T-Mobile to get BlackBerry Kickstart as exclusive

The upcoming BlackBerry Kickstart, believed to be named the Pearl 8220 when it does arrive, will be sold exclusively by cellphone provide T-Mobile for three months, today's report suggests. T-Mobile will spend tens of millions in TV, radio and Internet advertising campaigns that kick off in mid September to make the public aware of this fact.

The RIM handset will be the first BlackBerry-branded flip-phone and is expected to include a SureType keyboard, external and internal LCD screen and a TrackBall for navigation. RIM's CellData GPS service is also due to be part of the package. The quad-band phone will also sport a 2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, an external microSD slot and 3.5mm headset jack, although 3G will be absent.

The Kickstart/Pearl 8200 is due for an October 6 release date in both red and black colors. Although no official pricing information has been provided, it is believed to cost nearly $50 with a two-year contract.

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