Updated, July 17: The company has officially announced it: the dual-mode BlackBerry 8820, as the device is known, will be launched by AT&T in the U.S. later this summer

The FCC approved the first BlackBerry with Wi-Fi and cellular components together in one device..it is 802.11a/b/g compatible, had Bluetooth and a microSD slot, reports PhoneScoop. RIM has previously said it would release a Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry by the end of this year. This comes close to iPhone’s release…iPhone has Wi-Fi receiver built in.

Meanwhile, the T-Mobile USA Wi-Fi phone we mentioned in some detail last week: David Pogue of NYT reviews it and likes it a lot, and recounts some of the more creative uses for the phone service, including using this phone abroad: When you’re in a hot spot overseas, all calls to United States numbers are free.

The the long term, advantage for the company: “T-Mobile’s cellular network is not on par with, say, Verizon’s. But improving its network means spending millions of dollars on new cell towers. It’s far less expensive just to hand out free home routers. Furthermore, every call you make via Wi-Fi is one less call clogging T-Mobile’s cellular network, further reducing the company’s need to spend on network upgrades.”