RIM will soon announce the new BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 / 8210, featuring Wi-Fi and GPS respectively. A full HTML browser with zoom options is also promised.
 The anticipated RIM BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 and 8210 is getting closer to launch, as Expansys UK is preparing two unlocked models to be sold through its online store. The BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 will feature Wi-Fi connectivity, while the BlackBerry Kickstart 8210 will offer GPS navigation courtesy of BlackBerry Maps (compare).
Both models weighs in at 3.57 ounces and measures 4.03 by 2.02 by 0.68 inches. Since the BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 and 8210 are clamshell phones, they'll feature two screens; an internal 2.6-inch 240 by 320 pixels screen, and an external 160 by 128 pixels screen.
Perhaps the best aspect of the BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 and 8210 is the promise of a new full HTML browser capable of viewing both desktop and mobile versions of web sites, including zoom options. Most likely, Research In Motion have ported the Webkit engine to BlackBerry OS in order to render pages similarly to the Apple iPhone and Nokia's Mini Map browser for Symbian S60. The browser is supposed to be a part of BlackBerry OS 4.6. This means that the BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 / 8210 could end up offering a browsing experience similar to what Nokia's current sans touchscreen S60 smartphones are offering. That would of course represent a big step forward for the Canadian manufacturer.
 The BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 and 8210 should also come optimized for messaging, featuring SureType keypads as well as extensive e-mail support (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange, BlackBerry). Instant messaging is also present (Yahoo! & Google Talk).
Furthermore, the BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 and 8210 offer 3.5mm headphone jacks, microSDHC memory slots, Stereo Bluetooth and a media player capable of audio playback (MP3, AAC, eAAC+ and WMA) and video playback (MP4, 3GPP, H.264 and DivX). The new messaging phones also offer 2-megapixel cameras with autofocus.
The BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 and 8210 will offer GSM Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz support and EDGE for data transfer, at least the unlocked versions Expansys plans to offer.
There's no word on pricing and availability, but we expect to see the BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 and 8210 shipping sometime in Q4 2008. Both models will ship with a 900 mAh battery, data cable, charger and a stereo headset in the sales package.
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