February 9 - 7:35am EST   RIM's 3G adaptation of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 will represent more than a minor change if a leak through BGR is authentic. Nicknamed Gemini, the Curve 9300 would reportedly be stylistically similar to the 8900 but come with a larger screen with a higher resolution than the 480x360 used today. It would also have a faster processor and is likely to keep both the GPS and Wi-Fi in addition to tri-band 3G for access on AT&T, Rogers and many world carriers. [full story]

January 28 - 10:00am EST   T-Mobile on Wednesday said it has begun shipping the 2009 edition Shadow smartphone as well as the Nokia 7510 Supernova. The former is T-Mobile's new flagship Windows Mobile device and should now cost $200 with a two-year contract for its 2-megapixel camera, microSDHC storage, and Wi-Fi with support for HotSpot Calling over VoIP. It comes in two different color options can be had contract-free for $350. [full story]

January 7 - 11:20am EST   T-Mobile today became the first American carrier to pick up the BlackBerry Curve 8900. The full-QWERTY smartphone is the same as the stock version already reviewed here but switches to supporting T-Mobile's HotSpot Calling service for its UMA feature, which lets it make calls on its built-in Wi-Fi and bridge these seamlessly to the GSM phone network and back. It also adds hooks for the company's myFaves calling service and comes bundled with a 256MB microSD card. [full story]

December 20 - 6:45pm EST   Of all the phones in the BlackBerry lineup, the Curve is the one that makes or breaks RIM's performance as it's the most universally appealing: it has to suit not only the corporate rank and file but also those texting their friends or posting to Facebook. As such, more is riding on the success of the Curve 8900 than on even the media darling phones like the Bold or Storm. The new smartphone is technically superior to older Curves in nearly every way; our goal in our full review is to see whether that's enough to dislodge competition from Apple, Nokia, and a host of others. [full story]

December 16 - 2:15pm EST   AT&T this afternoon made a late addition to its phone roster and launched its version of the BlackBerry Curve 8320. The handset replaces the GPS of the 8310 with Wi-Fi to provide faster Internet access than the phone's EDGE cellular link can offer. The American provider's version doesn't provide support for Wi-Fi calls as with Rogers or T-Mobile but is instead pushed as a way of getting free Internet access at AT&T's local and international hotspots. [full story]

December 8 - 9:35am EST   After a low-key launch over a week ago, Rogers today officially posted the BlackBerry Curve 8900 online. The third-generation Curve is designed to more closely resemble the BlackBerry Bold and gets the higher-end model's very high-resolution 480x360 display, GPS and Wi-Fi while dropping 3G and adding a sharper 3.2-megapixel camera. In Rogers trim, it supports the carrier's Talkspot service for Wi-Fi calling and comes preloaded with a portal to download certain third-party apps. [full story]

November 28 - 11:40am EST   Rogers today has quietly launched its version of the BlackBerry Curve 8900. Appearing ahead of schedule, the QWERTY smartphone is known to be arriving in stores and in its Canadian guise should support Rogers' Talkspot service, which lets the phone use its Wi-Fi for UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) calling that automatically transitions to and from VoIP and the cellular network. The phone is considered a smaller, budget alternative to the Bold with EDGE-only cell data but the same 480x320 screen, GPS and software features as its 3G counterpart. [full story]

November 26 - 9:15am EST   Rogers' plans for its BlackBerry lineup will include both an aggressive launch of the Curve 8900 and an expansion of the smartphones to its budget brand Fido, tips from BGR suggest. The Canadian provider should get the 2G-only but GPS and Wi-Fi equipped device in January and will reportedly price it substantially under the Bold, offering it at $150 on a three-year plan with both voice and data. [full story]

November 19 - 12:10pm EST   The BlackBerry Curve 8900 was given its second major launch today with news that UK retailer Carphone Warehouse will be the next to pick up the RIM smartphone on December 20th. The choice of carrier and pricing haven't been named but will see Carphone as the exclusive third-party to carry the device, which resembles a smaller, 2G-only version of the BlackBerry Bold. The 480x320 display, GPS and Wi-Fi of the more expensive phone carry over with EDGE handling cellular Internet access. [full story]

November 19 - 11:30am EST   Apple's second-wave push for the iPhone has already made it the most popular phone on the web, a study of October data from AdMob indicates. The mobile ad provider notes that total worldwide iPhone share for ad requests nearly doubled from 2.1 percent in September to 4.1 percent the following month, bringing it from fourth place to first. The previous leader, Motorola's RAZR V3, has held on to its second place spot but dropped substantially from 4.1 percent to 3.4 percent of all requests to AdMob. [full story]

November 12 - 8:00am EST   Nokia today quickly chased its early press info with the formal launch of the E63 (link active soon). A budget alternative to the E71, the full QWERTY smartphone is geared towards the same audience as the BlackBerry Curve but also the growing audience of those who want a smartphone without the usual cost. It's for users who may be updating their social networks in addition to (or in place of) checking Exchange e-mail from work, the company argues. [full story]

November 12 - 7:20am EST   RIM today chose to introduce the BlackBerry Curve 8900 through T-Mobile Germany, marking a rare non-North American debut for one of its phones. The device is closely related to the Bold and carries the same extremely sharp 2.4-inch 480x360 display, GPS mapping and Wi-Fi as its high-end cousin but drops 3G support in favor of slower EDGE. In exchange, the device is both smaller and carries a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocusing and flash. [full story]

October 31 - 2:45pm EDT   A hands-on from Gizmodo on Friday has revealed that the BlackBerry Curve 8900 will be available from AT&T in the near future. Showing the same default home screen as for the Bold, the device should now be a lower-cost alternative to the $300 flagship with 3G access dropped in favor of both a lower price and a smaller shape while the 480x320 screen, GPS and Wi-Fi still carry over. [full story]

October 21 - 11:55am EDT   Research in Motion today confirmed the existence of its rumored BlackBerry Application Center, the company's attempt to parallel the iPhone's App Store. The portal will serve as a central hub for BlackBerry owners looking to download and manage apps instead of the web downloads and separate stores used before. Like Apple's offering, customers can buy directly from the software and apply upgrades; a new twist adds the ability to delete software without finding it in the regular BlackBerry OS layer. [full story]

October 20 - 11:35am EDT   RIM has already outlined most if not all of its phone release plans for next year, a leak of a Rogers Wireless roadmap to BGR says. In addition to getting the Curve 8900 (Javelin) in the first quarter of the year, the Canadian provider will also allegedly receive two devices briefly mentioned in the past. Codenamed the Magnum, the BlackBerry 9220 should appear in the summer and add HSPA-based 3G to the Curve 8900 to bring it up to par with the Bold. RIM's rumored hybrid touch/keyboard device is also slated as the BlackBerry 9900, or Pluto, and would ship next fall. [full story]