BlackBerry 8800 uncovered
updated 05:50 pm EDT, Sat September 23, 2006
BlackBerry 8800 Uncovered
Research In Motion has been seeing a resurgence of attention courtesy of the BlackBerry Pearl after years of relative anonymity. Today, photos have surfaced proving that RIM intends to make the Pearl's distinctive trackball and more elaborate design a staple of more business-oriented phones. The smartphone maker will soon introduce the BlackBerry 8800, a replacement for the current 8700. Its features will draw heavily from the Pearl, including the exchange of the jog dial for the multi-directional trackball. The key differences are a full QWERTY keyboard in place of the smaller SureType model and the removal of the Pearl's camera, which could be considered a security risk for the organizations that use the handheld. No exact launch timeframe was mentioned in the report; however, the phone should ship to North American carriers before the end of the year given its largely complete state. Click through for photos of the front and rear of the 8800 courtesy of Engadget Mobile.
