BlackBerry unveils new Bold, Pearl smartphones

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Research In Motion (RIM) has launched two new smartphones – the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G.

The new Pearl handset is the smallest BlackBerry smartphone yet, measuring two inches wide and weighing just 3.3 ounces.

It offers users support for high-speed 3G networks, an optical trackpad for smooth navigation, a 624MHZ processor with 256MB Flash memory and the ability to store up to 32GB.

The phone comes in two different forms. The 9100 model features a 20-key condensed QWERTY keyboard, while the 9105 comes with a 14-key traditional phone keyboard.

RIM told IT PRO that it hopes to have the BlackBerry Pearl 3G available in the UK later this year, but could not confirm a date.

Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive at RIM, claimed that the device is “unlike any other smartphone in the world”.

“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,” he said in a statement.

RIM said there are not any plans to bring the BlackBerry Bold 9650 to the UK market at the current time. For those who do manage to get their hands on the smartphone, they will be able to enjoy a 512 MB Flash memory, a 2.44in high-resolution display as well as a 3.2 megapixel camera with image stabilisation and variable zoom features.

Read on for our a href="http://www.itpro.co.uk/93906/blackberry-pearl" target="_blank"]reviews of the BlackBerry Pearl 8100[/a] and the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

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