Manufacturer of the BlackBerry communications handset, Research In Motion, has announced it is developing a version of the popular business networking device with VoIP capabilities.

The BlackBerry 8820 will be the first handset to have full Wi-Fi connectivity and so allows users to access VoIP networks which will give them the opportunity to make savings on their calls.

This ability will be further utilised by technology called unlicensed mobile access which will be built into the handset and let it switch between normal cellular networks and VoIP when it is in range of a Wi-Fi access point.

Other features included in the upgrade will see users given the ability to store more data on the devices with a memory slot capable of taking a Flash card of up to 32GB.

As usual, the new BlackBerry will be feature-packed with a media player, GPS navigator and Bluetooth, but there is no confirmed release date as yet - with Research In Motion only saying it will be available "in the coming weeks".