BlackBerry Curve 8900 hits the UK

The Curve 8900 is the thinnest BlackBerry with a full Qwerty keyboard

Research In Motion (RIM) has officially launched the BlackBerry Curve 8900, with availability expected from several UK carriers by 20 December.

The Curve 8900, codenamed Javelin, updates the styling of the Curve range to bring it more in line with that of the BlackBerry Bold released earlier this year. It also features the new-look user interface that debuted on the Bold.

RIM said the new model is the thinnest BlackBerry with a full Qwerty keyboard, at 13.5mm thick, and its weight is comparable with other Curve models at 110g.

Unlike most recent BlackBerry devices, the Curve 8900 lacks support for 3G/HSDPA networks. It does, however, have built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS capability to support navigation applications such as RIM's BlackBerry Maps.

Other features include 256MB of memory plus a slot for MicroSD Flash cards. The 1400mAh battery is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 356 hours on standby.

RIM said that the BlackBerry Curve 8900 will be available in the UK from O2, T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse.