hopefully the phone will be out the 24th of Sept as my good old reliable 7290 is slowly dying on me. It is definitely not gold in color. The only gold phone coming out soon is a Pearl which is also coming out in other assorted colors — red, blue, etc.
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Pricing is due out on Saturday the 15th of Sept. Could be delayed until release. Still looking and sounding like the 24th.
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Joanberry, you see anything on the sheet that mentions if the Curve will have a browser or only T-Zones?
I am hoping the browser is not left off of WiFi phones, but maybe it is because T-Mo does not want people foregoing getting a BlackBerry plan.
I have a BB plan [BIS], so I assume that anyone with that service also gets the browser. Only those who buy the phone with WiFi only won’t get full net access.
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Another confirmation:
Just spoke with CSR–it is widely confirmed that the BlackBerry Curve (8320) will drop September 24th. The color was described as a “dark gray pearl” and I was told that they don’t see why other colors for the Curve won’t be coming out as well, such as a gold version. Pricing has not yet been disclosed.
Also, the Pearl Colors are dropping next Wednesday.
Get excited!!
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Here are specs on the sheet given to me yesterday:
Official sell/date order availability date: September
Channel availability: All
Upgrade Availability: All
Features:
My faves
Blackberry enterprise server and blackberry email
Wi-Fi/GPRS/Edge data with ___ connectivity
2 MP camera with flash
Voice activated dialing
Bluetooth
speakerphone
address book
calendar
sync with PC
IM
Picture messaging
Text ”
Web Browsing
Querty
Trackball - 4 way nav
Micro SD expandable memory slot
Multimedia player
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JoanBerry, thanks for posting.
That answers it, the BB E-mail is BB Internet Service, I believe.
Also, for those interested, I was the one on BlackBerry Forums who updated the Pearl’s OS and confirmed that a 4GB MicroSDHC chip works on the Pearl. I have been using a 4GB on my Pearl for about two months now.
My understanding from what I have read is that the Curve can use a 4GB MicroSDHC chip.
But more importantly [since 4GB use is approaching yawn status]: SanDisk will be selling the 8GB chip soon, I suspect the Curve will be able to handle that as well, perhaps without even updating the OS.
The Curve with an 8GB chip? See you later iPhone. [Not that I ever considered that POS].
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iphone isn’t such a POS now that the price has dropped $200. I bet tmobile is pissed that their baby’s thunder is being stolen by apple’s bombshell today… It’s even got me thinking of just getting the WiFi touch instead of the 8320 with expensive data plan and all… My birthday is coming up… What to do?
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I got my pre-release yesterday from my rep. All the specs are correct. The color is gold front edges and back plate with black sides. The keys are gray. It is their T-Mobile hotspot home phone. The WiFi works okay. The UMA is hit and miss on my home Linksys router (not the T-Mobile version. When it does show up on the phone, the voice quality is excellent! I haven’t tried it at a Starbucks yet. Maybe tomorrow.
I’d hope to get an AT&T 8820 next week and see how it compares. I wish the 8320 had GPS like the 8820. :+(
The UMA calling is free, no minutes, if you place the call while on WiFi. This should be the case if you travel outside the US. So, if you have WiFi access in Paris, you should be able to call someone in the US for free!
The phone should go from WiFi to Cell and back without dropping the call.
The phone is locked. I tried my AT&T SIMM with no luck.
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