On Thursday I received a Blackberry 8520 to replace my faulty 8310. The 8520 is a darn lovely phone and an improvement over 8310.

There is no longer the trackball button which is replaced with a trackpad type style of control wish is more responsive and has built in 54g Wi-Fi which one can use to have a wireless broadband connection to your company’s Blackberry Enterprise Server if you use one.

Here is a link to the 8520 specs
http://uk.blackberry.com/devices/blackberrycurve8500/

Images of the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone have just been leaked for our viewing pleasure. The updated device boasts some interesting new features from its designers at Research in Motion, which come as an addition to that available on the high street at the moment.

Perhaps the most impressive change is the sudden loss of the trackball which is to be replaced with a touch sensitive ‘optical trackball.’

Upon a closer inspection at the pictures, a good portion of the design has also been changed. The LCD protector now extends downwards to incorporate the bar which contains the selection keys. This streamlining being well received by fans. Another new feature is represented by the gaps which separate the hang up and accept call buttons, now replaced with blue LED strips.

Other cosmetic changes include a rubberized perimeter and a ‘Curve’ logo on the back situated next to the camera lens. Just above, BlackBerry have placed dedicated media buttons along the top ridge of the device, which users seem to be excited about. The designers also have removed the flash for the camera.

There is not a great deal of news on the ‘under the hood’ modifications. Still no 3G support which is a real disappointment for BlackBerry users but there is retained support for the slightly quicker EDGE should your network provider support it. Wifi connectivity is also staying, along with the same layout on the Home Screen.

Overall the updated design features have been well received by BlackBerry fans and they seem excited about its release. You can check it out on ‘Crackberry or Engadget. Take a look at the fourth image down, am I the only one who thinks the reverse looks remarkably like an iPhone?

News source: Neowin.net, Crackberry.com

Research in Motion (RIMM) is facing a delay with the introduction of its new hotly anticipated 3G BlackBerry phone for AT&T (ATT).

The release of the phone, apparently named Meteor, has been pushed to as late as August, from the planned June launch, say people close to the companies. The reason for the delay isn’t clear, but people close to the companies say AT&T had concerns about call quality.

Some of these people speculate however that AT&T may be using a tech glitch as an excuse to avoid having two competing 3G smartphones launch at the same time. Apple’s (AAPL) new iPhone is expected to debut in June, and analysts have speculated that the release will likely coincide with the one-year anniversary of the original iPhone, which is June 27.

AT&T declined to comment. A RIM spokeswoman said in an e-mail that the company does not discuss unannounced products or comment on “rumors and speculation.”

The delay of the new BlackBerry comes at a particularly sensitive time for RIM. As product cycles and phone fashions go, the current crop of BlackBerries – the Curve, the Pearl, etc. – are due for a refresh as demand slows. Among the big things expected from RIM was the first 3G version of BlackBerry, being called Meteor or the 8900. It is a black phone with a silver metal edge, curved corners and a flatter Qwerty keyboard than the namesake bumpy berry-skin keypad.

A new product delay from June to August would mean fewer phone shipments and lower subscriber growth than some may be expecting in the company’s fiscal second quarter ending Aug. 30.

AT&T and Verizon (VZ) represent about 40% of RIM’s new subscriber growth, according to an estimate by TD Newcrest analyst Chris Umiastowski, who recently cut his fiscal first-quarter subscriber estimates for RIM based on expectations of slower sales. Umiastowski now expects full-year RIM subscriber gains of 10.4 million, down from a 11.5 million prior forecast.

Umiamstowski has not based his estimates on RIM’s 3G phone introductions.

RIM is also expected to introduce a touch-screen 3G BlackBerry 9000 later in the year that is aimed directly at the iPhone.

News source: Fortune at CNN Money.com

Let’s face it – the BlackBerry line isn’t as cool as the iPhone and other multimedia phones. So it’s good to know that Research in Motion (RIM) is working to improve the software in the competitive mobile phone market. PC Magazine has posted an article regarding the newest BlackBerry software update which wireless providers should be releasing shortly. The biggest new features are the ability to display HTML email, edit Microsoft Office documents and to stream media from places such as YouTube.

This version was originally known as 4.3.1 but will officially be called 4.5.

Here’s the scoop by model number:

Note that an H designates a feature available on the handheld, and and S for the server.

If you have a BlackBerry Pearl 8100 or BlackBerry 8800, you’ll get:

• Spell check (H)
• BlackBerry Maps with Points of Interest (H)
• Improved media player with playlist support and automatic playlist generation (H)
• Voice note recording (H)
• Streaming support for YouTube and Sling Player (H)
• Bluetooth stereo music (H)
• Microsoft Office document editing with DocumentsToGo (H)
• Native format attachment downloading (S)
• HTML e-mails (S)
• Over-the-air device upgrades (S)
• Free/busy calendar lookup (S)
• Searching the server for old e-mail messages (S)

Full story and other models to be updated here: http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/02/03/new-blackberry-update-details