Filed under: Products and services, Launches, Research in Motion (RIMM)
Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) is finally deviating from the “candybar” wireless handset. Today, it introduced the first BlackBerry flip phone at the CTIA wireless trade show.
The new unit is called the BlackBerry Pearl Flip. RIM CEO Jim Balsille stated that 70% of handsets in the U.S. utilize the flip shape, which probably explains why RIM finally introduced one. It’s easy to see — there is no keypad to accidentally press and the nicer color displays are absolutely protected when the flip is shut on the phone. It took until late 2008 for RIM to realize this? Odd.
Aside from the outside color display, the new model is very similar to the existing BlackBerry Pearl model, with the same compressed keyboard and exclusive BlackBerry push-email that has made addicts out of email lovers everywhere.
The original Pearl, which debuted two years ago, was RIM’s first foray into the consumer market, and this new model should sell like gangbusters to that same crowd. In retrospect, RIM’s strategy was probably to release a consumer flip phone to re-energize interest in its BlackBerry line with so much competition arriving lately from the iPhone 3G and other smartphones that do email and provide business-like features in a cellphone form factor. The new BlackBerry Pearl Flip will be seen in T-Mobile USA stores sometime this fall.
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