The 8350i taps into iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) technology on the Nextel National Network, and offers the Nextel Direct Connect national push-to-talk service . It has a slim design with a black exterior, a full QWERTY keyboard, a trackball with intuitive navigation, and an internal antenna, as well as a two-megapixel camera and a jack for earphones to listen to MP3s.

"The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is ideal for customers who want the benefit of the popular Nextel Direct Connect service together with the power of the BlackBerry platform," said Mark Guibert, vice president of corporate marketing at RIM. "We think Nextel Direct Connect customers will be very pleased with its range of new features and stylish design."

Built-In Wi-Fi Support

The first push-to-talk BlackBerry smartphone to offer built-in Wi-Fi support, the 8350i lets users browse the Internet, download e-mail attachments, and send and receive e-mails while talking on the phone. It's also the first to offer Group Connect to let customers set up group conversations with up to 20 participants.

The smartphone supports integrated business solutions, including a large selection of GPS-enabled apps, and access to thousands of third-party mobile applications for tasks such as dispatch operations and fleet and workforce management.

With the Direct Connect international network , the 8350i allows connections between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru. And "Talkgroup" connects groups of up to 200 people at once within the same local market and in the same fleet.

"Because of its unique combination of push-to-talk capabilities and several other advanced features, the BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is likely to appeal to both individual consumers and business customers," said David Chamberlain, principal analyst with In-Stat. "The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone can also address the needs of several industries, such as construction, field services, transportation and manufacturing."

Recommitting to iDEN

The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is good news for iDEN customers who want a modern smartphone, said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. Sprint's other options, he said, are two years old and clunky.

"The performance of the iDEN network took a nosedive at just around the same time that Sprint stopped advertising it, so everyone suddenly assumed that it was going away. So Nextel, which has enjoyed the lowest churn of any carrier, started churning away," Greengart said. "Obviously that was not good for Sprint, so they've publicly recommitted to the iDEN network, and one of the cornerstones that they talked about was getting a new handset."

Danny Bowman, president of Nextel Direct Connect, called the new BlackBerry the most recent example of Sprint's solid commitment to the platform.

"The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is designed for customers who require instant, convenient push-to-talk services to communicate with friends and family as well as with employees, customers and suppliers," Bowman said. "The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is a premium smartphone that strikes a perfect balance between performance and usability."

The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is selling for $149.99 with a two-year service agreement, an $80 instant-savings credit and a $100 mail-in rebate.