The handset is available for free on monthly plans starting at £30

Jan 27, 2012 16:41 GMT  ·  By

A new BlackBerry smartphone from the Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion is now available for purchase on the airwaves of wireless carrier Vodafone UK, namely the BlackBerry Bold 9790.

The handset was made official last year and has already reached a series of markets around the world, featuring RIM’s BlackBerry 7 platform.

Now, Vodafone mobile phone users can also acquire it from their wireless carrier’s website, for free, on monthly plans that start at £30 ($47 / 36 Euros).

The new mobile phone sports the familiar Bold QWERTY on the front, complemented by a 2.4-inch capacitive touchscreen display (capable of a 480 x 360 pixels resolution), for increased usability.

“There's no need to compromise with the BlackBerry Bold 9790. You've got the familiar QWERTY keypad BlackBerry is famous for, plus the convenience of a touchscreen,” Vodafone notes.

“You'll appreciate the wider screen - making reading and replying to email and texts more comfortable, and web pages easier to view. And when you need to get up close, pinch-to-zoom makes everything larger and clearer.”

RIM packed the new handset with a 1GHz single-core processor inside, and with 8GB of internal memory, complemented by a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 32GB of additional storage space.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 also packs a 5-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with flash, autofocus and support for video recording.

The specifications list of the new device also includes HSDPA 850/1900/2100 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity capabilities, along with Bluetooth 2.1 and NFC technology, GPS receiver, and a battery that can deliver up to five hours of talk time.

“We all need a little downtime from time to time. When you've got the BlackBerry 9790, you'll find everything from video to games quicker and more enjoyable - perfect when you're ready to unwind. There's an impressive 1GHz processor, plus Liquid Graphics for smooth-running, razor-sharp graphics,” Vodafone notes.