BlackBerry 8-series revealed?

We've been hearing rumors of a next-generation BlackBerry device from RIM for months now, with some rumormongers even claiming that the Canadian company would finally eschew the tried-and-true QWERTY form factor for an iPhone-like touchscreen device. Well, it looks like the rumors of a next-gen 'Berry were true, though judging by the looks of it, it's nothing quite as exciting as that. According to a leaked Vodafone roadmap, published by the Boy Genius Report, a new device in the BlackBerry 8-series will launch this spring as RIM's new high-end handset. Inside, you can expect a 624Mhz CPU and all-new chipset, HSDPA with tri-band UMTS (850/1900/2100), a 480x320 VGA display, WiFi, GPS and a 2-megapixel camera. On the outside this thing is pretty sleek--it looks like a more rounded, svelte BlackBerry-style device. No, it's no iPhone but it sure would be nice to finally get GPS and WiFi in one BlackBerry, wouldn't it? Remember now, none of this is official until RIM says it is but the Boy Genius claims that this little number will show up on Vodafone in May, with a Stateside launch hopefully not far behind.

For more on the new BlackBerry 8-series device:
- see this Boy Genius Report story