AT&T Now Offering the BlackBerry Curve 3G

AT&T has introduced the latest mid-range smartphone from RIM, the BlackBerry Curve 3G.

This device uses a familiar design from the company: a tablet shape with a 2.4-inch, 320 by 240 pixel (QVGA) display above a QWERTY keyboard.

This smartphone comes with an extensive collection of software, letting users update their Facebook and MySpace pages on the go, as well as play music and games, and use other mobile apps. 

RIM has committed to releasing a BlackBerry OS 6 upgrade to replace the version of OS 5 on this device. This will bring in a greatly improved web browser, better email apps, and other enhancements.

Naturally, AT&T's version of the Curve 3G supports this carrier's 3G (HSPA) service, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

It has a microSD/SDHC memory card slot, and a 2 GB card is included. The user can swap this out for higher-capacity cards, up to 32 GB.

This smartphone has a 2 megapixel camera and a 3.5 mm headset jack.

Overall, it is 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.55 inches and 3.7 oz.

Pricing and Availability
AT&T's price for the BlackBerry Curve 3G (9300) is $99.99 with a two-year contract, and no mail-in rebate is required.

This model can be purchased now from AT&T's website. It is already available from T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon.

Two New Options
This release comes just a few weeks after this carrier introduced the BlackBerry Pearl 3G (9100), a smaller but more expensive device.

Rather than a QWERTY keyboard, it has a 20-key SureType keyboard like RIM's earlier Pearl models, as well as a 2.25-inch, 360 x 400 pixel display.

The Pearl 3G sells for $150 with a two-year contract.