T-Mobile and RIM intros BlackBerry Curve 8320 with Wi-Fi Calling Feature

By in Mobile Phones

BlackBerry Curve 8320 T-Mobile and Research In Motion (RIM) has announced the availability of the first BlackBerry handset with Wi-Fi in the US market. Called the BlackBerry Curve 8320, the handset supports T-Mobile HotSpot @HomeSM for unlimited nationwide calling over a Wi-Fi connection and in-home mobile coverage.

With the RIM’s smallest and lightest full-QWERTY handset design, the mobile phone features large, ultra-bright 320×240 color display, a two-megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom, a music and video player, a 3.5mm stereo headset jack and a microSD card slot for expandable memory storage.

A built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full-screen viewfinderhelps are also available on the handset. Along with Bluetooth support, it is also compatible with MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA audio and MPEG4, H.263 and WMV video formats.

Furthermore, the 8320 also provides Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) connectivity, T-Mobile’s robust nationwide EDGE network, access to personal and corporate e-mail accounts (in all 10 e-mail account), BlackBerry platform that enables the user to enjoy web browsing in a fast and easy way.

“Consumers have adopted the HotSpot @Home service because it provides great in-home coverage and unsurpassed value. The BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile further extends the appeal for HotSpot @Home by adding a compelling all-in-on device to our lineup with Wi-Fi and unlimited calling capabilities. The BlackBerry Curve 8320 is an ideal companion for staying connected to friends, family and life while at home, at work or on the go,” said Leslie Grandy, vice president of Product Development at T-Mobile USA.

According to Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO at Research In Motion, “The evolution of the BlackBerry platform is at a particularly exciting stage where we are able to synthesize an amazing array of technologies and features to enhance the user experience. Together with T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi and cellular services, the new BlackBerry Curve 8320 provides customers with an extremely powerful communications and multimedia solution in a mobile handset that remains sleek and easy to use.”

Below are the other key features of the T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8320:

  • Roxio Media Manager for BlackBerry (included with BlackBerry Desktop Manager software), which allows you to easily search for media files on their computer, view and organize them, create MP3 music files from CDs, add audio tags, create playlists and automatically copy or convert pictures, music and videos for optimal playback
  • Incredibly intuitive user interface with an easy-to-use trackball, dedicated ‘menu’ and ‘escape’ keys, and context-sensitive menus that make navigation feel instinctive and fast
  • Light-sensing technology that automatically optimizes the screen, trackball and keyboard lighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments
  • E-mail and memo spell-checking available in various languages including English, French, Italian, German and Spanish
  • Premium phone features with Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), dedicated ‘send’, ‘end’ and ‘mute’ keys, noise-cancellation technology to offset background noise, a low-distortion speakerphone for hands-free conversations, and Bluetooth support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits and Bluetooth peripherals
  • Call management features such as smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing and call forwarding
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi network support for international roaming
  • BlackBerry Maps, a mapping application that provides customers with driving directions
  • Built-in Handango InHand catalog of additional software applications available for download

    • In addition, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server support tightly integrated with IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange, and Novell GroupWise, and featuring IT policy controls for IT departments to manage usage and deployments.

    The latest BlackBerry Curve 8320 which comes in titanium and pale gold color, is currently available at T-Mobile retail stores and website, select authorized dealers, or by calling 1-800-T-MOBILE, in. You can buy the phone for $249.99 (approx. Rs. 10,000) with a two-year contract.