RIM adds multimedia to slim new BlackBerry

Research In Motion Ltd. introduced its latest device, the BlackBerry 8800, at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Touted as the thinnest BlackBerry handset yet, the device is equipped with a QWERTY keyboard, trackball navigation, built-in Global Positioning System technology, a media player, a microSD expandable memory slot and a stereo headset jack.
The quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE-enabled BlackBerry 8800 will be offered by Cingular Wireless L.L.C., with a dark blue finish and push-to-talk capabilities, starting later this month. Cingular will sell the phone for $300 with a two-year contract.
The 8800 stands as a refresh to RIM’s business-focused product line. The BlackBerry maker recently introduced the Pearl smartphone, which includes a variety of multimedia functions and is intended for the consumer market. Now, with the 8800, RIM is adding some multimedia features to its line of phones for business users.
RIM’s 8800 will include noise cancellation for enhanced audio performance, a low-distortion speakerphone, Bluetooth 2.0, and support for polyphonic, MP3 and MIDI ringtones. A high-resolution 320 x 240 landscape display screen is also equipped with light sensing technology that will adjust the screen, keyboard and trackball brightness for various lighting environments.
“We spent a tremendous amount of effort refining the BlackBerry 8800, inside and out, and that effort will be evident to customers,” said Mike Lazaridis, RIM’s president and Co-CEO. “The BlackBerry 8800 is a standout choice for mobile professionals.”
The device is slated to be available from Cingular as well as a variety of carriers worldwide.