T-Mobile and RIM make the BlackBerry 8900 Curve official, coming in February
All of you skeptics out there who doubted the February release of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 on T-Mobile can now rest easy as T-Mobile and RIM have made the official announcement. Very eagerly anticipated, perhaps more so than the G1 albeit a lot more quietly, the 8900 features OS 4.6.1, a 512 MHz processor, 480×360 display, GPS, and WiFi with HotSpot support. The new Curve is sure to help ease the pain of the lack of Bold love. If only this device had 3G in the 1700 MHz flavor. No definitive date or price has been set, but T-Mobile hopes to sell you all an 8900 sometime in February. Or you know, you can just, uh… start reading BGR a little more often.
Press release after the jump.
T-MOBILE USA TO OFFER CUSTOMERS THE THINNEST AND LIGHTEST FULL-QWERTY BLACKBERRY SMARTPHONE
New BlackBerry Curve 8900 Smartphone Delivers GPS, Wi-Fi,
Enhanced Multimedia Capabilities and More
Bellevue, Wash., and Waterloo, Ontario – January 7, 2009 – T-Mobile USA, Inc., and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM: TSX: RIM) today announced that T-Mobile® will offer its customers the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphone, the thinnest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 from T-Mobile, in a stunning titanium-colored finish with chrome highlights, combines an elegant, compact design with a wide range of popular features and an easy-to-use full-QWERTY keyboard. It features built-in GPS and support of location-based services. It also allows easy access to social networking sites and has built-in Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g) supporting both voice and data, making it easier to stay connected to family, friends and colleagues.
“T-Mobile is thrilled to bring our customers such an elegant and powerful way to communicate with the important people in their lives,” said Travis Warren, director, device marketing, T-Mobile USA. “The BlackBerry Curve 8900 offers T-Mobile customers the benefit of a full-QWERTY keyboard in the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet.”
In addition to a sleek, stylish design, the powerful new smartphone includes a large, vivid display – the highest resolution available on a BlackBerry smartphone – as well as a 512MHz next generation processor for fast and responsive performance. The handset’s advanced multimedia capabilities include a 3.2-megapixel camera with image stabilization, digital zoom, flash and the ability to record video and play video, a music player, a 3.5mm stereo headset jack and headset, and a hot-swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot with a 256MB card inserted. With support for memory cards up to 16GB, customers can carry, capture and enjoy more of their music, pictures and video anywhere they go.
“The new BlackBerry Curve 8900 features a compact and refined design that looks and feels great. It gives you everything you need to stay connected and entertained,” said Mark Guibert, vice president, corporate marketing, Research In Motion. “With rich multimedia capabilities, exceptional mobile email and messaging features, enhanced Web browsing, a premium phone and easy access to social networking communities, including Facebook®, Flickr®, and MySpace.com®, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 helps you make the most of a busy lifestyle that spans well beyond normal business hours.”
T-Mobile customers can continue to get great mobile coverage and unlimited nationwide Wi-Fi calling with T-Mobile’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling service as well as unlimited nationwide calling to five people with T-Mobile myFaves® service.* As a quad-band world phone, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 supports international roaming, extending the ability to stay connected while traveling abroad.
The new BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone from T-Mobile is anticipated to be available in February at T-Mobile retail stores, select authorized dealers, and online at http://www.T-Mobile.co
Prior to retail availability, customers can learn more about the BlackBerry Curve 8900 at www.BlackBerry.com/NewCurve8900
Tags: 8900 Curve, BlackBerry, javelin, RIM, T-Mobile
Woot 8900 here I come. Those of you waiting for the 3G version, the Magnum/9220, can wait to see it sometime in 2HCY09; but ATT has dibs on it though.
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NICE!
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File this one under who cares.
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THASS NICEE!(borat)
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Excellent. This is the one I wanted. Passed on the G1. Passed on the Bold. Returned my iPhone(s). Didn’t care for the Storm. (My sister in law has it)
All three of those were 3G but I’ve realized I really don’t care about it for my needs. I guess I”m nerdy enough.
T-Mobile works great for me as I’ve recently ported my number from AT&T. Decent network here in LA, great voice quality and affordable rate plans.
I’m really digging the color, processor, sleek design, WiFi (UMA!!!!), and light weight body.
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Yes! Can’t wait. Love my Sunset Red 8320, but I’m ready for a much more powerful device and love the stylish design.
UMA is probably my favorite feature. My lab is right smack in the middle of a huge building and nobody gets cellular/PCS reception of any kind from any carrier in there (but me) thanks to UMA. My router broadcasts far enough that I can seamlessly transition from UMA to GSM without dropping in-between.
Thank you T-Mobile/RIM.
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I feel the same way. This is the best berry for me too. Too big of a deal is made about 3G.
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@DubYa - Maybe next time you shouldn’t say anything. What your mom said about not saying anything if you haven’t got anything nice to say still applies then as it does now. Or maybe you still are at that age…
In any case, this is definitely exciting now that T-Mobile’s owned up to releasing this in February. Hopefully, they won’t repeat what AT&T did with the Bold!
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Finally, A decent new Blackberry for us T-Mobile people. I felt so jipped when the Bold came out!
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@Jeremiah: I’d be more concerned with RIM than I would with ATT. It was their software/OS that held up the Bold IIRC, and the debacle with the shipping Storm software/OS kinda reinforced that for me. Lucky this device hasn’t had any rumblings of problems and should be a solid EDGE device.
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Yayy! For all you US folk, you can now have the 8900, had this since before Rogers even went official with it, great, stable device.
Now more important news is ahead…Gimme some 9520 hands on, where’s all the 3G curve info..Make me happy I visit BG again by showing me something new please.
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I wish they would post the the BB 8900 on the TMO USA website.
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NICE!!!!!!!!!
now, if only the 9520 would come to tmobile… i’d snatch up both of these phones for my family!
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Apart from looks what exactly is new about this phone?
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@ Branon.
It has a couple new features and they re-did the keypad so it doesn’t feel as hollow. Good stuff, really !
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a blackberry with gps ON tmobile… OH Sh*T my dreams have been realized. Hopefully it can do hotspot at home too.
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NO 3G = NO SALE
T-Mobile is once again left with the unwanted stepchildren. Granted this phone looks better, has a nice camera, etc. but the technology is about 5 years old.
The world is moving to 4G and T-Mo is releasing 2G technology. No wonder they are doing it stealthily.
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um far as i know no one has a working 4g network in the states and frankly thats all i give a damn about. I believe it a great phone for tmobile who seemeed to be anti gps for a good long time. But to have both wifi and gps is a pretty big coup in my opinion. And they are the most affordable gsm carrier IN the us.
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You know, I don’t get people’s fascination with 3G. With wi-fi being now commonplace almost everywhere you go, 3G in my opinion, is more of a hindrance than anything else. With the horrible battery life and carriers switching you from 2 to 3G to not have their network crap out, I don’t see the need for it. I don’t know, I guess i might be in the minority, but give me a good processor and wi-fi and I am good.
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I think I just did a little sex wee in my pants.
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i think this is the nicest looking phone on the market and will be getting one!
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I agree with librapaj here.
My BOLD suffers shortened battery life from constantly switching between EDGE and 3G. The BOLD would be a great device if they’d made a switch that would enable me to turn 3G on or off (as the option is present in the unlocked BOLD).
For my needs: emailing, texting, phone calls even web-surfing while commuting to work and back, half the time the BOLD is on edge (I work in chicago).
Had I known the 8900 would be with T-mob in february, I would’ve held out on renewing my contract with at&t.
So far I’ve not seen any big advantage that my new 3G phone has over my older 2G EDGE phone.
Matter of fact, I feel it’s the same. The new screens (larger pixel, more clarity) takes the same time to load up on 3G as does the old phones on 2G.
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I am so happy to hear this news!!! I wanted to get the Blackberry Bold but I didn’t want to change phone companies. I am not an fan of AT&T prices. But I’ve been with T-Mobile for over 2 years and I couldn’t wait to get an up to date Blackberry similar to the Bold. I think it’s time for T-Moblie to get better phones. An most of all love that it’s wifi! Unlike the Storm.I bet they fooled an lot of people with that one! lol I can’t waite so excited!!!!!
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The Bold is too big, this device is a much better size. I agree with the WiFi point and that 3g is a battery killer but irrelevant on the Bold which has a huge battery
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@Abhishek
I know exactly what you are talking about. The reason why they don’t give you that option is because then they couldn’t charge you the ridiculous date charges they currently charge for using their 3G network. I have used many phones with 3G and I am sorry the cons far outweigh the pros.
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