BlackBerry Curve 9220 launched at Rs 10,990

Research In Motion (RIM) on Wednesday launched BlackBerry Curve 9220, priced aggressively at Rs 10,990. It will be available in the Indian markets from Thursday.

As part of the introductory offer, BlackBerry Curve 9220 customers can download a selection of apps from BlackBerry App World worth Rs 2500 for free.

BlackBerry Curve 9220 is loaded with the company's latest operating system 7.1 OS and also offers a dedicated Black Berry messenger key. The smartphone has a built in FM radio and comes with a 2 mega pixel camera.

BlackBerry Curve 9220 smartphone also offers many social-centric features.

The new model claims to offer "the longest lasting" battery life yet in a BlackBerry Curve model, giving users up to seven hours of talk time or up to 28 hours of music playback or FM radio listening on headphones.

Currently, BlackBerry Curve 8520, which costs Rs 8,999, is RIM's lowest priced model in India.

This is also the first time that RIM has launched a phone globally from India. Even though RIM' is losing market share across the globe, India is one of the places where it has strengthened its base.

"India is a very important market for RIM and we are extremely proud to officially launch the new BlackBerry Curve 9220 for the first time in India," RIM Senior Vice President Smartphone Business Carlo Chiarello said.

"The new BlackBerry Curve 9220 offers a unique mobile experience that young Indians will love thanks to its affordable pricing and unmatched messaging and social connectivity features," RIM Managing Director India Sunil Dutt said.