The blogosphere is alive this week with the exciting news that RIM has officially announced its BlackBerry Curve 8520, the successor to the Curve 8320. It is expected to become available to T-Mobile US customers on August 5 for $129.99 after new two-year agreement and rebate.

Along with UMA for @Home customers, the phone provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites and features a highly tactile QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It also features rich multimedia capabilities and access to music, games and other mobile apps for entertainment on the go.

With the 8520, RIM introduces a touch-sensitive optical trackpad for a smooth and easy navigation experience. It is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to feature dedicated media keys along the top of the handset for a convenient way to control music and videos.