New Blackberries get Wi-fi

IN A BID to compete with the mad skills of the Apple Iphone, RIM's new line of Blackberry handheld phone/email hybrids are going to add Wi-fi capability, just like their touchscreen rival.

Slides showing the new 8310, 8820 and Pearl 2 devices were posted up here, and show that the phone will automagically switch between EDGE and Wi-fi networks for data. However, it doesn't seem that the phone will switch to Wi-fi for VoIP calling, rather than running over the network. That would be cool, but unlikely in the current US telecoms environment.

The 8320, aka Curve, is basically exactly the same as the previous gen., but with GPS built in as well as Wi-fi. The 8820 is the same as the 8810, but with Wi-fi and better battery life. The Pearl 2 adds Wi-fi, but no GPS, unless you get the god-awful CDMA version, in which case you get GPS but no Wi-fi.

Will it be enough to win back the hearts of those seduced by the coolest new smartphone on the market? For business users, the Iphone holiday is already well and truly over. For consumers, the Pearl is going to have a tough time winning over Iphone lovers. But its price tag is likely to be a third of the price of the Iphone, which'll help. µ