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BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a go for US, says FCC

Whether or not it's coming to T-Mobile (spoiler: all signs point to yes), BlackBerry's Curve 8520 has now been ordained with FCC approval, clearing the hurdle for its sale stateside. Optical trackpad and EDGE connection your cup of tea? You know where to look, and for everyone else, there's always the Tour.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold


While some interesting things may or may not be happening under the hood, the freshly announced BlackBerry Tour for Verizon and Sprint (pictured in Verizon garb on the left) is hardly a departure on the surface. It mostly appears to be a minor modification to the Curve (right), though it does seem inexplicably thicker. The Bold seems positively overwrought in comparison. We didn't get much time to play with the OS, but the screen and the keyboard are pure new-generation BlackBerry charm.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 with T-Mobile branding walks in front of a camera

A BlackBerry 8520 bound for T-Mobile? Really, we're not surprised, having heard whispers not too long ago, and while not yet official, some gung ho Crackberry forum members have posted some shots of the branded phone in the wild, with just a dash of Mr. Blurrycam stylings for good effect. No indication of a release date here, but if you're really jonesing for a new 2.5G BlackBerry, last we heard it was coming fourth quarter of this year.

Update: That white trackpad isn't quite what it seems. According to the original poster, it's just a plastic covering. We hate to disappoint anyone who actually dug the new shade.

NEC CRV43: 43-inches of curve on sale July

See that? All 43-inches of this curved NEC monitor with 2880x900 pixel resolution can be yours in July. Ok, it'll cost you $7,999 but it's, well, it's curved! The CRV43, first spotted at CES in January 2008 and again on video in 2009 (where it was expected to cost $6,499), measures in with a 200 nits brightness rating, 10,000:1 contrast, 0.02ms "Rapid Response," covers 99.3% of the Adobe RGB color gamut, and packs at least one USB2.0 jack and DVI-D and HDMI 1.3 connectors. Unfortunately, gaming is not listed amongst its targeted uses so you'll be on your own to find a release supporting the CRV43's 32:10 aspect ratio. Unfortunately, there's some junk in that trunk so deftly hidden by the glamor shot above. See what we mean after the break.

BlackBerry Curve 8900 comes to AT&T this Friday for $199


AT&T has just announced that the Curve 8900 -- which it had quoted for an "early summer" release -- will be made available both online and in stores starting this Friday. Interested parties who are adding a line or are eligible for a fully discounted upgrade should come equipped with a money clip bearing approximately $200 worth of dead presidents (not including tax) or a credit card with enough cap space to get the job done -- just don't expect any 3G out of the deal. Bold or Curve -- tough choice, isn't it?

BlackBerry Curve 8520 gets pre-reviewed


We've been dying to know more about that crazy BlackBerry Curve 8520 with the optical trackball in place of the usual spinner, and the crew over at CrackBerry's finally posted their pre-release review. Overall, it seems like a nice enough phone, and the optical trackball apparently works well, which is a nice surprise given our experience with them. On the downside, it's not nearly as nice as the Curve 8900, and while the overall design has been updated, components like the screen, battery, and camera are carryovers from the Curve 8300 -- a particular shame considering the raves RIM's been getting for its amazing screens lately. Of course, we can't complain too much considering this thing is EDGE-only and potentially destined to be a pay-as-you-go phone, but it sure does look nice, and we're interested in seeing how this design philosophy translates into higher-end sets... like, say, the Storm 2. Check the full review at the read link.

BlackBerry Curve 83XX overtakes iPhone 3G in US smartphone rankings


The handset might've been surpassed in functionality and looks by its Curve 8900 successor, but nothing's got an edge on the BlackBerry Curve 83XX series in smartphone sales. According to NPD, the handset overtook the erstwhile champ iPhone 3G in the category for the first quarter of 2009, while BlackBerry's own Storm and Pearl handsets took the third and fourth slots, with the T-Mobile G1 rounding out the ranks in fifth place. Overall the smartphone market has grown from 17 percent of handset sales in Q1 2008 to 23 percent in Q1 2009. Compared to the previous quarter, RIM's gained a whopping 15 percent share of the US market -- owning nearly half of the entire scene -- while Apple and Palm both dropped 10 percent as they prep for their heroic mid-year launches.

RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 officially hitting AT&T in "early summer"


Ah, ha! So the rumors were true. Just a day after we heard that RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 would be making its way from T-Mobile over to AT&T comes this -- official confirmation from the carrier itself. Loaded with WiFi, GPS and a 480 x 360 resolution display, this 'Berry includes free AT&T WiFi at over 20,000 hotspots (with an unlimited data plan, ironically enough) and a 3.2 megapixel camera. There's also a microSD / SDHC slot that supports cards up to 16GB in size, and while AT&T's not being very forthcoming with pricing (as in, there's no word given at all), loyal customers can expect it to land sometime in "early summer." In other words, all this release has done is extinguish the rumor fires -- 'preciate it, Ma Bell.

RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 hitting AT&T next month?


We're beginning to wonder if we'll ever see RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 hit the AT&T airwaves, but considering just how long it takes for a phone to navigate through the carrier's absurdly long certification process, we'll chalk this one up to technical delays. After spotting the so-called Javelin in AT&T attire way back in November of last year, Boy Genius Report now has it on authority that the handset will finally debut next month. Unfortunately for those hoping for a little bonus in exchange for their patience, it's said to be "a mirror" of the T-Mobile version outside of the bundled Bold themes. Pricing details are still under wraps, but if you've waited this long, do the dollars really matter?

BlackBerry Curve 8520 "Gemini" image surfaces

Well, what do we have here? The folks at Crackberry seem to have gotten their hands on a pic of the BlackBerry Curve 8520, a.k.a. "Gemini." From what we can see and from what they tell us, there's an optical trackball, dedicated media player buttons, and a "rubberized" body. Lack of 3G is a big bummer, and we're sure the non-classic trackball is gonna ruffle some feathers, but the hardware's enticing enough for us to give it a look over. Intrigued?

Mobile Visor, for BlackBerry Curves on the pro tour

Golf claps, please.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

BlackBerry Curve 8900 coming to AT&T this month, Pearl Flip in March?

We've had sightings of BlackBerry's Curve 8900 running on AT&T before, and now comes word from a Boy Genius Report tipster that the pairing will be made official this month and the handset's SKU is already popping up in the carrier's systems. Additionally, the Pearl Flip 8210 is rumored to be making its debut on the network sometime in March. BGR expects the prices to be somewhere around $200 and $100, respectively. We can't say we'll be surprised if the Curve finds its way to AT&T, but we're excited at the thought of finally having a carrier-independent matchup between it and the Bold.

BlackBerry Curve 8900 finally available to one and all on T-Mobile


Alright, business customers, just wipe that smug grin off your faces, won't you? The unwashed masses (read: us) have finally been given the green light to rush into T-Mobile stores (and online) to pick up the BlackBerry Curve 8900 for $199.99 on a two-year contract after rebates -- not exactly the $149.99 we were hoping for, but we can always hope for Best Buy to get this sucker out the door for a few bucks less than T-Mobile proper.

[Via BlackBerryNews]

T-Mobile's BlackBerry Curve 8900 looking good for $149.99


Are your friends Franklin and Grant burning a Curve-sized hole in your pocket? Here's an idea: take 'em on down to your local T-Mobile shop and exchange them for an actual 8900 and the next two years of your life. Deal? Looks like the unwashed masses (read: non-business customers) will be able to pick up the latest and greatest non-3G BlackBerry for a penny shy of $150 on contract, or -- if you can stomach it -- a whopping $649.99 contract-free. Choose wisely.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Update
: It should be noted that this is out of Best Buy's inventory system, which -- as we've seen in the past -- has a tendency to totally bone the contract-free pricing. Have faith that it'll actually be a bit less.

BlackBerry Blowout: Storm vs. Bold vs. Curve 8900


We decided to take the most recent 'Berrys -- the Curve 8900, Bold, and Storm -- and toss them into a big pile. What would happen? Do they get along? What kind of bruised egos would we see? Read on for our innermost thoughts.
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