The long awaited Sprint Blackberry 8330 seems destined to miss the predicted April launch window, allowing Alltel to capture the “first US CMDA Curve” crown. The phone is going to be available at Best Buy (which has all Blackberry devices on sale during May 2008) for $199 (price drops to $179 with a rate plan of $59 or higher). Tip: Sprint’s $99 Simply Everything Plan is great for Blackberry - unlimited text, data, voice - and FREE Blackberry Internet Service. That’s right - no additional fee for Blackberry BIS service under the plan. (Note to corporate users - BES service IS an additional fee - Note to everyone else - Sprint does NOT yet support picture mail on the Blackberry devices, they’ve indicated it is on the drawing board).

Link: Best Buy Blackberry Sale Circular
Link: Sprint Simply Everything - $99 Plan

The folks at Alltel may just beat both Sprint and Verizon to market with the first US Blackberry CDMA Cuve with included video recording capabilities (Telus have already released a similar model to the Canada market). Prior to this release only certain Blackberry Pearl - 81xx - models have sported video recorders - and only when operating under OS v4.3.2. Scheduled for release on May 1, 2008, the phone is now available for pre-order by customers within Alltel’s primary service areas of - Albuquerque, NM, Charlotte, NC, Cleveland, OH, Grand Rapids, MI, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC, Little Rock, Ark, Norfolk, VA, Oklahoma City, OK, Phoenix, AZ, Raleigh/Durham, NC, Shreveport, LA or Tampa, FL. Here’s hoping that Sprint and Verizon follow suit and offer Bluetooth Headsets and car chargers at no cost with future offerings as well!

Link: Alltel Blackberry Curve Pre-Order Page (No activation promo through 4/24/08)

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