It’s the natural progression of CDMA BlackBerry devices in the US (or so it seems) – Verizon and Sprint pick up the device at around the same time, followed by the regional CDMA carriers in the coming months.  Thanks to a tip received by BlackBerry Rocks!, the Curve 8530 could be headed to US Cellular on or around December 10th.

Complete rumor at this point, but worth pointing out that it will be RIM’s first trackpad-equipped device on US Cellular.  Is it worth waiting for?

Via: CrackBerry

One day before its retail launch, UPS delivered Verizon Wireless’ BlackBerry Curve 8530 to my doorstep.  I’ve been working with it all morning, and as the replacement to the Curve 8330, I’m very pleased with it.  It’s a needed stepping stone in the BlackBerry line, and I’m excited that it’s joining the ranks at Verizon (with Sprint picking it up soon).

Admittedly, I was a bit upset that I didn’t get the “smoky violet” color.  Just kidding.

It’s the third retail unit to ship with an OS 5.0 build (after the Storm2 and Bold 9700), and the third to feature a trackpad (after Curve 8520 and Bold 9700), both of which symbolize RIM’s new design direction.  Like the other two, threaded text messaging is now a regular feature, along with small changes (revamped icons, a refreshed “home” screen, and more).  Aside from threaded text messaging, the improved boot time should please most users (especially BlackBerry users that are familiar with the 4-5 minute boot times of the past).

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Guys, if black isn’t your color of choice, you have another option: lavender (and we’re really talking lavender here – it’s bold).  Thanks to tipsters reporting to PhoneArena, we get an up-close picture of RIM’s latest CDMA device.  November 20th isn’t too far away – who’s storming the doors of their local Best Buy/Verizon store?

Not to be left in the dark, shortly after the official Verizon Wireless announcement regarding the BlackBerry Curve 8530, Sprint came out with an announcement of its own.  Though no firm date or price point have been established, the nation’s third largest wireless carrier confirmed that it will launch in the future.  My guess is that the price point will be somewhere in the $99.99 range after a $100 mail-in rebate, however with the Tour available at Best Buy for $99 out the door, I’m hoping that the carrier offers it at an enticing price point.

The full press release is below.  Sprint BlackBerry users, is it worth the upgrade?

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