3G BlackBerry 9000 Delay

Research In Motion's 9000 series BlackBerry may be delayed by two months due to battery life, voice quality and other issues, RBC Capital Markets says.

The new device was expected to be announced in May with a June launch for AT&T in the U.S. and Vodafone in Europe, but might now be delayed to July and August, RBC analyst Mike Abramsky says.

Some suggest the "Meteor" will use the new BlackBerry 4.5 operating system, a 624MHz processor, 480x320 screen, GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA, a 3G mobile communications protocol that is reportedly the source of the battery problems.

The new BlackBerry may also have rounded edges, giving it a sleeker look. Reports suggest that it will not have a touch screen like Apple's iPhone.

The BlackBerry and iPhone are in what some observers call a "two horse smart phone race," and 3G connections are the top new feature iPhone users want, according to ChangeWave.