Ending a summer of speculation, Research in Motion on Tuesday announced that it would use Intel XScale processors in its next-generation devices. The two companies will also work together on new technologies and features for BlackBerry handhelds.

The new devices would be for use on the Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) network, a GSM-based standard that acts as a stepping-stone to 3G wireless technologies such as UMTS and W-CDMA.

U.S. carrier Cingular is in the process of deploying EDGE across its network, and T-Mobile has said it has plans for a deployment sometime this year. EDGE is also fairly widespread across Europe. The technology allows for data rates of up to 384 kbps, although real-world speeds have yielded approximately half that.

"Our collaboration with Intel has enabled us to make a fundamental architectural shift that maximizes the benefits of EDGE-based mobile networks," said Mike Lazaridis, RIM President and Co-CEO. "We chose the Intel PXA9xx cellular processor because it provides us with the increased processing horsepower we need for future wireless applications, without compromising battery life requirements."

The company called the alliance "groundbreaking," and said it would improve the user experience for BlackBerry customers. Devices could potentially run richer Internet and multimedia applications as a result of the partnership.

RIM had used Intel processors in the past. In the 950 and 957 model handhelds it utilized a 386 series chip, which was used in the PC market from 1986 until 1994.