BlackBerry Curve 8900 now in Canada

[hugh]

Rogers Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) this week announced the launch of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone. The new BlackBerry Curve 8900 delivers a sleek, new twist on a classic style, and it is the thinnest full-QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone to date. It combines quad-band EDGE support with built-in Wi-Fi(R) and GPS, a 512 MHz next-generation processor and a dazzling 480 x 360, high-resolution display.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone is available for $499. ($179.99 on a 3 year voice and data plan with minimum monthly service fee of $52.70 per month)

[hugh]

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone features (from press release):

• A refined, streamlined design - the handset weighs just 110 grams and measures only 109mm x 60mm x 13.5mm
• A brilliant 2.4 inch HVGA+ light-sensing display that makes pictures and videos come to life
• A 3.2 MP digital camera including auto focus, digital zoom, flash, image stabilization and video recording
• Built-in GPS supporting TeleNav GPS Navigator and BlackBerry
• Maps - providing maps, step-by-step directions, and local searches - as well as support for geotagging pictures
• Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) with support for Rogers TalkSpot service
• The Rogers Do More portal enabling access to a variety of mobile applications for business and personal use
• Instant messaging with BlackBerry Messenger, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger
• Support for the Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones application, which enables fast, streamlined and optimized mobile access to the popular Facebook social utility
• An advanced media player for music, video and pictures, including support for streaming audio and video
• An enhanced web browser that displays full web pages quickly, for a desktop-style browsing experience wherever you are
• MicroSD/SDHC memory card slot supporting cards up to 16 GB, ideal for storing songs, pictures, videos and documents
• Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.5 hours of talk time and 15 days of standby time
• DataViz Documents To Go preinstalled, enabling customers to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on the smartphone
• Support for BlackBerry Media Sync, giving users a simple way to sync iTunes digital music collections with the smartphone*
• Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, enhanced background noise cancellation, a low-distortion speakerphone, and Bluetooth (2.0) support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
• BlackBerry Internet Service support that allows access to up to 10 supported personal and corporate email accounts, including most popular ISP email accounts
• BlackBerry Enterprise Server support for enterprise deployments with advanced security and IT controls