Flip Out with the BlackBerry Pearl Flip!

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Research in Motion are on a roll! We’ve recently had a look at the BlackBerry Storm, their first full touchscreen handset and now we have the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, which as the name suggests is a clamshell version of their super-popular Pearl mobile phone, and again, it’s the first time RIM have used the flip design for one of their phones.
Pearl Flip main features:

• The Flip uses the same SureType keypad found on the standard BlackBerry Pearl.
• A 2 megapixel camera with flash and video light mounted atop the front flip.
• Multi-function external display not only shows a standard clock, but also allows you to scroll through and view your new messages without opening the phone.
• Data can be handled over an EDGE or GPRS connection, or via the built-in Wi-Fi.

When looking at the full specification for the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, it’s clear RIM are aiming for the user who perhaps is not choosing a phone for work purposes. You have the camera which also shoots video, a very competent music and video player plus a side-mounted 3.5mm jack plug for your own headphones and, of course, the flip itself - the king of consumer form factors.
However, RIM never forgets its roots, so their fantastic email system is present and correct and will happily connect to your corporate network, plus add a selection of your own personal email systems. As you would expect from a BlackBerry, these are all very easy to set up too. The SureType keypad initially feels very different from a standard QWERTY keyboard, but thanks to RIM’s vast dictionary of words and the Pearl Flip’s accuracy when it comes to predicting what you’re typing, learning it is quick and painless.
The BlackBerry Pearl Flip, known as the KickStart prior to its official announcement, is expected to be available sometime during the Autumn. When we get the final date, you’ll be the first to know!