Digicel Launches The BlackBerry Curve 8520
September 8th 2009 - DIGICEL LAUNCHES THE BLACKBERRY CURVE 8520DIGICEL LAUNCHES THE BLACKBERRY CURVE 8520
FOR CUSTOMERS IN THE CARIBBEAN AND
Affordable New Smartphone Offers Email, Messaging, Social Networking, Music and Entertainment for People on the Go
Kingston, Jamaica– Monday, September 7th 2009: Digicel and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the launch of the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smartphone for Digicel customers in the Caribbean and Central America. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 from Digicel is priced attractively and, coupled with Digicel’s competitive BlackBerry service plans, means that more and more Digicel customers can enjoy the benefits of mobility with even better value for their money.
For people who like to be connected on the move, the slim new BlackBerry Curve 8520 provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook® and MySpace) and features a full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It also features rich multimedia capabilities and easy access to music, games and other mobile applications for entertainment on the go.
Digicel Group Marketing Director, Kieran Foley, said of the new handset: “Digicel is once again leading the way in the mobile industry with the addition of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 - which is the most affordable BlackBerry smartphone in our extensive range of innovative handsets. And to make sure that our customers get the best value for their money, Digicel continues to offer a wide range of competitive price plans that have been developed to suit the many different needs of our customers.”
“Digicel prides itself on making sure that our customers have access to the latest in innovation and technology. Since launching its first BlackBerry smartphone in the Caribbean over four years ago, Digicel has seen a huge increase in customers switching to BlackBerry smartphones, as they offer everything needed to communicate, interact and entertain on the move. Now we’re giving more people than ever before the chance to join the BlackBerry revolution.”
As well as providing the industry’s leading mobile email and messaging solution, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone is efficient and convenient. It introduces an innovative touch-sensitive trackpad, which makes scrolling and selection smooth and easy for a great navigation experience. It is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to feature dedicated media keys, smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving users an easy, convenient way to manage their music and videos.
Key features of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone include:
· Easy-to-use full-QWERTY keyboard and touch-sensitive trackpad for reliable, responsive typing and navigation
· 256MB Flash memory and a 512Mhz next generation processor for enhanced performance
· Premium phone features including voice-activated dialing, and Bluetooth (2.0) support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
· 2 MP digital camera with zoom and video recording*
· Advanced media player for music, pictures and videos, with dedicated media keys and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, plus BlackBerry® Media Sync, which makes it easy and quick to sync music from iTunes® or Windows Media® Player with the smartphone**
· Access to BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones***. Categories include games, entertainment, IM and social networking, news, weather, productivity and more
· BlackBerry® Internet Service support for access to up to 10 supported email accounts, including most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo!®, Windows Live™ Hotmail®, AOL® and Gmail™; and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support, which provides advanced security and IT administration features for corporate deployments
· Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot, supporting cards of up to 16 GB today and expected to support next generation 32GB cards when available; a 2GB card is included
· Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
· Quad-band world phone: EGDE/GPRS/GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
(*) Video recording requires a microSD card, which may be sold separately.
(**) Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies.
(***) Not available in all countries.
Note for editors: Additional information, including product images and video, is available at www.rim.mediaseed.tv.
ENDS
ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP
After eight years of operation, Digicel has more than eight million customers across its Caribbean and Central American markets and is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services and state-of-the-art handsets. By offering innovative wireless services and community support, Digicel has become a leading brand in the Caribbean and has placed the region at the cutting-edge of wireless communications – the company is also a new entrant to the Central American market.
Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and now has operations in 32 markets world-wide. Its Caribbean and Central American markets comprise Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Panama, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos. The Caribbean company also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barths.
Digicel Pacific comprises Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean and Central American sports teams, including the West Indies Cricket Team and Special Olympics teams throughout the region. Digicel is also title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Championships and the Copa de Naciones Digicel, which are the Caribbean and Central American qualifiers to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information on Digicel.
About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in
Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used herein, words such as “intend” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information available to Research In Motion Limited. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, possible product defects and product liability, risks related to international sales and potential foreign currency exchange fluctuations, the initiation or outcome of litigation, acts or potential acts of terrorism, international conflicts, significant fluctuations of quarterly operating results, changes in Canadian and foreign laws and regulations, continued acceptance of RIM’s products, increased levels of competition, technological changes and the successful development of new products, dependence on third-party networks to provide services, dependence on intellectual property rights, and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in RIM's periodic reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory authorities. RIM has no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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