BlackBerry Pearl introduced by T-Mobile USA

Sep 07 2006 - 12:49 AM ET | Research In Motion, T-Mobile

As expected, T-Mobile USA has officially announced the RIM BlackBerry Pearl. Originally known in rumors as the 8100, the Pearl is the first BlackBerry to include a camera and other multimedia features.

Features of the BlackBerry Pearl include:

• Compact size, just 4.2×1.97x .57" with a 3.1oz weight
• EDGE high-speed data
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• 240×260 display
• Media player, MP3/AAC/MPEG4/H.263
• SureType QWERTY keyboard
• Bluetooth 2.0
• 64MB memory plus microSD slot

Besides multimedia features, the biggest difference with the Pearl is that it utilizes a front-facing trackball. Previous BlackBerry models have relied on a side facing scroll wheel. The BlackBerry Pearl is shipping now for $199 with a 2-year service contract.