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The BlackBerry 8820  (Source: RIM)
Blackberry to go online with Wi-Fi connectivity

The iPhone may be hot, but it’s the new kid on the block when it comes to being a smartphone. Research In Motion (RIM), creators of the Blackberry, certainly know the does-it-all phone business, and have announced the new BlackBerry 8820 smartphone.

Featuring RIM's thinnest design with a QWERTY keyboard, bright 320 x 240 display and trackball navigation system, the BlackBerry 8820 also includes built-in GPS, media player enhancements, and a microSD / microSDHC expandable memory slot that can support up to 32GB.

The BlackBerry 8820 is also the first dual-mode handset from RIM, combining EDGE/GPRS/GSM cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity for data access and voice support through UMA (unlicensed mobile access) for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service offerings from various wireless carriers around the world. With a UMA solution in place, the BlackBerry 8820 can also seamlessly switch voice calls between a wireless carrier's cellular network and a Wi-Fi network.

"The BlackBerry 8820 is an extraordinary business phone for people who really care about mobile communications and productivity. It features all the renowned power and usability of the BlackBerry platform with executive class styling and unprecedented connectivity features, including cellular, Wi-Fi and built-in GPS," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM. "The BlackBerry 8820 complements our carrier partners' cellular networks with the added ability to stay connected via Wi-Fi at home, through hotspots and corporate campuses."

The BlackBerry 8820 is scheduled to launch in the U.S. on AT&T later this summer.

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Did you hear?
By supaflydaddyc on 7/19/2007 9:22:45 AM , Rating: 3
Lindsey's out of rehab (for) now!




How about something usefull?
By aGoGo on 7/19/2007 5:10:01 PM , Rating: 2
Maybe a better browser, ability to save attachments, ability to edit forwarded emails, edit documents and excel sheets, better attachment viewer, more built-in memory, better use of expandable memory, better IM software...




Business
By Samus on 7/19/2007 6:21:23 PM , Rating: 2
They are, however, extraordinarily better business machines than any other competing product. Dynamium screens that are knick, scratch and oil resistant, sturdy build quality, class-leading keyboard quality (ask Kris or Anand) and excellent battery life are amung the few things RIM do right that the competition doesn't. Really, what are your alternative products? A Blackjack, a complete and poor Blackberry rip-off that just attempts to add multimedia features, or a Treo, seven crappy generations in the making.

I will admit RIM is only the pioneer of one thing, a querty-keyboard phone that can be completely used with only one hand. Something most people don't think about. Anything with a touch screen or stylus will require two hands, and thats one too many.




8820?
By Souka on 7/19/2007 7:20:54 PM , Rating: 2
Hmmm... odd since Sprint has the 8830

We have a demo 8830 at my work site already... nice phone, great blackberry.




Boring.
By Mitch101 on 7/19/07, Rating: -1
RE: Boring.
By kkwst2 on 7/19/2007 11:02:46 AM , Rating: 1
I don't use Blackberry, but I do think they deserve credit for what they do. They obviously do a better job at allowing mobile professionals to stay connected to the office with e-mail, etc. The thumbwheel navigation is simply better than anything else out there. I've stuck with PPC devices because I like to customize them and I have certain programs I want to use that Blackberry doesn't support. But I'm certainly jealous with the relative ease of the interface and navigation of the Blackberry compared to PPC.

And this seamless transfer of voice calls between cellular and Wifi...that's not revolutionary? I consider myself one who keeps up with this stuff, and I haven't seen that. Point me to a device that does this. This could be a big deal for professionals, say, trying to stay connected to an important conference call as they go in or out of a workplace. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me. Am I reading too much into that. Is that not what they're talking about?


RE: Boring.
By DeepBlue1975 on 7/19/2007 11:09:02 AM , Rating: 2
Blackberrys are mainly thought for corporative use.
In that context, adding a yes-nonsense camera to such a kind of device, I wouldn't say it's revolutionary, but it surely is controversial, as there exist some work places where you're not supposed to have any means for taking pictures.

If they're thought for business use, I can't see any reason for it to add rich multimedia capabilities and enable state of the art mobile gaming.

I'd rather think that being born as a business phone, it's a bit against its own identity trying to sell it to "not so serious" markets.
If I were RIM, I would have come up with another brand name for "more multimedia friendly" models instead of keeping calling it blackberry.
Something like CharcoalBerry, PlaymeBerry or MultiBerrya perhaps would be more suitable :D


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