BlackBerry Forums super moderator jibi noticed that in the latest device.xml file from Cingular that for both the BlackBerry 8700 and 8100 (a.k.a. Pearl) pttApp=”True”, which, in English, means that a Push to Talk will be available on these devices.
If you are not sure what Push to Talk is, just think about the walkie-talkie made famous on Nextel phones. Better yet, take a look at the Push to Talk demo on the Cingular site.
If the rumor is true and Push to Talk is coming to the BlackBerry it will be very interesting to see how Cingular and RIM integrate the BlackBerry’s IM and texting capabilities into PTT.
Just imagine a scenario where a coworker sends you an email about how your companies stock price is skyrocketing, you IM them back to tell them to stop kidding with you, then they hit their PTT button to tell you that they have been watching real time quotes and the price has gone up almost 20% in the last 4 hours.
I wonder how long it will be before every carrier offers this type of feature?
I think it will all come down to bandwith. Until 3G coverage is nearly as universal as EDGE then these services will gather dust