Official Twitter Blackberry app on its way

A RIM-built Twitter app should be on its way to Blackberry handsets this year, a preview on the Blackberry blog has revealed.

Compared to Seesmic and TwitterBerry Blackberry apps, it looks pretty reliable, with the sort of sleek UI you’d expect from the makers of the Blackberry OS.

Tweets head straight to your phone, integrating with your email inbox as @replies much like instant messages. Web URL’s get auto-shortened through bit.ly, and you can also view all the Tweets sent within a certain radius of your position using GPS.

Trending topics are arranged via font size, much like the TweetScoop website. There’s also a range of tools to manage your follower list and view different streams.

There’s a closed beta program you can sign up for here, and an in-depth look at the app on the Blackberry blog.