CES 2009

RIM’s New BlackBerry Curve 8900 Comes to T-Mobile

| Jan 9, 2009 | Mobile Devices | Show Update

| Analyst: Brad Akyuz

Current Perspective: Positive Vendor Importance: Moderate Market Impact: Moderate

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Event Summary

January 7, 2009 -- T-Mobile and Research in Motion announced the upcoming availability of the BlackBerry 8900 smartphone, which will be the thinnest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry launched to date. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 has a 3.2-megapixel camera with image stabilization and digital zoom, a 480x360 screen, a hot-swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot, and built-in GPS and WiFi support. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 will be available at T-Mobile retail stores in February.

Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Positive on the new Curve 8900 joining T-Mobile’s BlackBerry arsenal, as it is one of the most compelling BlackBerry products launched to date and T-Mobile, which once used to be RIM’s primary launch platform in the U.S. market, badly needed a halo BlackBerry product to fend off rivals’ exclusive BlackBerry devices. The new Curve 8900 sticks to the form factor principals of its platform, but does it in a “Stormy” style, as the new Curve’s chassis is almost identical to the Storm, except the clickable screen is replaced by the traditional screen/trackball/keyboard layout. RIM equipped the new Curve with a display as sharp as the one on the Bold, an improved QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and support for WiFi and GPS; however, what makes the new Curve so compelling is RIM’s success in getting all these features into a form factor that makes it the thinnest and lightest BlackBerry launched to date.

• Vendor Importance: Moderate to RIM, because the vendor already has a substantial shelf share at T-Mobile, and while the addition of the new Curve 8900 will further strengthen its position, it will not have a game-changing impact. The announcement is of higher importance to T-Mobile, because its BlackBerry portfolio has been under significant competitive pressure from rival carriers’ exclusive BlackBerry products such as the Bold at AT&T and Storm at Verizon Wireless, and launching the much-anticipated new Curve ahead of other carriers will offset that.

• Market Impact: Moderate on the smartphone market, because the new Curve 8900 does not bring anything extraordinarily new to the table other than its balance between form factor and features. While it will be a hot seller at T-Mobile (unless priced outrageously high) and put tremendous pressure on the Android-powered G1, it is not poised to be a “churn magnet” like the iPhone, considering most if not all rival carriers will eventually launch their versions along the road.

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