RIM unveils first touch-only Curve and a new Bold

Manufacturer unveils second set of devices to run new operating system BlackBerry OS7
RIM has unveiled two new additions to its BlackBerry OS7 portfolio, the Bold 9790 and the Curve 9380.
Like the recently released flagship Bold 9900, the Bold 9790 features a QWERTY keyboard and touch screen with optical touchpad. However, it is slightly bulkier than the Bold 9900, and packs a 1GHz processor which is slightly slower than the 9900′s 1.2GHz chip.

The Curve 9380 is the first the first touch-only device in the Curve series. It has a 3.2-inch screen and a 5-megapixel camera, running on an 800 MHz processor.
Both devices use the latest version of RIM’s operating system, BlackBerry OS7, which is expected to eventually be replaced by a wholly new OS called BBX based on the QNX platform that is used on the Playbook. .
RIM handheld product management senior vice president Carlo Chiarello: “BlackBerry smartphones offer a uniquely refined mobile communications experience that people love and we think many customers will be thrilled by the faster performance, beautiful touch displays and compact designs available with these new BlackBerry 7 based models.”
RIM said the devices would be available from operators around the world “in coming weeks”. No details on pricing were released.

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Research In Motion Introduces the New BlackBerry Bold 9790 Smartphone in Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced plans to launch the new BlackBerry® Bold™ 9790 smartphone in Indonesia. The powerful BlackBerry Bold 9790 features a compact design and offers users a fully loaded, high performance smartphone with the dual benefits of a high resolution touch display and a highly tactile keyboard. The new smartphone will be available in Indonesia from 25th November priced at 4,599,000IDR from authorized partners: PT. Teletama Artha Mandiri, PT. Comtech Cellular, and PT. Selular Media Infotama.

"Indonesia is an important market for RIM and we are very excited to introduce the new BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone here first,” said Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director at RIM. “The BlackBerry Bold 9790 combines a fluid touch display with the iconic BlackBerry keyboard in an impressively slim and stylish design. It’s powered by the new BlackBerry 7 operating system and delivers a truly outstanding mix of communications, multimedia, productivity and social connectivity features.”

True to the BlackBerry Bold brand, the new BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone is powerful, full-featured and built with premium materials and finishes. It combines a high-resolution and highly responsive touch display with a highly tactile keyboard and a precise optical trackpad, but comes in a narrow design that is easy to carry and exceptionally comfortable to hold. With the BlackBerry 7 OS and powerful 1 GHz processor, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 delivers fast, smooth performance for browsing the web, running apps, working with documents, and enjoying multimedia. It includes 8GB of onboard memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage.

BlackBerry 7 also introduces an enhanced browser that provides a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience. The browser includes a new JIT (just in time) JavaScript compiler to improve the load time speed of web pages and it offers optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences. The popular universal search capability has also been enhanced with support for voice-activated search, so users can simply speak to begin searching their device and the web for information.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone includes built-in support for Augmented Reality and NFC, allowing users to connect with the world around them in fresh new ways. With the Wikitude Augmented Reality application, users can find nearby BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger) contacts in real-time, read reviews on restaurants close to them, or get the story behind an interesting landmark and points of interest. NFC also enables many new and exciting capabilities, including the ability to make mobile payments, pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

A consumer launch event will be held on 25th November in the south lobby of the Pacific Place Shopping Mall, Jakarta for people who want to be the first to own a the new BlackBerry Bold 9790. From the 26th November, customers can purchase the BlackBerry Bold 9790 from authorized BlackBerry retailers across Indonesia.

For more information please visit http://id.blackberry.com/Bold9790 or www.facebook.com/BlackBerryID

Note to Editors:
For device images and more details, visit the BlackBerry 7 Virtual Press Room at: www.rim.com/newsroom/blackberry7

About Research In Motion
Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend," "believe", and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of RIM's Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM's forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

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Samsung reunites with 20:20 Mobile after three years

New deal was kept ‘under the radar’ to avoid Nokia distribution review conflict
Distributor 20:20 Mobile is understood to have regained its authorised Samsung status three years after it was fired for allegedly handling grey stock. The deal apparently does not include accessories.

Both 20:20 Mobile and Samsung declined to confirm or deny that an official arrangement has been put in place.

Mobile News understands 20:20 Mobile has been working “under the radar” with Samsung for the past few months supplying Samsung devices to a small number of accounts including MVNO partners. 20:20 Mobile customers include Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Tesco, Asda, Phones 4U, Comet, DSGi, Amazon and Argos.
Brightstar Europe will remain the sole provider of Samsung handsets for the supermarket chain Tesco, however.
Executives from 20:20 Mobile attended Samsung’s launch of the Galaxy Note smartphone (pictured) at Battersea Power Station recently.
Samsung will now be added to 20:20 Mobile’s official handset portfolio, which includes Huawei, Sony Ericsson, LG, RIM and HTC.
It also means Samsung is being handled by all major UK handset distributors such as Brightstar Europe, Data Select and Micro-P.
When 20:20 Mobile lost Nokia to Micro-P and Ingram Micro two months ago 20:20 Mobile managing director James Browning (pictured) said a number of manufacturers were interested in filling the void.
The new relationship with Samsung has been kept low-key for the past few months because 20:20 Mobile did not want the Samsung association to harm its attempts to hang on to the Nokia account.
Apparently the ruse has worked. Nokia is understood to have been unaware of the new Samsung deal, which played no part in its decision to leave 20:20 Mobile.
Three years ago, 20:20 Mobile was fired as a Samsung distribution partner by then Samsung vice president of mobile Mark Mitchinson, who is now masterminding Huawei’s UK device launches to the channel.
The Crewe-based distributor claimed the stock was made in Samsung’s factory and was surplus to previous orders. It was then sold on local markets as unofficial stock.
Mitchinson also axed 20:20 Mobile as an official accessory distributor in 2009 for selling counterfeit chargers to UK customers.

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