RIM, the Canadian technology firm behind the BlackBerry, will today unveil its latest attempt to get the mobile email device much-loved by corporate executives into the hands of the average punter with a new mass-market version of the phone.
The BlackBerry Curve 8520 – previously codenamed Gemini – is expected to hit the UK next month with Vodafone understood to have signed up as one of the first networks to offer the handset.
While it lacks 3G mobile broadband coverage the new phone is more rugged than previous BlackBerry devices as it has rubber edges, and anyone wanting fast connectivity can use the phone's Wi-Fi mobile broadband capability.
The biggest change compared with previous BlackBerry devices, however, is the phone's touch-sensitive trackpad, which replaces RIM's traditional trackball, so that users can navigate the phone's on-screen menus.
It is expected to be free for customers signing up to a contract for about £25 a month, between £5 and £10 cheaper than existing BlackBerry deals. For pre-pay customers the device is likely to cost about £150, also cheaper than the current range of BlackBerry devices.
RIM has been moving into the mass-market in response to the success of the iPhone and the host of new smartphones that the Apple device has spawned from rival manufacturers, including Samsung, HTC and Nokia.
As part of its drive for mass-appeal RIM recently signed a massive marketing deal with U2. That tie-up was a coup not least because many in Silicon Valley had expected the Irish rock band to renew their previous corporate relationship with Apple, but Bono is also a partner in investment firm Elevation Partners, which has a stake in another rival smartphone maker, Palm.
RIM produces roughly one in every five smartphones sold across the world but has been trying to raise its share of the mass-market. Last year, it released the BlackBerry Storm, its first touchscreen device, which was aimed squarely at consumers rather than business people. While it has sold relatively well, it was blasted by critics and a new version is expected later this year.
But it will have some tough competition as O2 prepares to offer the Palm Pre in time for Christmas under an exclusive deal with the American manufacturer, and several mobile phone manufacturers will be launching devices based on Google's Android software platform. Sony Ericsson will be launching the Satio, which has a mammoth 12.1 megapixel camera and was unveiled earlier this year under the Idou codename.
Apple, meanwhile, has done very well with the latest version of the iPhone, released in June, which has helped the company generate some of the best financial results in its history. Last week, the Californian technology group reported revenues for the three months to the end of June of $8.34bn – up almost 12% from the same time last year. That generated profits of $1.23bn, a 15% increase on this time in 2008, and a record amount for the company outside of the Christmas season.
The success was achieved largely thanks to the launch of the new iPhone 3GS and renewed interest in the company's Macintosh computers. Sales of iPods were actually down year-on-year, although the company hinted that more models are on the way later this year.