T-Mobile has announced plans to sell the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 smartphone starting on Sept. 8 for $79.99 with a two-year contract. The new Curve is the first phone to support 3G on a GSM-based network.
The carrier dropped the news to its Facebook followers on Aug. 30.
The Curve 3G, announced by Research In Motion on Aug. 9, will be compatible with the BlackBerry 6 OS, which is slated to debut in the third quarter. Users will start out with the current BlackBerry 5 OS, then upgrade to the new OS with an overhauled interface, including easy access to Facebook and Twitter notifications on the home screen.
In addition to its touch-sensitive optical trackpad and QWERTY keyboard, the Curve 3G offers a full slate of wireless connectivity, including WiFi, GPS with TeleNav location services and Bluetooth 2.1.
Other specs include a 624MHz processor, 256MB of memory and a hot-swappable microSD/SDHC card slot with support for up to 32GB of storage. The unit also features a 2.4-inch display and a 2-megapixel camera.
According to RIM, the new Curve’s support of 3G will facilitate faster, smoother music playing and allow users to simultaneously talk and browse the Web.
On Aug. 25, RIM purchased Cellmania, an applications and content provider, of which T-Mobile is a customer. In addition, the BlackBerry maker unveiled its revamped online apps store, BlackBerry App World 2.0, on Aug. 20. Version 2.0 allows developers to sell applications for 99 cents and $1.99.
On Aug. 18, T-Mobile announced another September launch, for the HSPA+ G2 Android phone, which will allow 4G speeds at downloads up to three times faster than 3G.