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Rogers launches BlackBerry 8820, expects no rah, rah, sis boom bah
Rogers has seen fit to add yet another 'Berry to its collection, we give you the BlackBerry 8820. This sorta winsome device packs everything you know and love about the 8800 into a strikingly familiar package -- OK, identical -- package and adds WiFi for the Rogers Home Calling Zone UMA service. Excited about finally having some WiFi for all that web wandering you're doing during coffee break or while chilling at the water cooler? No need to be, like the recently announced BlackBerry 8120, the WiFi here only plays with the UMA service. Of course, it could well come with an OS refresh, so that might make a few smile, but other than that we think putting your money back in your pocket's the way to go. Pricing is set at $349 on 3 years with voice and data, $449 on a straight 3-year, and $499 (ouch!) on 2. Seriously Rogers, until you can release a half decent data plan -- iPhone data plan aside -- don't you think your loyal following deserve a little wireless break?
T-Mobile launches BlackBerry 8820 with WiFi
Right on time, T-Mobile has added another piece to the smartphone side of the HotSpot@Home puzzle with the 8820, featuring both WiFi and GPS in a single package -- a somewhat rare combo from our friends at RIM, and a new, fresh answer to the 8800 and 8830 variants found on every other national carrier in the US (and, in the case of the 8800, on T-Mobile itself). The lack of a camera will be a detraction for some, but a boon for others given the device's all-business roots -- and naturally, no one's going to complain about the microSD expansion, myFaves support, or the ability to hop on 802.11g networks for a little VoIP action, T-Mobile style. As cool as the Curve? No, but this one'll find it's own audience, no question about it. Look for the BlackBerry 8820 in stores starting today.
T-Mobile's BlackBerry 8820 appears to be back on: March 24's the date
That wasn't that bad of a delay, we suppose -- if the new date holds, anyway. After an original target of March 5, we went through a brief period of sheer panic, terror, and helplessness as T-Mobile's systems appeared to indicate a new date of "TBD" for RIM's BlackBerry 8820, which isn't on any calendar, Gregorian or otherwise, that we're aware of. Anyhoo, the freshest intel appears to suggest that we can start to see 8820s circulate through retail channels on March 24. We still think the Curve's cooler, but when it comes to WiFi-equipped T-Mobile gear, we're all about choice.[Thanks, Mumbo]
T-Mobile's BlackBerry 8820 pushed back?
Previously rumored for a March 5th release, we've been tipped that T-Mobile's WiFi-equipped, Hotspot @Home-capable BlackBerry 8820 appears to have been pushed back (at least, that's what we'd take "TBD" to mean where March 5 used to appear). Sadly, delays are more the rule than the exception in this industry, so we're anything but taken aback if it turns out to be true. We'll keep you in the loop as we hear more.[Thanks, Dave]
T-Mobile adding BlackBerry 8820 with WiFi next month?
We're hearing rumblings that T-Mobile's going to drop a WiFi-enabled version of the BlackBerry 8800 -- better known in the public vernacular as the 8820 -- on March 5th. Yeah, it's just a rumor at this point, but the move would make total sense for several reasons: one, the 8820 already exists so RIM doesn't need to do any custom magic for T-Mobile; two, T-Mobile already sells the 8800; three, the 8800's little brother, the Curve, is already sold in WiFi form on the carrier; and four, Hotspot@Home could always use another compatible handset or three. We'll find out in a few weeks -- but in the meantime, we might suggest holding off on that 8800 purchase.[Thanks, T]
Hands-on with BetaBlue, JetBlue's WiFi-equipped Airbus
Generally we're the type to pass out the second we've stowed our carry-on items safely in the overhead bin, but on a recent test flight for a gang of reporters, photographers, Fortune 500 execs, and the obligatory PR team, JetBlue managed to keep us awake by magically letting us communicate with our friends and colleagues on the ground over IM and email. Actually, it takes a lot more than magic for the Airbus A320 named "BetaBlue" to bring limited WiFi connectivity to properly-equipped passengers throughout the single-class cabin: quite a bit of technical and administrative work went into getting this service off the ground, from snatching up and deploying a rare slice of 800MHz ground-to-air spectrum to effectively managing cell tower connections while traveling over 500mph to developing clients that would maximize the precious bandwidth being shared by so many mobile gadget lovers. Keep reading after the break for all of our impressions from this media preview voyage, and don't forget to hit up the gallery below for glimpses of the entire experience along with some of the screenshots you can expect to see in-flight... %Gallery-11394%
JetBlue introduces free in-flight email, IM
In a welcome first for domestic airlines, JetBlue will be rolling out free in-flight Yahoo IM and email services to passengers packing WiFi-equipped devices, starting aboard its new "BetaBlue" Airbus A320. Once this test-bed passenger jet reaches 10,000 feet, an in-plane network with three in-ceiling access points is activated, allowing most any wireless gadget with a Flash-enabled browser to view specialized versions of either Yahoo Messenger or Mail through a universal landing page. What's more, owners of certain BlackBerry handsets like the 8820 or Curve 8320 can keep feeding their addictions non-stop thanks to an agreement between JetBlue and RIM. Bandwidth for these services is provided by LiveTV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the carrier that provides the entire fleet with select DirecTV and XM radio channels, and which also happens to possess a valuable 1MHz slice of ground-to-air spectrum that it's deploying for this very purpose (with the help of some 100 existing cell towers around the country). If all goes well in what is admittedly a beta test, more aircraft will receive the WiFi makeover, and more features -- such as access to terabytes of locally-stored multimedia content -- will be rolled out, along with additional service providers besides Yahoo. Just don't expect an open pipe any time soon: that sweet little slice of spectrum is not nearly robust enough to handle the heavy Slinging, VoIPing, and Torrenting you all would obviously be doing.
BlackBerry 8820 gets real for AT&T, $299 starting tomorrow
Sorry, 8800 owners -- your pieces are officially obsolete (not really, unless WiFi is a big deal for you). AT&T has gotten officially official today with the 802.11a/b/g-equipped 8820 at the expected $299 contract price point, offering integrated GPS, push-to-talk support, EDGE data, a microSD slot, and a clean, camera-less posterior just like the original. Grab it online and in store starting tomorrow. Oh, and buyers, let us know what the sitch is with the GPS, okay?Update: AT&T's sale page for the device is now online here.
AT&T crippling BlackBerry 8820's GPS, too?
If the rumor mill pans out, the upcoming BlackBerry 8820 stands to be a bottomless piggy bank for AT&T. Why? First we heard that the device's WiFi capability would be unusable without an EDGE data plan -- despite the fact that there's absolutely no reasonable correlation between the two -- and now we're hearing that its GPS service may suffer a similar fate. Boy Genius Report is saying that the 8820's navigation capabilities will be usable only with TeleNav at a cost of $9.99 per month. Don't get us wrong, TeleNav gets the job done, but why can't any app we choose tap into the GPS signal? The phone isn't out yet (the latest intel suggests September) so we'll withhold judgment until then, but please, AT&T, we beg of you: let us use our hardware however we choose.
BlackBerry 8820 on AT&T next month?
Sources are telling us that RIM's upgraded 8800, the 8820, will finally be ready for AT&T come the 15th of September. As a refresher, the 8820 adds WiFi to the 8800's buttoned down, all-business spec sheet, but it turns out there's a very sneaky catch: WiFi won't be usable unless the subscriber hooks up a data plan. We're guessing this'll be hacked in all of about 15 minutes, but yeah, buyer beware. AT&T will be touting the 8820 as rocking twice the battery life of Verizon's 8830, so at least you'll be able to curse the data lockdown for twice as long before you run out of juice.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Motorolas, BlackBerrys, and Pantechs in the coming weeks for AT&T?
If it seems like there's been a lull in AT&T's 3G handset launch cadence, that may be about to change. Boy Genius has the Motorola Q9 and RAZR 2 V9 both coming out on August 24, making for one heck of a double whammy. The EDGE-only SMT5700 may finally rear its head on the 24th (wow, a triple whammy?) or the 28th of the month, while the BlackBerry 8820 should hit on the 13th or 14th. Finally, the Pantech C810 will allegedly follow on around September 9th. Not bad if it all holds up, eh?
Rim's BlackBerry 8820 lands at Orange UK
We've had this handset pegged for AT&T for ages, but the first operator to get it out the door is Orange UK. Orange will take advantage of the WiFi UMA angle by offering business customers access to its Unique service. Like a similar offering from T-Mobile on this side of the ocean, the 8820 can switch seamlessly between GSM and IP voice services using a provider's Internet access point. No word on pricing yet, but we're expecting that coming soon logo on the Orange 8820 page should be disappearing any time soon. Here's hoping that T-Mobile also considers this handset to boost it strong pitiful UMA handset lineup over here.
BlackBerry 8820 to hit AT&T for $299, 8800 to see quick exit?
We can't be sure until folks are actually leaving AT&T retail locations with 8820s firmly in-hand, but Boy Genius Report's latest intel allegedly has the WiFi-equipped BlackBerry on shelves as soon as next week. Of course, another tipster has it pegged for August -- we suspect no one really knows for sure -- but either way, it looks like it'll retail for a believable $299 on contract and the 8800 will be phased out very quickly to make room for the new unit. Not surprisingly, sales folk are apparently being asked to downplay the 8820's WiFi capabilities unless specifically asked -- it's a feature AT&T generally despises, after all.
WiFi equipped BlackBerry 8820 about to hit the streets
RIM just got real nasty on everyone with its latest announcement, namely, that the WiFi equipped, integrated-GPS-havin' BlackBerry 8820 has just gotten the proper release treatment, stating that the device will be heading to retailers in the "coming weeks," and is slated to land on AT&T later this summer, making a ton of American businessmen very, very happy. The GSM world phone, which we got to manhandle back in May, features 802.11a/b/g, EDGE data (no 3G boys?), UMA (allowing the phone to seamlessly switch between cellular and WiFi networks without dropping calls), and a microSD / SDHC slot which can support cards up 32GB, which is quite a lot of gigabytes. It wouldn't be surprising to see this pop up over at T-Mobile, considering its WiFi love, which AT&T still has yet to embrace (though Mr. Jobs claims it's coming). Other specs stick pretty close to the RIM playbook, which isn't going to ruffle any feathers probably. Stay tuned for exact release dates and other appetite-whetting information as it becomes available.
FCC approves WiFi-equipped BlackBerry
We're not sure whether this is the 8820 we played with a while back, but the ID label documentation for this newcomer to the FCC's ranks shows a crappy rendering of a quadband GSM device that certainly looks in line with the 8800 series. For end users, that means we can expect a WiFi-equipped 'Berry that lacks the Curve's sex appeal, but may very well be the average business user's dream come true -- especially considering the inclusion of 802.11a alongside b and g (or so the SAR report alleges, anyway) and the probable lack of an integrated cam. No word on a release, but business focus aside, this would look pretty nice in T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home lineup, would it not?[Via TG Daily]
Hands-on with RIM's WiFi-equipped BlackBerry 8820
Well looky what we found this morning, RIM's new BlackBerry 8820 in all its WiFi-enabled glory. While we can't cheer and celebrate hot looks or bold new design, we are pretty stoked to finally see WiFi under the hood in one of these toys. As some rumors have pointed out, it is indeed lacking any type of camera, but hey, the new wireless option has given us plenty to smile about, so we won't gripe until the next iteration. We don't have any hard specs or pricing to talk about -- except what has already been rumored -- but the AT&T branding all over the place certainly hints at a potential carrier. Seems it may be a busy month for our big blue friends with the potential June 13th launch date for the 8300, and now the 8820 waiting in the wings. Check the gallery for a pile more pics.%Gallery-3484%
RIM's Blackberry 8300 "Daytona" with WiFi?
Photos of a purportedly unannounced Blackberry codenamed "Daytona" are making the rounds in Spain this morning. This new RIM device clearly marked "evaluation unit" on the back is said to sport a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash, GPS, and that glorious WiFi we're all missing on the 8800. Spanish site Xataka speculates that this media savvy device will carry an 8300 model number when it hits at the start of summer. Perhaps, but we're still wondering when we'll see the notorious 8820. Update: A video has been posted by the Mentesdigitales site. Check that and more pictures after the break.
Latest BlackBerry OS confirms 8820 with WiFi
A feature notoriously missing from RIM's range, WiFi is one add-on we can pretty much all agree would make the average BlackBerry user's life noticeably better. We'd heard rumblings ahead of the 8800's release that Canada's newest handset would sport some manner of 802.11 out of the box, but alas -- the release came and went with no 2.4GHz (or 5GHz, for that matter) goodness in sight, allegedly due to technical glitches on RIM's side that the company was unwilling to delay the initial model for. No worries, though -- well, maybe a few worries if you're AT&T and you're trying to push the 8800 out the door -- the WiFi-enabled 8820 looks pretty official now thanks to a cameo in RIM's latest BlackBerry OS offering. Other changes should be minimal from its predecessor; a camera still isn't in the cards, leaving shutterbugs who like their BlackBerry served QWERTY style up the same creek they are now. No word on a release, but rumblings have the device launching mid-year.
BlackBerry 8800 + WiFi = 8820?
Ahh, so that's what the WiFi indicator on the 8800's press shot was all about, eh? We've been hearing rumblings of a WiFi-enabled version of the BlackBerry 8800 for months before the darned thing's official release, and Pinstack's fanning the flames with a new comparison chart allegedly pitting the venerable 8700 against an "8820" that sports WiFi. Not much is known about the device at this point, but given the relatively modest bump in model number, we'd expect changes to be minor beyond the addition of the WAN radio. Pinstack's liking the chances of the 8820 launching by mid-year -- and given the 8800's lack of WCDMA, we think it couldn't possibly get out the door soon enough.