BlackBerry Curve 9220 Officially Introduced in India

Research In Motion (RIM) revealed the full specs of the BlackBerry Curve 9220 about three weeks ago, though the smartphone was not even officially announced.

Today, the Canadian company confirmed the upcoming availability of the smartphone in India. It appears that the BlackBerry Curve 9220 will be available for purchase from April 19 via leading retailers across the country.

However, we have just checked with Letsbuy and found out that the Curve 9220 is now available for purchase for only Rs 10,999 (215 USD or 160 EUR) off-contract, which is the same suggested retail price confirmed by RIM earlier today.

There’s more to it as RIM announced that customers who purchased the BlackBerry Curve 9220 would be able to download a range of apps from App World worth Rs 2,500 (50 USD or 35 EUR) for free.

According to RIM, this offer is only available until June 30 and includes apps and games that will be rolled out in stages, including Pencil Camera, Photo Studio Pro, Horoscope Oracle - Follow Your Lucky Stars, Drive Safely Pro and Ultimate Cricket.

“India is a very important market for RIM and we are extremely proud and excited to officially unveil and launch the new BlackBerry Curve 9220 for the first time here in India,” said Mr. Carlo Chiarello, SVP, Smartphone Business at Research In Motion.

The Curve 9220 is one of the cheapest BlackBerry 7.1 smartphones available on the market and comes in four color options: Black, Fuchsia Pink, Pure White and Teal Blue.

The smartphone embeds 512MB of ROM, 512 MB of RAM, microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB) and 2-megapixel rear camera.

There’s also a small 2.44-inch standard display that supports 320 x 240 pixels resolution, Wi-Fi, built-in FM radio, and a 1450 mAh Li-Ion battery.

“The new BlackBerry Curve 9220 offers a unique mobile experience that young Indians will love thanks to its affordable pricing and unmatched messaging and social connectivity features,” said Mr. Sunil Dutt, managing director for India at RIM.