Verizon, Sprint Deliver GSM/CDMA-BlackBerry Combo

CDMA carriers have been introducing these hybrid phones to keep customers from defecting to Cingular and T-Mobile for international roaming (GSM dominates internationally). The cheapest option is to have an unlocked GSM phone (or unlock your hybrid phone) and use a prepaid SIM while abroad, though both prepaid data rates and international roaming data rates are expensive. If you're already on Verizon, you travel a lot and you can't live without your BlackBerry e-mail, this might be a good option. Sean Ginevan NWC Contributing Editor

Research In Motion today released a new phone that will let conventional CDMA vendors Verizon and Sprint offer their customers a GSM option in other markets.

The new BlackBerry 8830 is a version of the recently announced BlackBerry 8800, which features a full keyboard, multimedia features, GPS, card storage and more. The 8830 most notably adds dual-mode CDMA/GSM over-the-air interfaces. Verizon and Sprint users connect using CDMA in the United States but now would have the option of using the same phone via GSM overseas.