The first Blackberry dual mode handset has been finally announced. The BlackBerry 8820 combines EDGE/GPRS/GSM cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity for data access and voice support via UMA (unlicensed mobile access) for fixed mobile convergence. It will be available in the United States through AT&T this summer.

Here’s a quote from the article at TechShout!:

According to Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM, “The BlackBerry 8820 complements our carrier partners’ cellular networks with the added ability to stay connected via Wi-Fi at home, through hotspots and corporate campuses.”

Features in the Blackberry 8820 include:

  • 320×240 display
  • QWERTY keyboard
  • Trackball navigation system
  • Expandable memory slot compatible with microSD memory cards up to 32GB
  • Built-in GPS
  • Voice-activated dialing
  • Bluetooth 2.0 support

More news sources:

Dual Mode BlackBerry debuts (Computerworld)

Blackberry 8820 dual-mode Wifi-cell announced (ZDNet)

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