The first iDEN BlackBerry in a long time has been announced at CTIA, offering the proper push-to-talk that folks have been hurting for since the the 7100i. While the BlackBerry 8220 should be offering its own brand of PTT on supporting networks , the Nextel network is really built for this kind of thing, as evidenced by the freshly-invigorated Group Connect service. Using it, folks sporting the new BlackBerry 8350i will be able to talk with up to 20 people across the continent instantly. It’ll also be packing GPS, Wi-Fi (the first 83XX to have both), a 2.0 megapixel camera and a form factor true to its Curve roots. There had been rumblings about this one for a few months, and there’s clear demand for it among enterprise, although it might not have all the glitz of newer devices. “Sub-second” connection with other users is pretty sweet, and can be a necessity for a lot of fast-paced companies. This is also the first BlackBerry with the –50 designation, letting us daydream about future models packing solid PTT functionality. Keep an eye out for pricing and release dates soon.
[via RIM]