First 3G GSM BlackBerry Pushed Back

According to an unconfirmed report, the iPhone 3G may be the reason a BlackBerry smartphone with 3G wireless networking is going to miss its scheduled release date by several months.

The BlackBerry 8900 is supposedly headed to AT&T, and was originally slated for release in June. Now however, Fortune is reporting that it won't hit the market until August.

The delay may be a result of technical problems, but there has been some speculation that the real reason lies elsewhere. If both RIM's first 3G smartphone and the iPhone 3G were on the docket for late June, AT&T may have decided to not release two high-profile devices at almost the same time.

More about the BlackBerry 8900

The BlackBerry 8900 isn't expected to be a radical departure from RIM's current lineup. It will supposedly have a tablet shape with a QWERTY keyboard.

Leaked images of it, though, show it will have a curvier shape, with corners that are significantly rounder than any previous BlackBerry.

This device should not be confused with the BlackBerry 9000, a different model that RIM is also supposedly putting together. It is expected to have 3G too, but it will also include a touchscreen.

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