Research in Motion appears to be preparing its latest would-be Treo killer, a classic form-factor Blackberry with support for the EDGE and EVDO GSM and CDMA data throughput enhancement technologies, not to mention integrated GPS.

Said to be codenamed 'Electron' but more formally dubbed the 8700, the device incorporates the usual tweaks of more memory (64MB) and a faster processor. Of greater relevance to users are the allegedly better native attachment support and speakerphone capability.

The GPS support would suggest that the unit will ship with some sort of route-planning software.

Apparently, the device is currently in a pre-release testing phase ahead of its formal launch late October/early November.

The information, which appeared (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=15006) recently on the independent BlackBerryForums.com website, was posted by the individual who originally spilled the beans on the Blackberry 7290, so the 8700 claims are being treated with some credibility by Blackberry fan sites.

Alleged pictures of the device that are currently doing the rounds suggest the 8700 may sport a more angular design with a backlit colour display. ®

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