Hi folks. Long time reader and poster.

I am posting from a new account since I don't want this traced back to me. But I have some news regarding the 8800 and 8900.

8800: Due out late Feb, Early March. Cingular Only. No Wi-Fi or camera. Does includes GPS, SD slot. 1400 mah battery. Edge only. All the other 4.2 goodies. Slim form-factor like 8100.

8900: Due out about mid-year. This is supposed to include Wi-Fi and camera. No other info.

The news on the 8800 seems to jive based on the infor we have seen from others that they have not been able to see a wi-fi option.

Interesting, what will the carriers be on the 8900?

no wifi?

thats pretty grimm!

I can understand the no camera as this is a business device and many businesses, especially government, do not want that feature and some will not even allow devices with a camera in their facilities (Dept of Defense in particular). I do not understand no WiFi and no 3G. Maybe the battery drain is too high. Or maybe RIM is afraid WiFi will put their networks out of business?

this is disappointing. i don't care about a camera, or about 3G if there's wifi because i'm on a college campus. but without wifi is this device anything more than a slimmer 8700 with SD and GPS? again, i'm not in the corporate world, but i do understand that business users don't care for bells and whistles. even so, i'm curious: even with the slimmer form, SD, and GPS, what incentive is there for even the minimalist BB user to get the 8800?

i ask these questions seriously because i am new to this, and i'm hoping that i'm missing something about RIM's logic here. but if the OP is true, and the initial info from the likes of BG was true, it seems as though RIM has not only pushed back the release of a device but also removed features from it at the same time. perhaps i underestimate the value of GPS to businessmen?

I mostly just lerk here and not post.. However this news of the lack of Wifi is a bumber. I'll patiently wait to see what happens, hope its not true and T-Mobile see this thing.

What? Not available to T-Mobile??? I don't know if I want to believe this. I'm for sure not waiting till June/July for the better phone. I'll probably get the first one to T-Mobile, because I think T-Mobile is getting the 8800 too, and then upgrade to the lastest with the camera mid-year.

How does Cingular get another "exclusive" phone added to their collection? I just don't get it. They get the iphone and now the 8800! What is the world coming to?

Not unhappy here. Cingular YES!

As far as No WiFi, I can live without it and keep the camera!

Yawn. Remember that 3 whole months that Tmo customers got the Pearl before Cingular released theirs?

Umm where did you get your news from? According to the Blackberry Roadmap posted on BGR, BlackBerry 8800 - Indigo & Crimson - Features & Road Map | The Boy Genius Report, the 8800 does include WiFi.

You basically have said nothing different then the Roadmap had said, and that came out last year October.

Not to worry, T-Mo is giving you the Pearl in WHITE! That should hold T-Mo customers for a few months! <vbg>

Yep, CIngular people had to wait for the Pearl. Looks like some of the ATT/Cingular money is getting to Apple and RIM!

It's pretty simple: money.

In any case, TMO had the 7100t, Cingular had the 7290, Cingular had the 8700c, and TMO had the Pearl. It 's not like one carrier is getting all of the BB exclusives.

The lack of WiFi or 3G makes the 8800 a snoozer (if true). I guess time will tell. There is a thread over on HoFo of two guys in the UK that have 8800, once reported a Wifi option, and one said his did not have it.

I kind of feel the need to mention that we really don't like the idea of people setting up dual user names. I appreciate why it has been the case in this thread but from a 'Mod' position I need to mention that we generally don't like it.

People can always anonomously let the Mod team know if they want something leaked out casually I guess!!! There are a few of us (myself not included) that will leak info shared by RIM.

Slim form-factor like 8100, would that mean it does not have a full QWERTY keyboard?

Actually the one with the camera will have a slimmer form factor than the one without, with a qwerty keypad.

Lets not get thickness and width mixed up. The 8800 will be slim as in not as thick as a 8700, likely closer to the Pearl in thickness but wider as the 8800 will be QWERTY. I know someone who has held the new 8800 and they say it is slightly less wide than the 8700 feels solid. The battery door is different on the 8800 and does not allow it to move while typing.

Source?

...in width not depth. It features a curved keyboard (think semi-smile) in order to accomplish this.

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/uploa...nfo/img-08.jpg

Wow! No Wifi. I've been holding off from buying a pearl for that reason. Full qwerty or suretype doesn't matter to me. I recently had to have my 8700g repaired so I switched back to my 7100t, it worked fine. So except for the qwerty what's the advantage of the 8800 over a pearl. The pearl does have a camera if that matters. I thought the 8800 would have all the same features as the pearl plus have wifi. Seems like a step back.

I was going to get the 8800 but in light if this news, I will wait for the 9xxx. Q4 seems years away though.

Wifi was my biggest reason for getting an upgrade, i am still stuck on the 7100 and now looks like i will be holding off until i can get one with wifi. I think Q4 is a bit long, but maybe they are doing it to show apple they have some good stuff too.