T-Mobile Announces New BlackBerry Curve 3G Release Date

T-Mobile is getting ready to launch the latest in the BlackBerry Curve series, the 9300. Youll be able to pick one up on Sept. 8, and it will only set you back $80.

Youll find that the 9300 is very similar to Curves in the 8500 series already offered by AT&T and T-Mobile. You get Wi-Fi, a 2-megapixel camera, GPS and microSD card support for up to 32GB. Call it an entry-level BlackBerry its a little smaller than many of the high-end smartphones, and includes an optical trackpad for navigating the screen. However, the 9300 does support 3G on GSM-based networks. It can also be upgraded to BlackBerry OS 6, so this is a way to get your hands on an OS 6 device without shelling out the big bucks.

AT&T, the other likely carrier for this latest Curve, hasnt made any relevant announcements just yet. If youre interested in a little more sophisticated BlackBerry from T-Mobile, the Bold 9700 might be a better option for $100.

Although historically known for their sophistication and business uses, perhaps some more lower-priced phones are worth a shot for BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, which has seen its stock price fall 30 percent this year. Questions have been raised about its viability as competition increases.