AT&T Inc. announced the immediate availability of the new BlackBerry 8820, the first BlackBerry with Wi-Fi support (802.11 a/b/g). The handset is essentially an upgrade of the BlackBerry 8800, which was launched earlier this year. Other than the Wi-Fi support, the 8820 is almost identical to the 8800, which will be removed from AT&T's lineup.

Currently RIM’s thinnest smartphone design with a full and highly tactile QWERTY keyboard (also available in AZERTY and QWERTZ configurations to support different language groups), large and bright display (320 x 240), user-friendly trackball navigation system and voice and data functionality, the BlackBerry 8820 also includes built-in GPS (Global Positioning System), RIM’s latest media player enhancements, and a microSD / microSDHC (microSD High Capacity) expandable memory slot that can support current and future generations of microSD memory cards up to 32GB.

The phone will cost $300, after rebate, with a two-year contract from the carrier. AT&T offers data services abroad in 135 countries, starting at $65 a month for unlimited overseas e-mail access, along with a voice contract. If you only need connectivity here in the United States, personal e-mail and Web browsing start at $30 a month with a voice contract, or $45 a month for unlimited corporate e-mail access via the BlackBerry Enterprise Server from Research In Motion Ltd.

The BlackBerry 8820 is a quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE-enabled smartphone that provides global wireless voice and data capabilities through UMA (unlicensed mobile access) for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service offerings from various wireless carriers around the world.

AT&T's version also supports AT&T Mobile Music. RIM says that voice-over-Wi-Fi calls will be offered at the discretion of the carrier, while AT&T says that the Wi-Fi capabilities on the 8820 are "data only" at this time. The phone supports up to ten e-mail accounts, including POP3, IMAP, and Web-based e-mail, while corporate e-mail access is available through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

The phone features a light sensing screen that adjusts lighting levels automatically for ideal indoor and outdoor viewing. It has a 1400mA rechargeable lithium cell for up to 528 hours or 22 days standby time and 300 minutes or 5 hours talk time. The Blackberry 8820 provides, apart from the 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.0 connectivity. The handset also features a trackball device for easy navigation. However, there’s no 3G support and no option for a camera version, which is quite odd.