BlackBerry Curve 8330 Smartphone Announced at Verizon and Sprint

Sophisticated Full-QWERTY BlackBerry Curve 8330 Delivers Uncompromising Communications, Rich Multimedia Features, VZ Navigator and Broadband Speeds

Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Research In Motion (RIM) NASDAQ: RIMM TSX: RIM, a global leader in wireless innovation, today announced the BlackBerry Curve™ 8330 smartphone will be available in May. Packaged in a liquid silver-colored finish with chrome highlights, smooth edges and soft curves, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 is backed by Verizon Wireless’ high-speed Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) network. This small and light smartphone has rich multimedia capabilities and is VZ Navigator(SM)-capable. VZ Navigator is Verizon Wireless’ location-based service that offers customers mapping, audible turn-by-turn navigation and access to information on more than 14 million points of interest.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330, RIM’s smallest and lightest full-QWERTY smartphone, combines stylish looks with the tools people need to manage their professional responsibilities, maintain personal communications and entertain their senses.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 offers the following capabilities and key features:

• Small and light design that is easy to handle and use; measures 4.2″ x 2.4″ x 0.6″ and weighs only 4 ounces
• Large, vibrant 320 x 240 display, with light sensing technology that automatically adjusts brightness for optimal viewing in outdoor, indoor, and dark environments
• Responsive, highly-tactile full-QWERTY keyboard and RIM’s intuitive trackball navigation system
• Premium phone features including: noise cancellation technology to offset background noise, Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), dedicated “send,” “end,” and “mute” keys, low-distortion speakerphone, and Bluetooth 2.0, with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets (Bluetooth stereo audio profile A2DP/AVRCP), car kits and other Bluetooth accessories
• 2.0 megapixel camera with support for video recording*, self-portrait mirror, enhanced flash and 5X zoom
• Easy access to the popular Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones application
• 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack and dedicated volume controls
• Advanced media player and enhanced desktop media manager software that makes it easy to move media files between a PC and the BlackBerry Curve 8330 – USB Data Cable comes in-box
• MicroSD™/SDHC memory card slot, providing plenty of additional storage (up to 8 GB)
• HTML web browser delivers a fast, rich browsing experience and supports streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com (3GPP RTSP streaming protocol over EV-DO)
• A removable, rechargeable battery, rated for up to 260 minutes of talk time and up to 11 days of standby time
• In-box accessories include: a stereo headset, travel charger and premium tote sleeve

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone is supported by BlackBerry Internet Service that gives customers access to up to 10 supported POP3 and IMAP personal and corporate e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts. It is also supported by BlackBerry Professional Software for small businesses and BlackBerry Enterprise Server for enterprise deployments, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone will be available at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, for $269.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase. Customers who purchase a Verizon Wireless Nationwide voice plan can also subscribe to the E-Mail and Web for BlackBerry plan for an additional $29.99 per month while those opting for a data-only plan can pay $34.99 per month for unlimited e-mail and access to the Internet.

Sprint (NYSE:S) and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM) announced today that Sprint has further energized its BlackBerry portfolio with the addition of the new BlackBerry Curve™ 8330 smartphone.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is the smallest BlackBerry smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard and strikes an attractive balance between functionality, design and usability, giving users access to phone, personal and corporate email, contacts, calendar, tasks, camera, multimedia content, GPS navigation, enhanced Web browsing and other capabilities. Whether customers are interested in advanced capabilities for personal or professional use, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone delivers innovative features including a two megapixel camera with video recording*, advanced media player for music, videos and photos, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth with support for stereo headsets and car kits, microSD/SDHC card slot for expandable memory (8 GB memory cards are available today), voice-activated dialing, voice notes recorder and the ability to be used as a modem with a laptop. Customers can also take advantage of exclusive Sprint services like**:

• Sprint Music Store — Download stereo-quality tracks instantly over the air. Choose songs from thousands of artists in virtually every genre.
• Sprint TV — Watch live TV or video-on-demand with full-motion video and vivid sound or catch the latest news, sports, weather, entertainment and movie trailers on the go. Choose from more than 50 live television channels.
• Sprint Navigation — As the first carrier to have offered a GPS-enabled BlackBerry smartphone, Sprint continues this innovation with the addition of Sprint Navigation, which delivers voice-guided and on-screen turn-by-turn GPS-enabled driving directions, 3-D moving maps similar to an in-car navigation system or personal navigation device, as well as more than 10 million local listings and real-time intelligent traffic alerts with one-click rerouting, anywhere on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network.

“Powerful core organizational capabilities, sleek and attractive form factors, exclusive multimedia content, flexible international service options and industry-leading push-to-talk service are combined factors that give Sprint one of the most attractive BlackBerry smartphone portfolios in the industry,” said Danny Bowman, vice president of customer equipment for Sprint. “The addition of the BlackBerry Curve 8330 to our lineup gives our customers access to information now, with no compromises.”

“The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone offers a unique blend of functionality, design and usability that hits a real sweet spot for both personal and professional use,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion. “It’s as adept at keeping people productive at work as it is with helping them stay connected to friends or entertained and informed with Sprint’s music, video and navigation services.”

Simply Everything Pricing:
Regardless of whether Sprint customers are using their BlackBerry smartphones with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server or with BlackBerry Internet Service, they can receive great value with Sprint’s new Simply Everything pricing plan. For a flat rate of $99.99 per month the Simply Everything plan offers BlackBerry Internet Service customers unlimited voice and data. Pricing complexity and concerns about overage charges are virtually eliminated letting customers think more about how they can use their wireless device for work and play and less about their bill. BlackBerry Enterprise Server users can subscribe to the same plan and receive access to their corporate email, calendar, contacts and firewall protection for an additional $20 per month.

BlackBerry Curve Pricing and Availability
The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone will be available later this month online at www.sprint.com, through Sprint Telesales, Sprint business sales channels and retail locations for as low as $179.99 with a two-year service agreement, a $170 instant savings credit and $100 mail-in-rebate.