BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. is moving to increase its fast-growing share of the U.S. market with its first clamshell phone, the most popular format in North America.
RIM, of Waterloo, Ontario, unveiled a flip version of its streamlined Pearl BlackBerry that will be available this fall, initially only through Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile USA. The move adds to RIM's tactics to extend its reach beyond its core of business users to the fashion-conscious consumer market.
BlackBerry devices have nearly doubled their share of the global market for do-it-all phones known as smart phones during the past year, even as economic woes have given cellphone users pause before upgrading to more expensive devices. RIM's sales more than doubled to 5.6 million units in the second quarter, according to the research firm Gartner Inc., as RIM added carriers and signed distribution agreements around the world.
While Apple Inc.'s iPhone has made a big splash, BlackBerry has quietly become common in the U.S., in part because of heavy TV advertising to promote its brand among consumers seeking to check email on their cellphones. BlackBerry devices make up 1 in 10 phones sold in the U.S., according to the market-research firm Strategy Analytics.
The Pearl Flip, which features a chrome-finished frame and weighs 3.6 ounces, features a high-resolution display on the outside, so users can preview incoming calls, mail and text without opening the phone. A larger display on the inside lets users browse the Web, watch videos and read email.
Flip-phone keyboards are commonly small and harder to type on, but RIM said its new device featured a "Qwerty" keyboard, the typewriter standard that is named for the top row of letters. Like all BlackBerry devices available in the U.S., the Pearl Flip isn't designed to work on the fastest networks, known as 3G.
T-Mobile confirmed that it would be the exclusive provider of the Pearl Flip this year, but didn't release information about pricing or availability.
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