RIM BlackBerry Slider Appears Again, Gets Model Number

“The rumors about the BlackBerry Slider won’t go away, so we’re starting to wonder if this is going beyond the BlackBerry Magnum we saw a few weeks back. Maybe, just maybe, the first BlackBeryr slider is the real deal. Of course, if the latest rumors about the device are true, Research In Motion is seeing some heavy resistance in the software end of things, as there seems to be a high failure rate. As the story goes, the Slider is taking two guises: the 9900 for GSM networks, and 9930 for the CDMA variants destined to hit store shelves. Furthermore, Sprint is currently being touted as the carrier of choice for the moment, at least for the CDMA versions. However, the problem is coming in waves for the Slider, as early testing has the device at a failure rate of 80%. Apparently, the only other BlackBerry device that had these kinds of problems was the BlackBerry Pearl Flip. There’s a small shed of hope in there though, considering the Flip did indeed get released. The sad truth is that the 9900, GSM model is meant for other areas of the world. That’s right. If the 9930 does in fact come out, it’s looking like Sprint would be the exclusive carrier here in the States, at least for awhile. We’re hoping that the BlackBerry slider does come out, as it would be a great step in the right direction for the Canadian-based company. Not that Research In Motion has any real issues, but we’d love to see some genuine ingenuity in the form factor department. We’ve got our fingers crossed.” via slashphone.com