The Boy Genius Report: BlackBerry 8705 / 8800

Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.

So the Boy Genius has been digging deeper into all these rumors floating around about the supposed BlackBerry 8705 and 8800, and here's what we got: the BlackBerry 8705 will be a normal BlackBerry 8700 except with HAC (Hearing Aid Compatibility) and minor GSM Radio and component changes. No WiFi, nothing to email home about. We also got info on the next BlackBerry unit; the 8800 is code-named Gamma Ray (not 8200 as previously reported). The 8800 is basically the 8100 with a full QWERTY keyboard, and surprise, surprise as far as we can tell it will not have the pearl's camera. This can and might change, but as of now it will be thin, have a trackball, WiFi, microSD, and will not be released before the end of this year. The reason RIM has done away with the trackwheel on the side is because it was preventing them from making the devices thinner; they sure made 'em thinner now, but we're still not sure if that was the right move. We'll leave you with a quote from our man.

"RIM, I know you love how The Boy Genius has your stock above $80 per share for the first time since April. This is viral marketing at its best. Please look for all my scoops, and reviews here exclusively at Engadget."