BlackBerry Style clamshell official, hits Sprint October 31
updated 09:40 am EDT, Mon October 18, 2010
BlackBerry Style launches with QWERTY clamshell
RIM today at last confirmed the BlackBerry Style. The phone is rare in combining a clamshell with a full QWERTY keyboard; a large 240x320 display gives it a way to show quick notifications without having to flip it open. It's also just the second device to ship with BlackBerry 6 and gets the WebKit browser, more visual interface and unified social networking, albeit without touch on either the outside or on the inside 360x400 main screen.
The camera is the same five-megapixel shooter as in the Torch and so can't shoot video any larger than 640x480. RIM outfits the Style with the same 512MB of RAM and bundles it with an 8GB microSDHC card to help with media playback. As with most modern BlackBerry devices, 802.11n Wi-Fi gives it relatively quick networking when not using 3G.
The Style is destined for CDMA carriers and is launching first on Sprint, where it will come in grey and purple colors. The American carrier expects to have it in stores on Hallowe'en for a relatively low $100 on contract, albeit only after a $100 rebate or up-front online discount. US Cellular and Verizon have been rumored to get the device in the past, but Sprint currently has an exclusive.
