BlackBerry Onyx to feature optical trackpad replacing trackball

There are rumors that RIM will be replacing the traditional trackball by optical trackpad in their upcoming BlackBerry 9020, codenamed by Onyx. The main source for these rumors were those photos of Onyx at BlackBerry Underground. but still we should consider it to be as rumors till RIM officially confirms that Onyx will feature optical trackpad. The device will be 3G-enabled and looks are much sleeker than the Blackberry Bold (9000). The handset is expected to land as the BlackBerry 9020, almost definitely on AT&T and most likely to T-Mobile USA as well.

The shift to optical pads is a reasonable move by the company in terms of accuracy and consistency. It protects the phone from dirt by eradicating the moving parts, which would otherwise make the phone unusable or unresponsive. Of course there are no pricing or release date details, it may take a bit more time to release the Blackberry 9020 (onyx) as there is no official information on when the phone would be released, but once the pictures start appearing in the wild it’s only a matter of time though it is expected to hit the markets by the end of this year.

Here are some key features as we know them at the moment:

• AWS 1700MHz + 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA
• 3.2 MP autofocus camera
• GPS
• WiFi
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Optical trackpad
• 480×360 screen
• Carbon fiber back battery cover

Via BoyGeniusReport

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