GO and Research In Motion (RIM) have announced the launch of the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone for GO customers. The handset, the newest addition to the BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones, is available now and can be purchased from GO retail outlets and authorised resellers.

The slim new BlackBerry Curve 8520, an incredibly user-friendly phone and a perfect choice for people who like to be connected, is being offered by GO at e270. What’s more, GO is offering attractive promotions on the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone for GO mobile customers who opt for one of its GO Pay Monthly plans. It is available at just e70 with the Pay Monthly 20 Plan, while customers who subscribe to either the Pay Monthly 40 or Pay Monthly 60 plans get their BlackBerry Curve 8520 absolutely free.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including FaceBook and MySpace). It features a highly tactile

full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing and comes with rich multimedia capabilities and easy access to music, games and other mobile applications for entertainment on the go. It is a world phone, and is also Wi-Fi-enabled to give consumers faster web browsing and extended data coverage.

In addition to providing customers with the industry’s leading mobile email and messaging solution, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is designed for efficiency and convenience. It introduces an innovative touch-sensitive trackpad that makes scrolling and selection smooth and simple for an outstanding navigation experience. It is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to feature dedicated media keys, smoothly integrated along the top of the handset to give customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos.

“We are delighted to be launching the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone to our customers in Malta. Built on the latest technology and boasting quality high-end design, it is a must-have for today’s discerning users who need a phone that fits their lifestyle and gives them that extra edge to stay ahead. Combining broad functionality and style, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 serves as a social lifeline and we believe it will be a hit with our customers,” said GO chief operations officer Norbert Prihoda.

“More and more mobile phone users are opting to upgrade to a smartphone, and the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 will undoubtedly convince many more people in the Maltese Islands to make the switch. It is a great new addition to the BlackBerry portfolio and delivers all the great messaging, social networking and multimedia features that customers have come to love about BlackBerry smartphones,” said Carlo Chiarello, vice president, product management, Research In Motion.

Key features of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone include:

• Easy-to-use full-QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive trackpad for reliable, responsive typing and navigation

• 256MB Flash memory and a 512Mhz next generation processor for enhanced performance

• Premium phone features including voice activated dialling, and Bluetooth (2.0), with support for hands-free headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals

• 2 MP digital camera with zoom and video recording

Advanced media player for music, pictures and videos, with dedicated media keys and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, plus BlackBerry Media Sync, which makes it easy to quickly sync music from iTunes or Windows Media Player with the smartphone*

• BlackBerry Internet Service support for access to up to 10 supported e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts such as Yahoo!, Windows Live Hotmail, AOL and Gmail; and BlackBerry Enterprise Server support, which provides advanced security and IT administration features for corporate deployments

• Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot, supporting up to 16 GB cards today and expected to support next generation 32GB cards when available; a 2GB card is included

• Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)

•Quad-band world phone: EGDE/GPRS/GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)

For more information on the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone, customers can visit www.go.com.mt or call Freephone 8007 2121. It is now available from GO retail outlets in Malta and Gozo or from authorised retailers.