Verizon and RIM announce new Blackberry Curve 9310

While all of the attention is on RIM's upcoming BB10 smartphone right now, the firm is still churning out Blackberry 7 devices like the new Curve 9310.

Aiming for a bargain price, the Curve 9310 will arrive on Verizon Wireless for $49.99 with $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract.

That contract has to be with one of Verizon's Share Everything plans, which starts at $80 per month.

Aside from the cost, social features are said to be the Curve 9310's strong suit, featuring the typical Facebook and Twitter apps along with the new Social Feeds 2.0 app.

The app enables users to post on all of their social networks simultaneously and bring their RSS, social networking sites, and instant messaging into one mega-feed.

Bargain price and specs to match

In case the price and emphasis on social features wasn't a dead giveaway, the Curve 9310 isn't exactly a powerhouse under the hood.

It features a 2.44-inch (320 x 240) display built into the same slim form factor casing as the Curve 9320 with the company's signature QWERTY keyboard, Blackberry 7.1 OS, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and a microSD card slot.

The Curve 9310 will be available to order through Verizon's online store July 12, with in-store availability to follow in the coming weeks.