8350i
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Sprint getting orange BlackBerry Curve 8330, red 8350i
All eyes are on the Tour right now as far as the BlackBerry ecosystem on Sprint goes, but we might remind you that there are still several other RIM-supplied models in the company's lineup, including the 8330 and the iDEN-capable 8350i. If anything can divert even a scant few eyeballs away from that Tour, it might be some truly insane colors -- and that appears to be what Sprint has in the works. Launch documents over on BerryReview have an "Inferno Orange" 8330 soft launching today with a red 8350i following on at the end of the month. We don't know what shade of red to expect out of that 8350i -- which is typically a straight-up business phone, by the bye -- but we wouldn't be surprised if the 8330 took a page out of T-Mobile's Sunset playbook. Whether that's a good thing or not... well, that remains to be seen.[Via PhoneDog]
Sprint's BlackBerry 8350i, now with less camera
We knew it was coming, but the last time we checked, we had a big fat "TBD" in the launch date column -- now, the wait has finally ended and throngs of camera-free phone fanboys and girls can get their BlackBerry on (come on, you know who you are). The iDEN-only 8350i has been stripped of its cam, but not its dignity -- a good match for businessfolk working in higher-security facilities where covert imagery is still a concern. Unfortunately, the removed technology won't save you any dough; you'll pay the same $149.99 on contract after rebate as the "normal" 8350i buyers, but at least you won't get thrown out of a secret laboratory by ripped guards wielding AR-15s for bending the rules. [Via Boy Genius Report]
Motorola i9, others coming to Sprint this week?
We've seen a number of launch date leaks for Sprint courtesy of partner Brightpoint in the past; generally, they tend to be pretty accurate, so we're going to go ahead and put some weight to this latest one. Looks like we can expect Nextel to pick up the Motorola i9 on Wednesday -- Boost got it a little over a month ago, you might recall -- along with the ancient i580 in yellow. Brightpoint also reels in the Palm Treo Pro a few days earlier than Sprint's official date, while the LG Rumor 2 launches a few days later on the 15th or the 29th; Brightpoint's wording is a little odd here, so it's hard to tell exactly how it'll shake out. Finally, we have a camera-free version of the BlackBerry 8350i in the works, a logical product for RIM to be taking on considering the phone's all-business roots.[Via phoneArena]
Telus BlackBerry Curve 8350i review
The Telus Mike-branded BlackBerry 8350i Curve is a monstrous step in device technology for the Canadian giant as the only other BlackBerry in the lineup is the BlackBerry 7100i *cough*. So we'll start this off by saying goodbye to the year 2006, welcome Mike to the year 2009, and share a few thoughts -- and an enormous gallery -- about this new Direct Connect set.%Gallery-45863%
Sprint's BlackBerry 8350i firmware update fixes boatload of issues
Sprint has released a shiny new build of BlackBerry OS 4.6 for its 8350i on Nextel -- 4.6.1.128, to be exact -- and let's just put it this way: if you have this phone, you want this update. By all accounts, it appears to directly address a bunch of major issues that have been affecting early adopters, including blank screens, missing songs, and MMSes that end up getting delayed into oblivion. Good things to get fixed, yeah? Follow the break for the full changelog straight from Sprint.
Telus' Mike prepping to launch BlackBerry Curve 8350i
Seems everybody has some BlackBerry Curve, though Telus' Mike brand's BlackBerry Curve 8350i iteration is more a-la Sprint Nextel's Curve due to its push-to-talk nature. Featuring a 2 megapixel camera -- it can also be ordered without -- GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and, well, it's a real frickin' BlackBerry on Telus' Mike! Rumor has it the coming soon sign will roll over to now for sale on the 27th of January for $200 on a three-year deal.[Thanks, Rileyfreeman, kjb_ninja, and Pirate]
Nextel's BlackBerry Curve 8350i gets reviewed
iDEN devices aren't typically the slimmest or the sexiest phones you can buy, but all things considered, the BlackBerry 8350i does a decent job of sucking in its gut and looking presentable. It's chubbier than its GSM and CDMA cousins -- and it trades the 3.5mm audio jack for a less-useful 2.5mm one -- but in exchange, phoneArena observes that you get the best keyboard and trackball ever found on a Curve. What's more, the load of BlackBerry OS 4.6 found here is said to be smooth as silk and crash-free -- a far cry from the experiences of some Bold and Storm owners dealing with builds of similar vintages. Ultimately, the review wraps up with a conclusion we'd expect: it's great for an iDEN phone and Nextel folks are guaranteed to be stoked, but should anyone without an incessant need for push-to-talk fly into a jealous rage? Probably not.
Sprint launches push-to-talk BlackBerry Curve 8350i
Verizon may have been bangin' on Sprint's iDEN network, but that's not stopping the yellow-faced carrier from introducing the "first ever" (wait, really?) push-to-talk BlackBerry on those very waves. Sprint is hailing the Curve 8350i as the "most advanced push-to-talk BlackBerry smartphone ever," and given the options in the past, it's hard to disagree. Thankfully, there's also integrated WiFi / GPS as well as support for Group Connect, international direct connect and Talkgroup; you'll also spot a 2-megapixel camera, multimedia player, speakerphone, video recorder, a microSDHC card slot, Bluetooth 2.0, a stereo headset jack and a removable 1,400mAh battery. It's available now in a rather stocky 4.4- x 2.4- x 0.7-inch frame for as low as $149.99 (after all applicable rebates) on a two-year plan.%Gallery-39336%
BlackBerry 8350i hitting Sprint on December 1?
We've had a hard time nailing down a date for RIM's latest (last?) iDEN-powered BlackBerry, the 8350i, outside a general belief that we'd see it before the year was out. For push-to-talkers sick and tired of staring at the truly prehistoric 7100i in Sprint's current lineup, we're sure that the new release couldn't come soon enough -- and while December 1 might not qualify as "soon enough" for some of y'all, it could be worse. The latest intel we're getting suggests that the Curve-alike will be ready to order as we enter the final month of 2008, so get your plastic ready (or, more realistically, let your company's purchasing department know what's up).[Thanks, Brian]
BlackBerry 8350i chirps its way through the FCC
FCC labs must just love testing iDEN devices, since you're basically guaranteeing yourself several days of super-annoying "beep beeps" emanating from phones placed in proximity to bizarre, gelatinous objects designed to simulate human flesh. Of course, RIM owns its own testing facility (no conflict of interest there or anything), so they've no one to blame but themselves for producing the 8350i -- a Curve-alike designed to keep the push-to-talkers of the world calm and happy. We still don't have an exact release date, but we've previously heard that it's on track for the current quarter; if FCC certification was the only thing they were holding on, we imagine could see it pretty shortly.
Sprint's Motorola i9 and BlackBerry 8350i team up for photo shoot
It's hard to believe that iDEN's having a bit of a renaissance so late in its life, but if these two handsets aren't evidence of that, we really don't know what would be. The Motorola i9 and BlackBerry 8350i will represent the very best that Sprint's Direct Connect network has to offer when they're finally released; the i9 hasn't been officially announced in any capacity yet, but the 8350i is on track for a launch some time this quarter (and with the still-sold 7100i three frickin' years old now, that's a damn good thing). We've also heard that Moto's got an i465 in the works, too, but we don't know anything about it just yet. Check out a few shots below while you wait for Sprint to get its push-to-talk butt in gear.[Thanks, Manny P.]%Gallery-36363%
Sprint announces BlackBerry Curve 8350i for iDEN network
True to the roadmap we had a peek at last month, Sprint's iDEN lineup just got a little more corporate mail-friendly and a bit push-to-talk-ier thanks to RIM's -- delightfully yellow-accented -- BlackBerry 8350i. Loaded with roadwarrior goodies like PTT for Direct Connect service, a 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated GPS, and office apps like DataViz Documents to Go, the walkie-talkie types will no doubt be flexing that finger in anticipation. New for BlackBerry and Sprint is Sprint's Group Connect, where customers can instantly fire up group conversation with up to 20 other participants. No pricing or dates were mentioned, but Sprint simply can't keep tasty tidbits like this off store shelves for too long.[Via Phonescoop]
