If you follow the popular BlackBerry message board BlackBerry Forums, you may have noticed a thread started last week by forum member athreya where he states that a new device called the BlackBerry 8700, a.k.a., the BlackBerry Electron is soon to be released.

I would like to state that like Russell Shaw over on BBHub, I haven’t been able to confirm this rumor from any other sources, less the Rumor Mill Section on BlackBerry Forums, however, athreya, is pretty credible and was the first to reveal the plans for the BlackBerry 7290.

The new BlackBerry 8700 will be a powerhouse compared to earlier model devices and a welcome addition for those that like to do a lot of web surfing. The Electron had been long rumored to be Broadband-capable and indeed will support EVDO, wireless Broadband, and EDGE for Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and Cingular respectively.

The BlackBerry 8700 will also sport:

  • 64 MB of RAM
  • A Faster Processor
  • Built-In GPS
  • Native attachement viewing
  • Spearkerphone
  • Built-In Instant Messaging

Some of the other rumored features such as Wi-Fi, digital camera, and VoIP support didn’t make it into this version. I am hoping that spell check and the ability to uses your 8700 as a wireless modem for your laptop will be included. I guess that we will have to wait and see.