14 DAY TRIAL // The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is only one of the handsets Research In Motion announced today. BlackBerry Pearl 3G is another new addition to the company's lineup, being introduced officially as the smallest device in the BlackBerry smartphone offering. Featuring a compact and elegant design, the new stylish phone comes with great 3G connectivity options, as well as with appealing functionalities, including industry-leading BlackBerry email, and impressive messaging and social networking capabilities.
Boasting a 360 x 400 pixel display, the new device is powered by BlackBerry OS 5 and offers fast access to the BlackBerry App World. According to the smartphone maker, the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone is expected to become available for purchase in two versions and in several colors. There is a 9100 model that features a 20-key condensed QWERTY keyboard, coupled with a 9105 model, which features a 14-key traditional phone keyboard. However, both handset models will land with SureType software on board, and should be put on sale via various carriers in May.
“The BlackBerry Pearl 3G is unlike any other smartphone in the world and we expect a broad range of new and existing customers will be drawn to its powerful features and compact design,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO, Research In Motion. “Considering the fast growing consumer interest in smartphones and the fact that more than three-quarters of the people in the global mobile phone market are still buying handsets with a traditional alphanumeric keypad, we think the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G addresses a substantial market opportunity. It allows consumers to upgrade their traditional mobile phone to a full-featured, easy-to-use and fashionable 3G BlackBerry smartphone that supports BlackBerry Messenger and many other apps while maintaining a handset design and layout that is familiar and comfortable.”
The BlackBerry Pearl 3G comes in a candybar form factor, measuring 4.25 x 1.96 x 0.52 inches (108 x 50 x 13.3 mm) and weighing in at 3.3 oz (93 grams). The phone is powered by a 624 Mhz processor, coupled with 256 MB of Flash memory and a microSD/SDHD memory card slot with support for up to 32 GB of additional storage space. Users will also enjoy high-speed 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) connectivity with the handset, as well as Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 capabilities, built-in GPS receiver, and a 3.2-megapixel photo snapper with auto focus, flash and video recording capabilities.
Other features of the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone include: - Optical trackpad that makes navigation fast and smooth, plus a comfortable keyboard that enables quick and accurate typing - Media player for videos, pictures and music (music plays up to 30 hours), plus dedicated media keys integrated along top of the handset - Support for BlackBerry Media Sync for easily syncing photos as well as iTunes and Windows Media Player music with the smartphone - Support for tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks - Removable, rechargeable 1150 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.5 hours of talk time on 3G networks.
