Vodafone will launch the 7100v, an exclusive BlackBerry mobile handset-styled device, on 1 October through Vodafone Retail, with other channels to follow.
The Bluetooth-enabled 7100v has a hybrid keyboard adding eight keys to the traditional phone keypad to offer a Qwerty-style layout with ‘SureType’ predictive text.
Vodafone is hoping that the 7100v will broaden the appeal of the BlackBerry service by offering a more conventional- looking phone with all the capabilities – if not all the keys – of the conventional BlackBerry. It will be compatible with email services on both the internet and BlackBerry Enterprise Servers, meaning corporates, SMEs and individual users will be able to use it.