BlackBerry owners who've been itching for Wi-Fi on their device will have their wishes answered tomorrow. AT&T and Research In Motion (RIM) said today that the BlackBerry 8820, with cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, will be available tomorrow (Sept. 20).
The quad-band 8820 will be available on AT&T's EDGE network, and Wi-Fi connectivity supports the 802.11a, b and g networks. AT&T says the device includes "enterprise security features" that will allow users to connect to the enterprise through a home Wi-Fi network (VPN, perhaps?). The device also includes built-in GPS with support for the TeleNav Navigator and Track applications; AT&T's Push-to-Talk service, Bluetooth 2.0, a built-in media player and microSD card slot for expandable memory and extra storage.
For entertainment, the 8820 supports the AT&T Mobile Music service, which supports online subscription music content from eMusic and XM Satellite Radio.
The 8820 will cost $299.99 with a two-year contract and rebate, and will be available at all of AT&T's retail stores nationwide. Data plans start at $29.99 per month with a qualified voice contract (BlackBerry Internet Service); unlimited corporate e-mail access through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server starts at $44.99 per month; international plans start at $64.99 per month. Unlimited Push-to-Talk service costs an additional $9.99 per month per handset, or users can buy a $19.99 monthly Push-to-Talk Family plan (pay-per-use at 15 cents a minute is also available). Additional fees also apply for music subscriptions and the TeleNav GPS service.
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