TAG | RIM goes flipping crazy with the new BlackBerry Pearl |
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| by Davey Winder | |
| Wednesday, 10 September 2008 | |
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Page 1 of 2 Suits, on the whole, do not much care about the fashion statement their business phone makes. All that matters is that it does the job. Consumers, on the hand, are a whole lot more picky. They want a mobile phone that does everything and looks good as well. Which is why you are more likely to see some pretty young thing with an iPhone than a BlackBerry brick. The trouble is, with the iPhone knocking at the corporate user door, RIM knows it has to do something to reach out to a larger audience or face the consequences. It has decided to fight back by launching the first BlackBerry phone ever to come in a flip format. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 is a BlackBerry inside, but wrapped up in a "fun and familiar" flip case. Unfortunately, I am not sure that RIM actually gets it. You know, the whole 'street' thing. The whole 'what consumers want right now' thing. As other smartphone manufacturers look towards the sleek touch-screen interface, inspired by the iPhone, RIM has come up with a Star Trek Communicator inspired handset which speaks more of yesterday than today. Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO of Research In Motion argues that “the BlackBerry Pearl Flip is a full-featured smartphone with a unique and friendly design and it is a natural choice for flip phone users who want to start doing more with their phone than just talk.” But is there really such a consumer as a 'flip phone user' I wonder? Does the consumer want another flip phone? What does the Pearl Flip actually offer in terms of functionality? More on page 2... CONTINUES |
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