T-Mobile unveils Samsung Blast with BlackBerry keys

T-Mobile on Wednesday kick-started its phone lineup with the Samsung Blast. Also known as the T729, the Korean slider is one of the few phones to implement a SureType keyboard outside of RIM's BlackBerry smartphones, speeding up e-mail and text messaging for users usually forced to use T9 input. The messaging focus is driven home with an e-mail client that supports webmail from Google and Yahoo as well as conventional e-mail, instant messaging and SMS texts.

Playing music is also a minor focus with a dedicated media player, stereo Bluetooth for headphones, and a microSD slot for storing music. The phone is equipped with a mid-range 1.3-megapixel camera and a quad-band GSM radio for roaming on parts of AT&T's network, and should be available in-store and online from T-Mobile today for $100 when linked with a two-year contract.