Research In Motion (RIMM) 01 (Sep 08 - Oct 11)
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:09 pmBlackBerry model courts main market
By Paul Taylor in San Francisco
Published: September 10 2008 23:38 | Last updated: September 10 2008 23:38
Research In Motion, the Canadian manufacturer of the BlackBerry family of smartphones, has launched its first flip-phone style device, on the first day of the US mobile industry’s CTIA trade show in San Francisco.
The design of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8200, one of several new handsets RIM is expected to launch before the end of the year, marks a radical departure.
The company’s products have appealed primarily to business professionals and followed the distinctive, albeit traditional, BlackBerry styling with a thumb-operated keyboard mounted underneath the screen.
The launch of the Flip 8200, which looks more like a classic clamshell-style mobile phone, underscores the company’s determination to expand the user base for its family of wireless e-mail devices with a range of handsets that appeal to mainstream consumers as well as business users.
Analysts believe this strategy, which began with the launch of the candy bar-style BlackBerry Pearl two years ago, is also designed to help RIM answer the challenges posed by rival manufacturers including Nokia, the world’s largest handset manufacturer, and new entrants such as Apple with its touch-based 3G iPhone.
RIM has more than 16m subscribers worldwide and claims that “non-enterprise†customers represent more than 40 per cent of that total.
“RIM is expected to launch a broad consumer assault in [the second half of 2008], with multiple handsets, including the Bold, a touch-screen, flip, slider, 3G Pearl and others,†Mike Abramsky of RBC Capital Markets wrote in a note to clients last month.
The vast majority of handsets sold in the US and elsewhere are flip phones, though more advanced smartphones that enable users to send and receive wireless e-mail, access the mobile internet and run wireless applications on their handsets represent the fastest-growing segment of the handset market in most developed markets.
“The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further,†said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive of, RIM.
Like earlier Pearl devices, the new Pearl Flip features the pearl-coloured mini trackerball and has a reduced-key keypad with two or more letters on each key, rather than the full Qwerty keyboard favoured by heavy wireless e-mail users. For consumers, a new application makes it easy to synchronise iTunes digital music collections with the pearl Flip.
While the handset is a ‘world phone’ featuring a quad-band GPS/Edge radio that enables it to operate anywhere there is a GPS-based mobile network, and also supports WiFi and VoIP internet telephony using so-called UMA technology, unlike most new smartphones including the latest iPhone, it does not the support higher data rates available on the latest 3G networks or come with built-in GPS navigation features.
The new device will be available in the US from T-Mobile USA this autumn. RIM has yet to announce pricing or availability for other countries.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
By Paul Taylor in San Francisco
Published: September 10 2008 23:38 | Last updated: September 10 2008 23:38
Research In Motion, the Canadian manufacturer of the BlackBerry family of smartphones, has launched its first flip-phone style device, on the first day of the US mobile industry’s CTIA trade show in San Francisco.
The design of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8200, one of several new handsets RIM is expected to launch before the end of the year, marks a radical departure.
The company’s products have appealed primarily to business professionals and followed the distinctive, albeit traditional, BlackBerry styling with a thumb-operated keyboard mounted underneath the screen.
The launch of the Flip 8200, which looks more like a classic clamshell-style mobile phone, underscores the company’s determination to expand the user base for its family of wireless e-mail devices with a range of handsets that appeal to mainstream consumers as well as business users.
Analysts believe this strategy, which began with the launch of the candy bar-style BlackBerry Pearl two years ago, is also designed to help RIM answer the challenges posed by rival manufacturers including Nokia, the world’s largest handset manufacturer, and new entrants such as Apple with its touch-based 3G iPhone.
RIM has more than 16m subscribers worldwide and claims that “non-enterprise†customers represent more than 40 per cent of that total.
“RIM is expected to launch a broad consumer assault in [the second half of 2008], with multiple handsets, including the Bold, a touch-screen, flip, slider, 3G Pearl and others,†Mike Abramsky of RBC Capital Markets wrote in a note to clients last month.
The vast majority of handsets sold in the US and elsewhere are flip phones, though more advanced smartphones that enable users to send and receive wireless e-mail, access the mobile internet and run wireless applications on their handsets represent the fastest-growing segment of the handset market in most developed markets.
“The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further,†said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive of, RIM.
Like earlier Pearl devices, the new Pearl Flip features the pearl-coloured mini trackerball and has a reduced-key keypad with two or more letters on each key, rather than the full Qwerty keyboard favoured by heavy wireless e-mail users. For consumers, a new application makes it easy to synchronise iTunes digital music collections with the pearl Flip.
While the handset is a ‘world phone’ featuring a quad-band GPS/Edge radio that enables it to operate anywhere there is a GPS-based mobile network, and also supports WiFi and VoIP internet telephony using so-called UMA technology, unlike most new smartphones including the latest iPhone, it does not the support higher data rates available on the latest 3G networks or come with built-in GPS navigation features.
The new device will be available in the US from T-Mobile USA this autumn. RIM has yet to announce pricing or availability for other countries.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
