RIM throws Curve ball with media BlackBerry

O2 has announced it will carry RIM's latest BlackBerry device, a lightweight consumer offering known as the Curve.

The latest Qwerty handset from RIM is the kit maker's smallest and lightest phone, the company said. The Curve will follow in the footsteps of sibling 'prosumer' offering the Pearl, RIM's first non-business-centric mobile emailer.

Like the Pearl, the Curve will feature multimedia functionality not associated with the more traditional BlackBerry offerings. The newest BlackBerry will include a two megapixel camera, media player and media manager.

Also imitating the Pearl, the Curve will have a trackball rather than a thumbwheel and will sport the usual BlackBerry push email capabilities.

According to RIM product manager Karen Rudnitski, the media-focused device is not intended to be a replacement for other, better known media-playing devices. "We're not saying it's replacing the iPod... A smart phone, in a European context, has to do data, messaging, browsing, have a camera [and photo messaging]," she said.

Those wishing to MMS their photos from the new Curve may find the experience a little slow - the device doesn't offer any 3G or wi-fi connectivity.

The device will be available in the UK from 8 May.