RIM officially introduces the BlackBerry Style

RIM just announced the BlackBerry Style, a new flip-style BlackBerry complete with a full QWERTY keyboard, but it is not the BlackBerry Oxford as we had previously reported. The Style will be the second-ever BlackBerry to ship with BlackBerry OS 6 (the first was the BlackBerry Torch), and it is also the first CDMA BlackBerry to have OS 6. It will be a Sprint exclusive at launch.

The Style is the first BlackBerry we've seen with this particular form factor. Most phones that have this unique clamshell and keyboard combination are quick messaging devices like the Motorola Rambler and the LG Lotus Elite. Sprint has told us it hopes the Style's form factor will bring in the messaging phone crowd, as it feels it would be a natural transition for that market. Yet, because of OS 6, RIM has said the Style is meant for the advanced BlackBerry user as well as the entry-level crowd.

When closed, the Style is 3.78 inches long by 2.36 inches wide by 0.73 inch thick. When open, the length increases to 6.9 inches long. There is a 2-inch external display on the front, while the main display is 2.7-inches diagonally and supports a 360x400 pixel resolution. You get the familiar optical touchpad as well as a Bold-style keyboard. On the back is a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, digital zoom, VGA recording, flash, and image stabilization. On board is 512MB of RAM, and it comes packaged with an 8GB microSD card--the phone supports up to 32GB cards if you find the 8GB too limiting. Other features include GPS, Wi-Fi, and EV-DO Rev. A. Since it's a Sprint phone, it'll come with Sprint services like Sprint Navigation, Sprint Music Plus, Sprint TV, Sprint Football Live, a NASCAR app, and Sprint's flavor of Visual Voice Mail.

The RIM BlackBerry Style will be available on October 31 for $99.99 with a two-year service agreement. It comes in two colors: Steel Gray and Royal Purple

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