Give it OS6, 3G, and a 5MP camera, and I would be ALL OVER it. I love the form factor and keyboard of my 8900.

Since my Bold 9000 I would never be able to goto an EDGE device... I would lose my mind and probably throw it against the wall- and then make sure I stomped on it- all before a file was sent via bbm... Haha

It looks nice, I will give it that, but anything else- waaaahhhh

WHY, Oh WHY, Oh WHY.....is RIM giving us another "refresh"?????

AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!

ENOUGH with the refreshes!! WE ....NEED......NEW.......DEVICES!!!

WHY ARE RIM SO THICK-HEADED???

i can see this appealing to those who love there 9700 but pine for there 8900 keyboard.

Keep this in China.

rim needs to focus on their newer products like the torch and stop bringing this crap it just doesn't make since they've got a good thing with their new os an QNXs new os witch I can't wait to see what they do with.

No -- there's no way this device should be considered a viable offering for Berry users, at least not here in the US. I have no idea what's available around the world, this may be a step up for some places, but definitely not here. It's more like the Stone Age, version 2.0.

Why are they releasing this without os 6 and no 3g.

It doesn't make sense, I think RIM's marketing team have lost the plot, its a pointless addition to an already overcrowed portfolio, if it had better features it would be a worthy replacement but as it is there is just no point.

8900 plus trackpad and wifi n, who cares. i dont see the difference between this and the 9300 (which was also a rehash of the 8500)

they need to stop wasting time and make less devices, and start to manufacture some 1.2ghz snapdragon phones with qnx os.

This is completely sad, enough with the flips, sliders, just make a touchscreen version of the 9000, or 9780 and you will have a killer device.

My guess is that by the time it ships it'll have BB6 on it. They're trying to hit a certain price point with this one. A scaled back 9780 that they can sell for $49 or less on contract, or something of that nature. How this fits with the Curve 3G...well, that's a mystery.
I don't have an issue with RIM sending out refreshed products, as long as they keep putting out genuinely new products. With Torch, Style (genuinely new) and the new Pearl out, I think they're doing that. Next year, the Playbook, and hopefully they'll be able to ship a new QNX-based BB7. On the hardware side, what we really need next year is a much higher-resolution screen on the Torch, higher speed processors, and OpenGL ES in hardware across the product line, and not CDMA-only.

If its cheap enough I could see this being a big corporate seller. With just the basic features it'll send and recive emails just fine, which is all a lot of corprate people want.

So that's one of the upgrades I'm sure its heavier as well.

I'm betting this will only be released in China. America and Europe all have 3G Blackberrys so releasing in these places would basically be a step back. If you recall China go the 8910 a while back so I think will just be an upgrade to that.

Is this a pathetic attempt at a joke? If this was a post in 2005, then yes, to answer your question. I would perhaps get it.

If this was a phone to be released only in China, well FORGET IT... my Chinese friends who live there are using IPhones and Sharp / HTC / NEC phones with 8 - 12 MP phones, 16million colored led phones, S-Amoled screens, 720 -1080p video recordings at 60FPS, 1ghz processors coupled with 1Seg TV tuners and are NFC ready. Know your audience please? You are targeting professionals and gen-x / y students and white-collar workers.... they are not going for some pathetic spec'd devices.

Is this a joke? Next up, the Moto Razr. How does a company like this stay in business?

One of the interesting things about BlackBerry is that the 8000 series cheap phones and most of their higher end 9000 phones (well, the Tour and the Bold, anyway) look virtually the same to the untrained eye. In some ways, I think it's cool that you can whip out a Curve and feel as "special" as the upper-end users.

But there is a problem with brand saturation, and while BB does a better job than Apple offering a variety of options for different price ranges and needs, it's also pretty confusing trying to shop for them.

You need to look it from the standpoint of the millions of people who still have "dumbphones" but with a QWERTY for SMS text alone. If this device were similarly priced to some of THOSE phones and it also gave me the option of decent browsing at WiFi hotspots, then yeah, I would definitely want something like this Curve.

Wow, it's almost like RIM is addressing the hundreds of millions of potential customers that exist for non-3G service. If you are going to take the time to wail about how RIM "doesn't get it", why not take the time to examine the world outside of unlimited data plans and 300 anytime minutes?

Wow just when i thought things could get better they get worst...lmao i guess RIM will refresh the Bold 9000 as well... please RIM=#FAIL

This is already in China it was passed through the FCC by RIM which is a branch of the U.S. Government so either a U.S. carrier has already picked this up or RIM is hoping one will. Keep in mind the lack of intelligence within the carriers...

RIM running out of ideas on mixing and matching parts from the parts bin. This doesn't appear to bring anything new to the table. Just another combination of already existing parts.......

Now if FCC would only out the Storm 3 or the new rendition of the Torch 2. Suprised that the FCC would be reviewing this phone if it was meant for China Mobile. I can't see them releasing this with the Curve 9300 basically the same but with 3G.

no 3g? rim wtf? how do they expect to sell an edge only smartphone in 2011. a bump up to a 5 mp cam would be nice too.

I would pass. With 4G gaining momentum and 3G so widespread, doesn't make sense. Overseas maybe?

edliviant is right. There already is 9780 why do we need 8980. Put a slightly bigger touched screen on the 9780 similar form factor to the Motorola DROID Pro and I will buy it in a heartbeat.

I live in Pennsylvania but work in New York state. Once I cross the state line, there's no 3G on ANY carrier until you get into the factory where I work because there is a set of Verizon repeaters. People that live in big cities tend to forget that there are a lot of places here that don't have 3G service making dishing out cash for a top of the line phone a pretty stupid idea. These areas that have been largely ignored by the carriers are typically less wealthy areas. This is a Win for Small Town, USA if a carrier actually picks it up...

I would pick this device up...hell I would pick up any device Rim made (with the exception of the storms) because it what I like. Plus I've always liked the Curve's keyboard.

I see it coming overseas. Not in North America as carriers are looking for devices that are at least 3g. I wouldn't get one, but it is what it is. They need to stop worrying about so many devices and start focusing more on improving the OS and implementing QNX. What I hope to see in the future once QNX shows up on devices, is for them to update the Bold 9000 like they did the 9700. But with QNX, updated processor, better wifi, camera, etc... not bringing out modified devices with outdated software.

ENOUGHHHHHHHHH! Just like every one else who owned the Curve 8900, I loved it! But come on RIM, enough is enough already with the refreshes. People are saying what would you like out of your blackberry, why fix what isnt broken, etc, etc!

What I would like is for them to put out a Modern 2010/ 2011 quality device with their know hows on board, like very good call quality, BBM, and an amazing email server.

No I dont want an HTC phone with Blackberry internals!

I want a phone thats almost as Big as the Bold 9000, just not as wide and thick, but as tall! With the Bold keyboard, a 5 mega pixel shooter, 720p video, a high resolution GLASS Touch screen, not this plastic crap that gets scratched, 6.0 software, and faster processor, maybe not a 1ghz, but around 800 like some of the newer Android devices have under their hood! Couple all that together with good build quality and all of RIMS quality features, and you will have a device that can go up against whats being delivered from Android, Apple, and Windows 7...

I do However love my Bold 9700 running a leaked 6.0! So I'm not a completly unhappy BB user, I just wish they would bring some new stuff to the table already!

Why cant they just remake a FRESH version of the bold 9000...i think it has been the best Blackberry phone out in a physical sense. Its big bright screen and spaced out keyboard is what i love about it the most.

Rim is getting me annoyed with the plastic-ish 8900 keyboard that makes so much noise. i would sell this phone to someone else if i even got it for free....just saying lol

I don't need 3G, I do just fine without it. But give me OS6 and at least a 4 MP camera so I have -some- upgrade to look forward to, and I'd be all over it like a fat man on a hot dog.

Wow the designers at RIM are working overtime. I have never seen anything like that.

Why make a cheap BB device when the top of the line BB devices are now bottom of the smartphone barrel.

NO ! i had a 8900 before my 9700 , the keyboard on the 8900 is alright but its not all that i like how the 9700 looks as is , everything about this " 8980 " is looking weak ! its like we upgrading and downgrading its a non stop roller-coaster , i just want something new something thats not out there yet ! something sexier no more refresh how bout a smaller phone size poketable playbook " phone " with a slide out keyboard on the side not the on the bottom like the 9800 ! :P now that would be something else ! ill be on that no matter what !

p.s no 3g weak were in 2010 going on 2011 ! faster = better

Another refresh? Are you serious?

this phone is a waste of hardware. i would MUCH rather the bold 9000 be 'refreshed' with a trackpad and os6 and a better camera of course.
that would be the most amazing blackberry

Don't they have nothing better to do than to send refreshes??? i'll just keep my 8900 and change to a much better and advanced device. The bold 9780 or the torch are looking like the way to go, Don't go backwards RIM!!!

Clone phones..I hope they stop this next year because this is getting old.

Good lord, can RIM do anything but rehash existing devices? This is another in a long line
of BlackBerry failures. These folk are trending a exactly as Palm did.

it does not look like 9700 head to toe, it looks like 8900, hence 8980! 9700 took after 8900 as well.

Looks like RIM is raising the white flag.

lol I can see it...tap out as well

:)

This is pitiful. RIM seriously needs to get with it if they hope to slow the market share they're losing to Apple and Google. My two cents:

1) Stop with the stupid incremental updates. I don't buy the argument that they're necessary to appeal to budget conscious buyers either. Less than a month after the Bold 9700 and Torch went on sale the price went down.

So for less than $100 (which is dirt cheap for cell phones), you could have snagged a high end Berry.

2) Curve or Bold, PICK ONE. Get rid of the clamshell form factor, and fire whoever thought of it. In a world of iPhones and Droids NOBODY is going to buy a clamshell.

This isn't 1995.

Dedicate your resources to 2 or 3 form factors (Bold, Storm....and Torch?). STICK WITH THAT.

3) Admit OS 6 was a mistake (essentially OS 5 with a paint job), and commit to Tablet OS, QNX....whatever you're calling it. Aggressively woo the developer community so that when the next round of 'Berries drop there's already a rich ecosystem in place.

4) Pray the loyal customers that defected forgive you and come back.

I even have problems with the torch being the flagship. Its very poorly made and the internals are dated and clunky.

Having upgraded to a 9700 from an 8120... I could NEVER go back to EDGE. Why do make it for North America? And I agree 100% with SeanNYC76. We need something new from RIM!!!!!!!!

This is just another bb for third world markets.... But I agree with many users here that RIM should start shelling out some fresh ideas for us loyalists

Ok, I have been with RIM for 3 years or so now, and realized a lot wrong with them and here it is:

1) KEEP A DAMN FLASH ON THE CAMERA!

2) Make every phone able to upgrade to the newest os... Well not every, just oh IDK a phone that came out a few months before the new OS? Like the 8530, newest BB before the update (as far as I know) And it got screwed out of the OS update. So what I did is go to bestbuy (I have their insurence) and say my phones broken, got a 9330 cause they had no 8530's and loaded the OS6 on it.

3) Keep the cameras the same, a nice even 4mpg would be nice for me.

4) Keep the memory the same on all phones that come out that year. I love a lot of space on it.

I am Loyal to RIM and BB but I am sick of the "Leaks" and this and that, push out some new stuff and make sure it works perfect before its pushed out. I have had problems with OS's in the past that were offical, and I downloaded the newest leak and guess what? It works a lot better then the offical reliese!

Look at droid, the oldest phone is getting the newest updates for OS's and their internets a shit load faster. I have 3G and my webs nowhere near as fast as droids. And they can get free apps, comon whats better then free tethering and a butt load of apps? Nothing!

If the biggest carrier in China does not have a 3G network that current hardware can actually be on, why build a device with 3G capability and sell it to a carrier that can't use it?

Nahh. I mean, the 9780 was just released, with better features.
I like the keyboard on this one, but didn't have a problem with the 9780's.

i doubt this will come out. they already have the 9300 which i thought was the predicator of the 8900. i own the 8900 and to come out with a new model of it, it just wont work.