BlackBerry unveils new Bold, Pearl smartphones

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.

BlackBerry Pearl 9100

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="https://www.itpro.com/93906/blackberry-pearl" target="_blank"]reviews of the BlackBerry Pearl 8100[/a] and the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.