Blackberry Pearl

In a bid to generate a larger consumer base, 'Research in Motion' has launched a 14.5mm thick consumer focus handset named 'Blackberry Pearl'. The company is surely hoping to tap into a market already enjoyed by Nokia and Sony Ericsson. The BlackBerry Pearl comes complete with digital camera, multimedia capabilities and an expandable memory slot for the first time, while still offering its trademark interface.

The phone sports a crisp large (240 x 260) display similar to the HTC's MTeoR 3G handset however building on the MTeoR, BlackBerry has included its SureType QWERTY keypad. Beneath it's sleek exterior, which measures just 4.2 x 1.97 x 0.57" and weighs 88 grams, the BlackBerry Pearl is a quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE-enabled, however not 3G and comes with 64MB flash memory expandable to an additional 2GB with a MicroSD card.

It also features a speakerphone and Bluetooth 2.0 for use with hands-free headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals such as a GPS receiver. Hoping to appeal to consumers rather than just business users the phone features a 1.3 megapixel camera with built-in flash and 5x digital zoom.

Furthermore in an attempt to appeal to more consumers than previously RIM has added a media player and stereo headset for music and videos on the go. MP3 and ACC music files and MPEG4 and H.263 video files are supported.

The BlackBerry Pearl will be available from T-Mobile in the United States beginning September 12.