Verizon to Start Selling Niagara in May

Research In Motion's BlackBerry Niagara has made the headlines a few times recently, as some more leaked photos of the device, as well as a video and a series of hands-on impressions surfaced to the Web. Among the rumors that surrounded the device there were some that suggested the handset might be added to Verizon’s offering starting with May this year.

According to the latest news on the Internet, we might be able to see the mobile phone carrier launch the Niagara in May after all. The device comes as a slimmer version of the popular BlackBerry Curve, while also including something from the looks of RIM's Bold and Storm handsets.

The new device is expected to come to the market as a 3G world phone, which means that, if added to Verizon's lineup, it should offer support both for the carrier's U.S. EVDO network, as well as for the European GSM frequencies.

Assuming that RIM will not delay the BlackBerry Niagara at the last minute, the device should be on track for a May launch, say analysts that are close to the company's plans. At the same time, the handset would arrive on the market at a time when everyone would have their eyes pointed at Palm's Pre, which should land in the second quarter of the year, while also expecting the new iPhone OS 3.0 to become available.

Verizon has started to see the sales of the BlackBerry Storm go down lately, and the addition of Niagara should help the carrier boost them up a little, especially since it is a world phone. The company could bring it to Vodafone's lineup, the second largest carrier in the world. Thus, Niagara would add to RIM's international lineup of mobile phones, which also includes the Bold, the Javelin and the Storm.