Customers needing flexible, cost-effective options for staying connected in the U.S. and abroad need look no further than the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphone to be available from Sprint next month.Developed by Research In Motion (RIM), it is the first BlackBerry smartphone with international voice and data roaming capabilities offered by Sprint and will feature unlocked SIM capabilities for voice and data services.

Regardless of where Sprint customers find themselves they can boost their productivity or enjoy personal interests with the premium capabilities of the slim, stylish BlackBerry 8830. A speakerphone, voice activated dialing and Bluetooth support make hands-free use a breeze, while a full QWERTY keyboard and trackball navigation enables easy use of productivity and entertainment applications. Other key features include:

• Built-in GPS - customers can utilize applications such as Sprint Navigation, spoken and visual turn-by-turn driving directions
• OnDemand - a application from Sprint that delivers information such as sports, weather, news, money and movie information.
• Phone as Modem - with the included USB cable, customers can utilize the BlackBerry 8830 as a wireless modem to extend the capabilities of the Sprint Nationwide Network to a laptop.
• Media Player - play videos, audio podcasts or music files with the built-in media player; also includes a stereo headset jack.
• MicroSD slot - allows expandable memory to store music and video files.

The BlackBerry 8830 will be available next month at $199.99 with a two year-service agreement and $100 mail-in-rebate and $100 instant rebate. Additional savings may be available to business customers through their Sprint account manager.

Sprint will also launch an AOL Instant Messaging client for BlackBerry smartphones. Sprint customers using a compatible BlackBerry smartphone from Sprint (CDMA) or Nextel (iDEN) will be able to take advantage of the AOL Instant Messenger service. Compatible CDMA BlackBerry handsets include the 7130e, 8703e and 8830. Compatible iDEN BlackBerry handsets include the 7520 and 7100i.