Comments on: BlackBerry Curve 8900 pops up on BlackBerry Germany site

By: truman

truman — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:35:53 +0000

Um, its a PHONE. 3G is more important than wifi, unless you’re subtly implying your service is so splotchy that you have to have SOME kinda way of getting service to people’s homes as a condition of client retention. Tmo … can ya git a 3g BB sometime soon?? eh?

By: Mbear

Mbear — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:46:41 +0000

T-Mo likely doesn’t synchronize launches across nations for a coupla good reasons:

Supply. Getting enough phones stockpiled for a launch in a single country is a huge logistical undertaking. Building a multi-nation would push launches back by months. Look at how the G1 launch in the UK is starving the US G1 supply; nobody wants that to be a pattern.

Availability: Government bodies often have to authorize radio hardware for sale, a process that can take on dramatically different schedules in different nations. The same for language porting – some are trivial, others are more complex ie Arabic etc.

Internal schedules: Businesses like to provide logical product lineups. Since not all phones are launched in all nations putting out a second, say, smartphone directly on the heels of another in a specific market isn’t the wisest course. Also buying cycles differ – US Thanksgiving is a big date in that market, not so in the rest of the world which has other local important marketing days.

No, there is doubtless coordination of testing, ordering, and production but exactly how & when is likely largely driven by each unit’s needs and internal cycles.

By: MLB1906

MLB1906 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:33:14 +0000

I completely agree with this fellow here. ATT would not be that stupid. Considering how long it has taken for them to get the Bold out.

By: CanisMinor

CanisMinor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:46:10 +0000

@Librapaj

I hope I’m wrong too, and that RIM has changed policy and is prepared to give AT&T a big Canadian, Lumberjack middle finger, but I’m not too optimistic…

By: Librapaj

Librapaj — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:52:43 +0000

@CanisMinor

That really was bad news for you to give me. I am hoping you are wrong. Shit I am just hoping to have it sometime this year, but knowing what’s been happening with RIM’s product launches, I won’t hold my breath.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:42:06 +0000

Im happy with my bold, the keyboard really is amazing, the should have tried to get the bold keyboard on the javelin instead of just using the same old clicky cheap sounding curve one

By: CanisMinor

CanisMinor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:36:08 +0000

@Librapaj,

“I think the Bold was their exclusive and the 8900 will be T-Mo’s.”

Unfortunately not. Last year AT&T had the exclusives on both the 8800 and the Curve, while T-Mo got the Pearl. This year it is likely to be the same: AT&T gets the 9000 and the 8900, while T-Mo USA gets the 8220 exclusive (even though RIM is mighty pissy at AT&T for flubbing the Bold launch, AT&T still remains their number 1 customer)

The next first-to-launch Blackberry family on T-Mo blackberry is going to be the new Pearl 3G – expect it in late Q2, 2009

By: Bill Jobs

Bill Jobs — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:54:47 +0000

Sarah P,
What did you use before the Bold?

By: Coach Lon

Coach Lon — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:37:13 +0000

That translation widget is way cool! Good to see those pictures and now waiting for a USA release.

Oh the humanity of the choices that await-fun!

By: Librapaj

Librapaj — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:00:23 +0000

@BB214

I honestly do not think AT&T will have an exclusivity on this. I mean wouldn’t that cannibalize their bold sales? I think the Bold was their exclusive and the 8900 will be T-Mo’s. And I also think that just like in Germany, it will be a surprise launch.

By: BBAddict133

BBAddict133 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:38:46 +0000

@ Librapaj

Nope. I would advise absolutely no one to take my post as evidence for ANY release date.

I want this phone NOW just like most people, but all we can do is wait it out. As a TMo user, I’m really sick of AT&T getting EVERYTHING. But just like this surprise launch, I have a feeling TMo USA users “may” too see a surprise launch. But as I said before, we shall see.

By: Sarah P

Sarah P — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:29:26 +0000

I wish T-Mobile International worked with T-Mobile USA to collaborate similar handsets across all platforms (at least the branded ones they sell) with similar launch dates.

I just returned the Bold with AT&T. The screen was beautiful, but I dropped a lot of calls my first day and the 3G service was hit or miss here in Los Angeles.

I’ve decided I do not need 3G for my needs and would like to pick this up with T-Mobile as soon as it’s released.

GPS + WiFi + UMA + More horsepower and more memory for apps. Can’t wait.

By: BB214

BB214 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:27:00 +0000

Its been very clearly stated by reliable sources that the blackberry CURVE 8900 will not be released by tmobile this year, but during quarter 1 of 2009. However as you’ve seen on gizmodo and ebay, AT&T curve 8900’s have been popping up on ebay and other places as evaluation units and the OS has been given the green light, which cannot be said for tmobile USA. AT&T which is responsible for more than 2/3 of blackberry smartphone sales in the USA will be getting it first and will mostly likely have the 60 day exclusivity attached to it, thus if its release within the month or by black friday , then the Q1 release date for tmobile makes perfect sense.

By: jbrun

jbrun — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:16:57 +0000

i can’t see them launching Q1 2009, like the leak a couple weeks back here on BGR said…this thing has got to come out before xmas…there have been so many sightings of these, why would they be waiting another 6-8 weeks to release it…does anyone else see a problem with a target for this phone?…i mean other than 16 year old girls pretending they are on the Hills, without 3G and the rest of the bells and whistles, you can get a Bold for 200 bucks now…some places 100…who wouldn’t spend an extra 50 or 100 bucks to upgrade to the Bold?

By: Librapaj

Librapaj — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:03:41 +0000

@ BBAddict133

Well do you know personally know any of those birdies, and if you do, do you trust them?

By: BBAddict133

BBAddict133 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:57:45 +0000

A lot of birdies say a suprise launch (just like this) on “Black Friday” for T-Mo USA.

Then there’s some birdies that say Q1 2009.

We’ll see…

By: Librapaj

Librapaj — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:56:21 +0000

is that a thumbs or thumbs down with that comment?

By: zephxiii

zephxiii — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:52:50 +0000

Good job with the lack of 3G.

By: Librapaj

Librapaj — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:37:42 +0000

Any word on when this will be hitting T-Mo
US and A?

I have been waiting forever for news and no one seems to have any information.

By: KT

KT — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:36:35 +0000

When is this coming to TMo USA? I want this phone!!!! With all the news about Bold and Storm lately, I’m glad Tmo will get this first.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:27:53 +0000

This is going to be a very good phone for all Curve users! Good job guys