BlackBerry 8830 World Phone Set for May

Unphased by the recent BlackBerry outage? If so, RIM's got an impressive new phone on tap. The much-anticipated BlackBerry 8830—which comes with a full QWERTY keypad, a trackball and the ability to make data and voice calls on both CDMA and GSM networks—will arrive in Verizon Wireless' lineup next month, followed by a Sprint version in July.

The 8830 (which has been buzzed about for a few weeks now) marks the first BlackBerry I've seen that works on CDMA and GSM voice and data networks, making it a solid choice for business-minded globetrotters. Here in the U.S., the 8830 will also work on 3G EV-DO networks, although when you're working overseas, you'll be stuck with pokey 2G GPRS data—slower even than EDGE. Still, at least you'll be able to check your e-mail and do some light mobile Web surfing.

The new BlackBerry doesn't have a camera, but it comes with a full QWERTY keypad and a trackball (similar to the 8800 on Cingular and T-Mobile), as well as Bluetooth 2.0 for wireless headsets and file transfers, a slot for microSD memory expansion, a music and video player (but no access to the Sprint or Verizon music stores), a speakerphone, and voice-activated dialing. The Sprint version of the 8830 adds GPS navigation, including point-to-point directions, as well as the ability to tether the phone to your laptop for use as a high-speed modem (just make sure to get an unlimited data plan), while Verizon subscribers can do dial-up networking wirelessly over Bluetooth.

Verizon business customers can snap up the 8830 on May 14 for $300 with a two-year service plan, while the rest of us can grab it starting May 30. Want the Sprint version instead? You'll have to wait till early July.

Related:
Press release [Verizon Wireless]
Sprint's BlackBerry 8830 registration page (goes live Thursday) [Sprint]