RIM BlackBerry Curve 8350i (Sprint) photos

First introduced at CTIA Fall 2008, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8350i is finally available through Sprint and brings a much-needed refresh to the Nextel BlackBerry lineup.

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8350i is the first push-to-talk (PTT) BlackBerry to offer built-in Wi-Fi and Nextel Group Connect for instant group conversations.

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8350i has the same shape and design of other Curve models, but it's slightly bigger given all the features packed into the device. The smartphone measures 4.4 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick and weighs 4.7 ounces.

The Curve 8350i features a 2.4-inch, QVGA, nontouch display with a 65,536-color output and 320x240-pixel resolution.

Below the display, you'll find a traditional navigation array and a full QWERTY keyboard. People transitioning from the BlackBerry 7100i might need some time to acclimate to the trackball navigator, which replaces the side jog wheel. However, we think the full QWERTY keyboard is a welcome addition.

On the left side is a 2.5mm headset jack, a mini-USB port, and a Direct Connect button, while a volume rocker and user-programmable shortcut key (set to camera by default) are on the right.

Behind the battery, you'll find the expansion and SIM card slots. The BlackBerry Curve 8350i ships with a 1GB microSD card and a SIM card.

The BlackBerry Curve 8350i has a 2-megapixel camera with digital-zoom and video-recording capabilities. Picture quality wasn't particularly impressive. Though objects looked clear, the colors were a little dull and gray.