This info confirmed with 2 T-Mo store reps:

Curve: Coming late August. Branch manager was said to have it already and their warehouse is already stocked. But I didn't see it.

Curve WiFi: Yes. Unlocked for data access.

@Home: Enables VoIP service like Skype.

3G: Yes, they've got the radio spectrum. Goes live in the 4th quarter 2007, or more likely, 1st quarter 2008. (Not necessarily for the Curve)

CSRs have awesome info. And it's always right.

Are you saying that BlackBerry Curve will have a 3G chip but won't be able to enable until late 2007 or early 2008?

If so, I definitely will buy it!

cynic

i'd love to have a curve...after i saw it @ an at&t store....

but i think i'll wait 2 generations, hopefully they will have touch screens & make you coffee too

I hope you mean 4.2 OS not 4.0.2 lol
yes saw the Crimson at the WES with T-mobile
Curve is AT&T

Store reps or national account reps? That date is about 2 months early from what I was told.

Yeah, I believe a rep as far as I can throw them. :p

It really depends on the level of a rep. If they are a NAM or TSE or something like that, especially the latter, then they are worth their weight in gold, typically.

T-Mobile reps are particularly better than other company reps. i have had ATT, Verizon, and T-Mobile and I must say T-Mobile's are the best

Good questions. I edited the original post to make it more clear.

Jibi: One was a store floor manager, the other a store lackey. The @Home was additionally confirmed by a 3rd rep from tier 1 customer support on a call.

Shona: No, I'm not saying the T-Mo Curve will be 3G capable. I guess it will not be 3G since the network isn't there.

It's unclear to me whether a phone with GSM / Edge can become 3G capable via a firmware update. Technically it's possible if the transceiver is a Software Defined Radio instead of custom, dedicated design.

Technically can they do on non-3G 8700g? I mean will the 8700 devices be able to work with the 3G network even thought they don't have a physical 3G built in chip?

I would be more than very happy to see a T-Mobile Curve equip with a 3G plus a video capture!

Coming in October.

This is correct, as reported by a LOT of people already.

Released as an offering last week; nationwide availability and 'seamless' handoffs between WiFi and carrier networks.

Spectrum was purchased by T-Mobile last summer, but they cannot actually force users of these spectrums to vacate them. In other words, they (can't) aren't rolling out 3G until the spectrums are cleared. If someone gave you an estimated date, they are stupid.

Like T-Mo's CEO saying UMTS launch will start in mid 2007? Source: T-Mobile Moves to 3G


Good point, however, the frequencies acquired are not in use. "Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began auctioning off a huge new batch of wireless spectrum", not existing leased frequencies. Source: Light Reading - Mobile/Wireless - Big Guns Dominate Spectrum Auction - Telecom News Analysis

If that information is wrong, T-Mobile is not only telling their reps the wrong information, but distributing it company-wide in error. My husband works for T-Mobile and they had a BB rep there last week. They are expecting to release the Curve in late August. It will have @home, wifi, 3G enabled. 3G is planned for fall.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I doubt what I've been told from fairly high up at TMO is incorrect. But hey, perhaps they were further along with their friendly testing than expected and have moved the date of release up a couple months. It's possible but not likely.

Hey, Jibi, the inclusion of 3G is news to me. Did your source mention it?

let the celebration begin

They've been planning 3G for a long time, to be perfectly honest, as it's their natural evolution forward. The FCC had the auction last year where they spent $4b (I think that was the number) on the split spectrums (1700 and 2100mhz, if I recall correctly). When I met with TMO's top engineers a few months back, I was told that UMTS equipment was being put in place for major markets but the current occupants of these spectrums would have to vacate first before they could turn anything up. These occupants included government entities, military and intelligence agencies, private companies, etc.; TMO could NOT force these occupants to vacate (and was responsible for financial aid for their departures, if required). A later update revealed that these departures had progressed better than expected, but I still don't see Q4 this year being more than just an initial beta/trial period for 3G/UMTS for TMO. They plan to start the release of UMTS to major markets in 2008 and finish the rollout by 2010.

Also, nevermind the fact that manufacturers will need to come up with devices that support Europe and Asian UMTS networks, T-Mobile's multi-band UMTS network and Cingular's UMTS network - anyone aware of such a device existing already?

Like I said, I will admit when I'm wrong. Given some of the people I've spoken to about it, unless I'm being blatantly lied to, I think of them as fairly knowledgeable on the subject.

Oh, I see. That segment of the airwaves were occupied by the feds.

RE: 3G, I meant for the handset. bpritch said the T-Mo Curve will have 3G. I thought it would be EDGE. I saw 2 8707 devices on RIM's site that have UMTS support... but neither are US market. I hadn't heard that the T-Mo Curve would have 3G, meaning UMTS.

Network Type per Model #: BlackBerry Search Results

N/W UMTS Status Indicators: BlackBerry Search Results