AT&T keeps telling me even my little town will have 3G by next summer, so to remain competitive one of the new 9000 series will have to be 3G...BUT...if the 3G model drains battery like my former Blackjack (even with the extended battery) there goes the svelte and light Curve. On my Blackjack, when in a solid 3G are like San Antonio or central Dallas/Houston, it cut battery life by a third or more. If the coverage is spotty, like many suburban areas, the hit is north of 50%. In fact, one of the first hacks for the Blackjack was switching off the 3G radio and throttling back to EDGE to save battery. Apple wasn't wrong in arguing 3G radios are not yet ready for prime time battery-wise. Yes, it flat SCREAMS (I like it way better than WiFi, and GREAT for tethering) but unless they solve the radio/battery problem, you're not going to want 3G on a Curve or Pearl, unless you carry an exceptionally long extension cord.