Announced in July, the BlackBerry 8820 smartphone, the first cellular and Wireless (802.11 a/b/g) BlackBerry phone, is now available through AT&T.
The thin device sports a full and highly tactile QWERTY keyboard, large and bright display (320 x 240) and user-friendly trackball navigation system and voice and data functionality.
It is also available in AZERTY and QWERTZ keyboard configurations to support different language groups.
Built-in GPS (Global Positioning System), RIM’s latest media player improvements, a microSD / microSDHC (microSD High Capacity) expandable memory slot that can support current and future generations of microSD memory cards up to 32GB are also the additional features of the BlackBerry 8820.
You will also get AT&T Mobile Music and the Wi-Fi capabilities, which are “data only†compatible. Whereas RIM said that voice-over-Wi-Fi calls will be offered at the discretion of the carrier.
“The new BlackBerry 8820 builds on AT&T’s leading domestic and international coverage footprint by giving customers the ability to link with their company’s wireless campus network or access e-mail and browse the Web at Wi-Fi hot spots even in the few countries in which we do not have data roaming agreements,†shared Jeff Bradley, senior vice president- Marketing and Operations for AT&T’s wireless unit. “That makes the BlackBerry 8820 from AT&T an exceptional world phone for global use by business customers and individuals alike.â€
The BlackBerry 8820 smartphone is compatible with up to ten e-mail accounts, such as POP3, IMAP, and Web-based e-mail. It also incorporates e-mail access that is available through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO at RIM said, “The BlackBerry 8820 builds upon the sleek and performance-driven BlackBerry 8800 that has been embraced by business professionals around the world.†Adding, “This powerful new model has been eagerly anticipated by the market, and we are very pleased to be working with AT&T to launch the first cellular and Wi-Fi BlackBerry handset for customers in the U.S.â€
The very first BlackBerry device that carries Wi-Fi support also comes combined with EDGE/GPRS/GSM cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity for data access and voice support via UMA (unlicensed mobile access) for fixed mobile convergence (FMC).
The BlackBerry 8820 costs $299 (approx. Rs. 12,000), after rebate and includes a two-year contract from AT&T.
