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Jan. 16, 2007

Telling the world it is the first in the so-called color sector, T-Mobile USA and RIM (Research in Motion) launched the new "white" BlackBerry Pearl.

T-Mobile is now offering the product in a pearl white finish as well as piano black.

The new Pearl includes phone, email and Web browsing when combined with T-Mobile’s $19.99 monthly unlimited data plan added to a voice plan.

The BlackBerry Pearl is myFaves SM-enabled, allowing users to have one-touch access to their favorite friends or family members. In addition to calling, instant messaging and texting, consumers can send email to one of their five myFaves contacts.

A few days ago, Apple announced plans to launch the iPhone music device with Cingular in June. RIM’s stock initially took a hit after the announcement as investors perceived increased competition in the smartphone space.

The Pearl includes a multimedia player and stereo headset jack with support for MP3 and AAC music files as well as MPEG-4 and H.263 video formats. The new white version also comes with a complement of white accessories – stereo headset, travel charger and USB cable – that are included in the box.

In another sign that the BlackBerry is going from the enterprise to the consumer realm, T-Mobile says it has been successful in appealing to college kids, soccer moms and general consumers.

Nearly three out of four T-Mobile customers who upgraded to an existing BlackBerry Pearl traded up from a regular phone rather than another converged device.

Additionally, the majority of T-Mobile’s Pearl customers use it for personal email rather than staying connected to corporate servers.

T-Mobile reports that about 80 percent of all T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl customers to date have signed up for BlackBerry Internet service only for personal e-mail accounts versus the BlackBerry Enterprise Service for corporate e-mail.

Besides plenty of competitors in the consumer realm, there are still BlackBerry wannabes and challengers in the enterprise space as well.

In-Vue, a provider of mobile business solutions and wireless applications in the United Kingdom, just announced inHand, a BlackBerry-like application designed for the smaller business.

T-Mobile USA says inHand transforms any mobile phone into a BlackBerry-like device. It offers the same functionality, with the benefit of file management without the need for additional hardware or software.

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Source: Wireless Week