Research In Motion, the makers of the BlackBerry may have woken up to the fact that their high end phones are bulky and heavy and that consumers are turning to the likes of the Samsung Blackjack, with news that they are set to roll out a smaller and lighter full-keyboard BlackBerry smartphone.
Aside from all of the standard calling and wireless e-mail functions RIM’s new device called the BlackBerry Curve comes with a 2-megapixel camera with 5X zoom, built-in flash and a full-screen viewfinder. It lets users watch videos and play music like other BlackBerries, but also comes with an advanced media manager program and a photo editor as well.
The Curve’s bells and whistles are aimed at high-end customers who are willing to pay top dollar for stylish looking smartphones with multimedia capability. While the Curve is still a device for professionals and so-called “prosumers,” RIM hopes its heavy multimedia focus will broaden the market to high-end retail consumers.
Balsillie and RIM did not announce a price for the Curve, but the device is expected to be available for around $200 through carriers around the globe.
While the BlackBerry has become a staple among lawyers, politicians, business executives and other professionals, it has yet to penetrate the retail consumer market to the same extent.
One key hurdle for widening the audience for the BlackBerry has been its price, as a fully-loaded smartphone with wireless e-mail capability is much more expensive than most cellphones available on the market today.