BlackBerry Onyx spotted


11 May 2009

While RIM has officially confirmed an update to its touchscreen Storm is on the way, the Curve 8900 has also been lacking in one way: while it has the large screen and new updated operating system (OS) of the Storm and Bold, it has no 3G connectivity.

Enter Onyx, the 8900 on speed (well, 3G speed), except this seems to be the only difference to the rumoured new  model because, as Slash Gear reports, it has a 480×360 resolution display, GPS and Wi-Fi – well, that’s the exact same as the Curve 8900 currently on the market.

Engadget has an image that claims to be of the Onyx ‘in the wild’: it looks like a shinier, blacker (no silver edging) and sleeker version of the 8900, but if this new model comes with 3G, then that is the ultimate selling point: better connectivity.

Oh, and the keypad is different – the spaced-out look of the 8900’s flattened keys has been replaced with the older look: slightly raised and close together.

Apart from this, all the bits under the hood may well be different too: RIM is currently beavering away on a better Storm, and this will possibly include an update to the Blackberry OS – something the Onyx could also benefit from.

By Marie Boran