ok I called 5 cing?att stores and asked about the curve...they know nothing about it (yes i know most reps are idiots) but i had them ask their managers. called tmo stores and reps and managers know all about it . but latest info states its going to att/cing first. so strange!

Not really. People in the stores find out when the devices arrive. AT&T is getting it first.. Lots of people at WES carrying them.

just seems like they would get some sort of training. i guess they just read the manual when it arrives......scary

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Are there really that many people at WES carrying them?

Many more than I expected. I wouldn't say it is in the hundreds, but more that a few. Not as hush hush as I had thought.

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I expected to hear that a few people had the device. But I didn't expect it to be that public.

It isn't much of a secret. One story here was that RIM rushed out the announcement a bit early because too many people had it in their hands already. It is VERY nice...

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What does the holster look like? I hope it isn't like the 8800 with the pouch.

As in the past they DO get training and they will be trained but only a day or so before they get the phone to sell. The sales people could care less about a new Blackberry. All they want is to open new accounts, that is where they make their money. They all will get a 20 minute orientation on the 8300 the day, or so, before it releases.

This is as it has always been. Reps are not really into the new phone crap, they just want to make a living!

Strange IS that the T-Mo reps knew anything about the 8300! I had a friend who had to take their Pearl back because the rep broke the battery cover on the Pearl trying to remove it.

I'm a rep and I'm not an idiot. Just because most reps have better things to do with their time than hit the refresh button on Boy Genius or Engadget Mobile sites gives you a right to call someone an idiot? Reps find out about phones usually after you and the general public have read about it on the internet. I personally carry a Blackberry, so I can care less about some new Nokia camera phone that's going to be released and many other reps are the same way. Other reps can probably care less about a new Blackberry release when there are already a few others currently on the market. It's nearly impossible to memorize all the specs, release dates, etc. of different phones that are being released every couple of months.
Also, most reps know more about new phones than managers do anyway, at least where I work they do. There have been numerous occasions where I provided information to Regional account execs about new Cingular phones that even they weren't aware of and they wanted to know how I knew so much.

Does it come with a holster? That is the question and not the crappy plastic clip thing. The 8800 came with the first leather holster I have seen RIM include with a new device. Do not know if this was a one time deal or a trend!

9thfloor, sorry man no offense...just seems when you ask them about certain phones and such that they are selling, they should know about it. and im not talking about prerelease. and if all they get is a 20 min orientation well than its not their fault its the carrier. no offense, im sure there are knowledgable salespeople out there but just not in the dc/baltimore area...lol

Is there any talk from RIM or anyone else for that matter at the WES about a date of the release for the 8300 and I still thought that it will be released to AT&T and Tmo at the same time, is that still true or is it still all rumors????

From looking at the O2 website, this is what comes in their box:

The slimline pouch is nice, but I'm a holster man and I guess I'll have to use the OEM 8800 holster if it fits. Other carriers may be different, but O2 is the only one I've found that even has this info available.

I am not a pouch kinda guy either.

I am with you and will use one of my leather swivel clip holsters from my 8800 or 8700 series until I can get one from RIM. Maybe the USA model will have a holster. Maybe the O2 users are into the pouches! <vbg>

Well said man.

I was in the mall last night and stopped into a cingular (At&t) company owned store, and I asked one of the reps if a new Blackberry called the curve (8300) is going to be released this month. He had no idea what I was talking about. He didn't even know it existed! He thought that the next Blackberry to be released through them was going to be the 8830 (A La Verizon & Sprint). So at this point who knows! Maybe we'll get lucky and see that May 25th really turns out to be cingular's realese date! I hope so

most of the time when I do call cingular... they have no idea what I'm talking about; much less, any of their phones or plans. I'm usually the one telling the rep about the phones.

FWIW, it's nice to see one that isn't. Doesn't mean you're not in the minority, though.

Regardless of interest level, it's dramatic the lack of knowledge of their own products that many CSRs have.

Kudos for not being one of those.

Guess you're not an at&t customer or you'd know better. ;)

Sorry, I just spent at least 30 minutes on the phone with 3 different reps even after I told them that the issue was clearly provisioning since a SIM swap resolved the data issues I was having. It's pretty typical that they're clueless. I'm not saying that they all are but more often than not it has been the case. In my experience and they're not as consistent or competent as their TMO counterparts. Of course, YMMV.

How much do you know about what is going on where you work. I guess most workers like you are idiots too.

Give me a break and keep the stupid comments to yourself.