14 DAY TRIAL // Verizon Wireless together with the Canadians from Research In Motion just announced the future release of BlackBerry Curve 8330 for Verizon's subscribers. The new smartphone will hit the market in May 2008, with support for Verizon's high-speed EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) network.
Presented as the lightest and smallest full-QWERTY handset from RIM, BlackBerry Curve 8330 measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches (106.6 x 61 x 15.2 millimeters) and weighs 4 ounces (113 grams).
In terms of design, 8330 follows the line of the other Curve BlackBerries, 8300, 8310 and 8320, which, in fact, have the same measures and weights as the new one, hence the "lightest and smallest" presentation is a bit exaggerated. However, the Curve 8330 is nonetheless pretty good sized for a smartphone.
Among the new Verizonized BlackBerry's highlights we can mention the 320 x 240 pixels display which features light sensing technology, automatically changing its brightness for the best viewing experience (either indoor or outdoor), trackball navigation system, easy-to-use full QWERTY keyboard, GPS (to use with VZ Navigator), HTML web browser, a 2 Megapixel camera with enhanced flash and video recording, dedicated volume controls, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack and microSD card support for up to 8GB of expanded memory. Other cool features include noise cancellation technology, Voice Activated Dialing, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, USB, easy access to Facebook, media player, desktop media manager and so on. The smartphone comes with a battery that should provide up to 260 minutes of talk-time and about 11 days of stand-by time.
BlackBerry Curve 8330 will be available in all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores as well as on-line, on Verizon's website, for a price of $269.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate), with a 2-year contract agreement.