BlackBerry 9700 Onyx details outed, to be launched via AT&T

News is that the BlackBerry Onyx will be launched as the BlackBerry 9700, via AT&T, in the North American region. boygeniusreport.com has carried a pre-launch list for AT&T. As per the list, AT&T will launch the BlackBerry 9700, Garmin Nuvifone G60, HTC Tilt 2, HTC Tilt 2 (sans camera), and HTC Pure soon.

A message posted in the BlackBerry Forums on crackberry.com has provided extensive details about the features of the BlackBerry 9700 Onyx phone.

The BlackBerry 9700 Onyx phone is said to have entered first field trials with AT&T.

The phone will be smaller than the BlackBerry Bold 9000, and will have a form factor similar to that of the BlackBerry Curve and will feature 3G support.

The BlackBerry 9700 Onyx is smaller than the BlackBerry Bold 9000 but the features are quite similar. The phone will run on version 5 of BlackBerry OS with 256 MB memory, extendable to 32 GB, using microSD HC cards.

Sources say that it is fine to have this much memory but many may be expecting a 512 MB storage space. The MicroSD slot is placed behind the battery cover and can be removed without having to remove the battery.

The keys on the BlackBerry 9700 Onyx keypad are much closer to each other when compared to that of the BlackBerry Bold 9000, but despite that, are easy to use.

A new track pad replaces the track ball that was used in BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Curve 9520 models. The track pad may be a bit firmer and offer more resistance but is user-friendly, nevertheless.

The battery life of the BlackBerry 9700 Onyx is said to be better than that of the BlackBerry Bold 9000, according to the post on the crackberry message board.

Assigning ringtones to differentiate between callers is easier to use compared to the BlackBerry Bold 9000. The BlackBerry 9700 Onyx will also allow users to set message tones to highlights important messages by sender.

The phone will have to pass field trials followed by acceptance testing, before it is launched. It is suspected that the BlackBerry 9700 Onyx will be released before the end of 2009, and will be available in charcoal.

Reports say that the phone might be launched as soon as late October 2009, though early November 2009 seems to be more likely release date.