RIM officially unveils Javelin

Research In Motion has officially announced its latest BlackBerry handset, the unveiling no doubt timed to stir up demand before the phone’s impending UK release. BlackBerry_Javelin_front RIM's BlackBerry 'Javelin' Curve 8900: up yours, Bold As previously reported, the Curve 8900 - codenamed 'Javelin' - looks very similar …

[breakfast]

Still got the keyboard!

Got to love that tiny Qwerty Keyboard. There is simply no point in having a Qwerty keyboard when it's too small to practically type on. As a touch-typist I find myself reduced to the slowest and most frustrated hunt and peck user. Why not use an A-Z order?

Still, it's good to know that people on the Blackberry mailing list will presumably start getting Javelin Spam about this one.

[Anonymous Coward]

If you receive a lot of junk email...

...does that make it a "spam javelin"?

[Matt Bryant]

No 3G?

Forget that, then! I rate 3G as a must have, much more than a built-in camera, so I'd much rather stick with the Bold, thanks. Especially as I spent so long taking the mick out of the fanbois for the early, non-3G iBone....

[Lee]

what is RIM up to?

A mix of 3G and not 3G, wi-fi and not wi-fi - I think I'll stick with my Curve.

Which is a shame - with the missing features and mixed reviews, I don't want to tie myself into two years of anguish just yet!!

[Simon Buttress]

Sheesh, what is it with the new BBs

Either 3G OR Wifi? FFS, my old crappy brick of a blackberry from 2 years ago had that, quad band n'all!

Fail.

[Craster]

Bold?

Precisely correct on the 3G comment above. This should in no way be rated as a Bold-league device. Have fun using Docs-to-go over EDGE. It's a nice-looking device though, a decent top-end consumer device. If we see a device in this form-factor towards the end of next year that has 3G, it'll be a real winner.

To disagree with the top comment, however, RIM devices have excellent keyboards. This one is the same size as the 83xx devices, which are very easy to use.

[breakfast]

@craster

Probably good for a habitual hunt-n-peck typist. If you touch type you don't *know* where the keys are, they are just there in your muscle memory. In that situation it's as hard to find letters when you are reduced to looking at the keyboard as it is for a total noob, which is quite frustrating.

[Mark Dowling]

At least with RIM, you have a choice.

They offer touchscreen, qwerty and flip - which is more than can be said for the Jesus Phone.

[mario]

Nokia will be laughing all the way to the bank

The e71 has both 3G and wifi as well as a decent 3.2 MP camera. Heads at RIM should roll for this.