genpop.net

Keeping new BlackBerry smartphones under wraps is not exactly one of Research In Motion’s (RIM) strengths. In fact, details, technical specifications and even images of RIM’s upcoming BlackBerry devices typically leak months in advance of the products’ official releases.

Such is the case with three new, as-of-yet unannounced BlackBerry smartphones: the CDMA-compatible, BlackBerry Tour 9630 successor, the “Tour2″ 9650; the next in the BlackBerry Pearl lineup, the “Pearl2″ 9100, which sports RIM’s SureType keyboard; and what might be the latest addition to RIM’s Curve family, the BlackBerry 8910.

[ Stay up on tech news and reviews from your smartphone at infoworldmobile.com. | Get the best iPhone apps for pros with our business iPhone apps finder. | See which smartphone is right for you in our mobile "deathmatch" calculator. ]

First up, the BlackBerry “Tour2″ 9650. Here’s what we know: The new Tour may or may not be called Tour2, but it looks just like the original Tour 9630 with a few notable tweaks. And the device’s model number is 9650, which places it in the Tour family.

The BlackBerry 9650 is an upgraded version of the original Tour, and it replaces the first device’s problematic trackball with RIM’s new optical trackpad. It also will reportedly sport Wi-Fi and a beefed-up processor.

Thanks to leaked images of both Verizon Wireless and Sprint’s inventory systems, it’s clear that the device will be coming to these U.S. carriers, both of which currently offer the original Tour 9630. No official release dates are available quite yet, but the appearance of the device in the carrier systems suggests its debut may be sooner than later.

The BlackBerry Pearl 9100 was first spotted in November, and though we haven’t really seen any additional information since, we know this device is the next in RIM’s Pearl lineup.

RIM’s Pearl devices, including the entire 81xx line and the Pearl Flip 82xx family, employ the company’s SureType keyboard and software combination. SureType squeezes multiple characters onto single keys to slim down Pearl device profiles. And the associated SureType predictive text software aims to guess the specific characters you want while you’re typing based on certain key combinations.

Related Posts

1. Analysis: A sneak peek at BlackBerry 6 OS
2. Official BlackBerry Twitter app gets needed update
3. RIM’s new BlackBerry Protect does remote backup
4. IBM plans BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android applications
5. CES: Thumbplay music app coming to desktops and smartphones