BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion has now acknowledged the release of the BlackBerry 8700c.
Happened today, just as I predicted.
I will have analysis in a bit, but first here is what Cingular and BlackBerry are saying:
It will be available in the U.S. exclusively from Cingular Wireless beginning November 21.
The BlackBerry 8700c is said by RIM and Cingular "to offer noticeably faster Web browsing, application performance and attachment viewing; the ability to store and run more powerful enterprise, and personal productivity applications; as well as comprehensive, smoothly integrated phone features in a light and compact design."
The new EDGE-enabled BlackBerry 8700c will be available only through Cingular beginning November 21 in retail stores, via www.cingular.com, and through Cingular's B2B sales organization and authorized Cingular dealers. The BlackBerry 8700c will be sold for as low as $299.99 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate. BlackBerry monthly data plans - with a qualified voice plan - are $34.99 for 4 MB of data, $44.99 for unlimited domestic data service and $64.99 for unlimited domestic and international data usage.
The BlackBerry 8700c operates on Cingular's EDGE network --with availability in 13,000 U.S. cities cities and towns and along nearly 40,000 miles of major highways. Customers can use the quad-band BlackBerry 8700c with Cingular service in more than 170 countries for voice and over 90 countries for data. With the BlackBerry 8700c from Cingular, customers will have the choice of using two browsers: the BlackBerry Browser for HTML Internet browsing and a browser optimized for Cingular's MEdia Net wireless Internet access service.
The device will have 64MB flash memory and 16MB of SRAM.
Read on for more info about the BlckBerry 8700c's LCD, light sensing technology, and processing capability.
The BlackBerry 8700c features a landscape QVGA (320x240) LCD with support for over 65,000 colors. It utilizes active matrix transmissive technology to deliver vivid graphics.
As I reported yesterday, the display also incorporates intelligent light sensing technology that automatically adjusts both the LCD and keyboard lighting. The result, RIM says, provides an "optimized view in outdoor, indoor and dark environments."
The BlackBerry 8700c uses IntelXScale architecture and the Intel PXA901 cellular processor. This processing capability is touted as enabling a "richer user experience."
