Research In Motion Unveils BlackBerry Pearl Flip Phone at CTIA Wireless Show

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Research In Motion Unveils BlackBerry Pearl Flip Phone at CTIA Wireless Show

6:00 am on September 15, 2008 | Category: Mobile Devices, Cell Phones, PDAs, Email

Research In Motion has decided to diversify beyond its basic candy-bar smartphone design, unveiling its first flip phone, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, at the CTIA Wireless cell phone show in San Francisco late last week.

The new model mimics many features of existing Pearl phones, including a 240×320 display and Suretype keypad (which places only two letters on each key). Its folding design means that the screen is protected and less vulnerable to scratches, while the keypad is more spacious and easier to use than those of earlier Pearl models.

The new Pearl also features an external screen, which displays incoming BlackBerry emails, including a brief snippet of the message.

The quad-band device runs on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 voice networks and GPRS/EDGE data networks. It will be available through T-Mobile USA, although no firm launch date or pricing information was released.

By experimenting with new design schemes, RIM is likely trying to extend more choice to BlackBerry users, and protecting its customer base from rival Nokia and Motorola smartphones, as well as Apple’s popular iPhone device.