The BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 came out on Verizon yesterday, and like its GSM cousin, was announced with OS 6 compatibility. Of course there was no timeline given for such a software upgrade, but it looks like it won’t take long; a shot of the 9330 running OS 6 surfaced today, and it’s apparently running smoothly. We had seen estimates of OS 6 upgrades not happening until next year, but this picture definitely makes us hopeful for something sooner.
BlackBerry 6 is mostly a visual update, but includes a few functional upgrades, like a WebKit browser, universal search, and an amalgamated social networking app. The 9330 itself is entry-level, packing a QVGA dispaly, 2 megapixel camera without autofocus or flash, 512 MB of RAM, Wi-Fi b/g, 3G over EV-DO, and GPS.
The fact that RIM is making sure their low-end phones can run BlackBerry 6 is great, since it will prevent fragmentation among new handsets going forward, and ensure that those who don’t want all the bells and whistles or bought a phone too early don’t feel entirely left behind. The Torch was the first smartphone to run the new software, but following the 9330 and 9300, the Style 9670 and Bold 9780 should launch with OS 6. We’ve seen backwards compatibility stretch to the Bold 9650 as well, and we’re hoping that the 9700 and 9100 will get it too.
If seeing OS 6 running on the 9330 has suddenly spurred some interest in the device, you can check out our review of the BlackBerry Curve 3G for a closer look.
[via BBLeaks]