I think you mean CAN'T, dang those key words

at the time of this reply this is exactly what I was saying, I think it was pretty clear but you are just in shock like everyone else.

Rumors have developed since this time nearly a month later. The Blackberry 8820 is now available for pre-order on amazon.com and we will soon find out the brutal truth to this when the reviews inevitably start rolling in all over the internet.

GPS has been said by a very educated blog that the GPS on the 8820 is simply hidden by an exclusion note in a alx file on the blackberry, a simple edit removing the exclusion would show the blackberry maps icon which is pre-installed for you to use in conjunction with your GPS antenna built in the device. This does confirm however that AT&T along with many other carriers codes which are listed as exclusions in the ALX file are trying to get you to buy into there GPS services by hiding the built in one. So yes it was crippled but it's a rather easy go around for those who care enough to fix it.. many will just pay i'm sure.

The Wi-Fi well I can't say for sure.. so I won't, but I sure hope it is left open, I really don't think this is going to keep people from buying into data plans especially for all of the people addicted to there push email availability. But it would sure help sell some devices to those who can't afford or don't need a data plan but would still like data now and then.

On a side note from the check out processes i've seen it looks like to get a discount on the device you are required to select a data plan. So if you don't want a data plan it looks like at best you might have to pay full price for the phone. And thats completly fair business.

Okay alot of companies charge, got it.. Doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

We need a company to take charge of this and deliver devices and charge only for the services they provide.

So here is the thing, you buy your blackberry 8820 for say $300 from your service provider at a discount from the original cost of $600.. but they have controlled down the hardware so that you can't use anything without paying a fee even though it doesn't require any service to use the feature.

So you intially saved $300 and are now in a 2 year contract.
9.99 x 24 = $239.76 for GPS for 2 years
$50.00 x 24 = $1200.00 for a conservitive data plan even if you are using your own Wi-Fi

Even without the data plan you are still pretty much getting shafted.

wow.. so $1439.76 over two years so that you can actually use the hardware in your phone. This isn't for the actual service you are provided with..

So I say RIM / BlackBerry let me pay the $600 and use the technology how it was made to be used..

OzzieDog, it's not that they have disabled it, I understand what you are saying, but they have restricted how it can be used which is threw a service you must buy from them. So it is better than the 8800 somewhat but still a load of BS and I think most blackberry people are people who care.

Now I'm hearing the GPS is going to be restricted to use with Telenav?

My resources are from many reputable sites that deal with stuff like this. I'd like to see if directly from AT&T but they aren't about to do that.

If I have to, I will buy the 8820 or 8320 unlocked at full price and choose who I want to go threw and be free of contracts. Is the rebate really worth having to pay all those extra fee's just to use your hardware on top of being locked into a 2 year agreement. c'mon

I thought engadget had a tester blackberry 8820?
so whats with the anonymous tips?

I'd like this to be tested without a SIM to verify that this is proper information or just more mixed up rumors from various other blogs and chats.

If it is true I would imagin it would just be software restrictions and given that it can be changed it definitly would not take much at all to unleash it. Then again I don't know if I want to stay with a company that would do something like this. I know other networks have Wi-Fi phones that work without ignorant restrictions.. maybe they would like my business.

I looked threw the pictures with some hopeful insight, but I didn't see alot about the actual Wi-Fi feature, it was almost like a 8800 reveiw. Since engadget actually has one of these available for testing.

I'd like to see a demo of this phone utilizing the Wi-Fi connection to browse the internet.
: without a sim card
: without a purchased data plan
: without a blackberry enterprise server
: without VPN

for example a Linksys Wireless Router using cable / dsl like most home small networks.