First EDGE-Enabled BlackBerry Handset Offered Exclusively On Largest, Fastest National Wireless Data Network in U.S.
Atlanta and Waterloo, ON - BlackBerry® is going high-speed as Cingular Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced the BlackBerry 8700c™, the first BlackBerry device to support high-speed EDGE network technology. The new, sleek BlackBerry 8700c features a completely re-engineered device platform that is optimized for breakthrough performance and usability. It will be available in the U.S. exclusively from Cingular Wireless beginning November 21.
The EDGE-enabled BlackBerry 8700c is an eagerly anticipated addition to Cingular’s popular BlackBerry portfolio that provides users with best-in-class performance for email, phone, browsing and corporate data applications in a lightweight, all-in-one device. With the dramatically enhanced device platform and integrated EDGE capabilities, BlackBerry 8700c users will experience noticeably faster Web browsing, application performance and attachment viewing; the ability to store and run more powerful enterprise, and personal productivity applications; as well as comprehensive, smoothly integrated phone features in a light and compact design.
The BlackBerry 8700c operates on Cingular’s EDGE network -- the largest and fastest national wireless data network in the U.S. with availability in 13,000 cities and towns and along nearly 40,000 miles of major highways. Customers can use the quad-band BlackBerry 8700c with Cingular service in more than 170 countries for voice and over 90 countries for data. With the BlackBerry 8700c from Cingular, customers will have the choice of using two browsers: the BlackBerry Browser™ for HTML Internet browsing and a browser optimized for Cingular’s popular MEdiasm Net wireless Internet access service.
“The BlackBerry 8700c represents another innovative development in the close collaboration and long-standing relationship that Cingular has had with RIM while becoming the leading BlackBerry provider,” said Kent Mathy, President of Cingular’s business-to-business organization, the Business Markets Group. “For over a decade, Cingular and RIM have worked together to provide companies with a point-of-entry into the world of wireless data. Now these customers want to do even more wirelessly and the EDGE-enabled BlackBerry 8700c from Cingular Wireless is the perfect tool to deliver an outstanding data and voice experience, while extending even more critical business processes into mobile environments.”
“The new BlackBerry 8700c provides the ultimate balance of performance, design and function. When you combine our newly optimized BlackBerry platform with Intel’s powerful processor and Cingular’s high-speed EDGE network, you get impressive results,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “Early customer reactions confirm our confidence in this product. The handset looks and feels great. The phone is excellent. The screen is striking. The performance is exceptional. Put simply - the BlackBerry 8700c is another winner from RIM and Cingular.”
Unrivaled Email and Browsing Performance
Operating on Cingular’s high speed wireless network and featuring an enhanced BlackBerry device platform, a powerful Intel® processor, 64 MB flash memory and 16 MB SRAM, the BlackBerry 8700c delivers a dynamic, highly responsive, Cingular-exclusive user experience for browsing the Web, running applications and viewing email attachments and graphics. In addition, the device provides exceptional resolution and ample workspace for viewing email, web pages, applications and other information. The BlackBerry 8700c also features a backlit, ergonomic, full QWERTY keyboard that allows for quick, comfortable and accurate message typing and data entry.
Smoothly Integrated Phone Features
The stylish BlackBerry 8700c from Cingular Wireless provides customers with an outstanding converged voice and data experience. The handset is light, comfortable and well designed to allow loud and clear phone calls. It blends high-end phone features including quad-band GPRS/GSM and EDGE network support; “send,” “end” and “mute” phone keys; and other intuitive call management features including smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing and call forwarding. It also delivers Bluetooth® support to ensure wide compatibility with hands-free accessories and car kits, as well as a built-in speakerphone for conference calls and hands-free use.
Brilliant LCD with Auto-Sensing Technology
The BlackBerry 8700c features a bright, high-resolution, landscape QVGA (320x240) LCD. The display supports over 65,000 colors and utilizes active matrix transmissive technology to deliver vivid graphics. The display also incorporates intelligent light sensing technology that automatically adjusts both the LCD and keyboard lighting to provide an optimized view in outdoor, indoor and dark environments.
Intel Processor
The BlackBerry 8700c utilizes the Intel XScale® architecture and the Intel PXA901 cellular processor (codenamed “Hermon”) to enable exceptional EDGE communications capabilities, as well as industry-leading application performance, without compromising battery life requirements. The Intel XScale architecture provides users of the BlackBerry 8700c with the increased processing power needed to enjoy a rich user experience while running a variety of applications.
“Cingular is a pioneer in driving new devices, new services and new features into the mobile market and RIM is the company that made mobile email real and tremendously compelling,” said Sean Maloney, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Intel's Mobility Group. “BlackBerry has now become a cultural icon. Using Intel's XScale-based communications processor technology, the new BlackBerry 8700c from Cingular Wireless adds to this heritage by delivering a leap forward in performance, all in an incredibly sleek and compact design.”
BlackBerry and Cingular – For Both Enterprises and Individuals
Another important and distinguishing feature of the BlackBerry 8700c is the proven and popular BlackBerry platform, which provides individuals and companies of all sizes with the necessary architecture and infrastructure to provide a superb “push” email experience and a solid foundation for other mobile data applications.
For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise Server™ software tightly integrates with Microsoft® Exchange, IBM Lotus® Domino™ and Novell GroupWise® and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based, wireless access to email and other corporate data. Enterprise customers also can take advantage of BlackBerry MDS™ to enable secure, wireless access to other back-office applications.
For individuals and smaller businesses, BlackBerry Internet Service™ allows users to support up to 10 corporate and personal email accounts from a single device. These include Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and most popular ISP email accounts.
Pricing and Availability
The new EDGE-enabled BlackBerry 8700c will be available only through Cingular beginning November 21 in retail stores, via
www.cingular.com, and through Cingular’s B2B sales organization and authorized Cingular dealers. The BlackBerry 8700c is available for as low as $299.99 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate. BlackBerry monthly data plans – with a qualified voice plan – are $34.99 for 4 MB of data, $44.99 for unlimited domestic data service and $64.99 for unlimited domestic and international data usage.
For more information go to
www.cingular.com/blackberry or
www.blackberry.com.
Note to Editors: Cingular Wireless and Research In Motion will be holding an audio cast regarding this announcement today at 11:30 a.m. ET, which can be accessed at the following URL:
http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=31167. This audiocast will be available for replay for 90 days.
[2005-11-01] BlackBerry 8700c Accelerates in the Cingular Fast Lane
