Alltel Wireless today announced that the BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) will be available in Alltel retail stores May 1. Starting today, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 is available online for pre-order at shopalltel.com/curve. The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone, with RIM’s famous communications features, trackball navigation system and Alltel’s high-speed EVDO network, makes connectivity and productivity easy and provides customers with the ability to access personal or corporate e-mail services on the go.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is RIM’s smallest full-QWERTY smartphone and packs a powerful punch with a 2 MP camera that supports video recording, GPS capabilities such as Alltel Navigation and support for hi-speed USB, so large files can be transferred quickly and conveniently. The media player and microSD/SDHC memory slot make it easy for customers to enjoy music, video clips and photos wherever they are.

For those who like to multi-task, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone also features voice-activated dialing, a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities for the ultimate hands-free experience. The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is also an ideal smartphone for Alltel’s Axcess Voice2TXT service. This service quickly and discreetly converts incoming voicemails to text messages in the subscriber’s inbox and also allows customers to store, reply and forward converted voicemails as regular text messages.

Alltel Wireless will offer the BlackBerry Curve for $229.99 after a $100.00 mail in rebate. This discounted price is available to new customers who sign up for a two-year service agreement and to existing eligible customers on qualifying rate plans.