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All those images we saw over the last few weeks of the rumored BlackBerry Knight have turned out to be more than rumors after all. As we suspected of the RIM event in Dubai, the new Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9981 has been unveiled. The device is sporting a radical new look that breaks apart from the standard BlackBerry design we're used to. With a stainless steel front, leather back and 1.2GHz processor, the P9981 is a new breed and definitely an eye catcher. The operating system is built on the new BlackBerry 7 OS, however it features custom Porsche Design icons as well as the Porsche font all around. The P'9981 also features an exclusive PIN that will start with 2AA which is pretty awesome. The device is said to be landing in Porsche Design stores before the end of the year and is rumored to retail for $2,000. Hopefully we'll be able to get our hands on one soon and get some more info, so definitely stay tuned! See more at the link below and keep reading for the full press release.
Introducing the Porsche Design P'9981 Smartphone from BlackBerry Engineered
Luxury Meets High-Powered Performance
STUTTGART, GERMANY and WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 27, 2011) - Editors Note: There are three photos accompanying this press release. Today, Porsche Design and Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) announced the elite new Porsche Design P'9981 smartphone from BlackBerry®. Designed by Porsche Design, in collaboration with RIM, the luxury brand's first smartphone delivers engineered luxury and performance.
The Porsche Design P'9981 smartphone from BlackBerry is instantly identifiable as a Porsche Design product. The exclusive material choices for this unique smartphone include a forged stainless steel frame, hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and crystal clear touch display. This customized Porsche Design P'9981 comes with an exclusive Porsche Design UI and a bespoke Wikitude World Browser augmented reality app experience. It also includes premium, exclusive PINs that help easily identify another P'9981 smartphone user.
"Since 1972 Porsche Design has presented milestone products with iconic style, and the P'9981 smartphone from BlackBerry will be our next landmark," said Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO Porsche Design Group. "The pure and distinctive design, coupled with authentic materials and an emphasis on the manufacturing process, perfectly match our philosophy and complement the Porsche Design product assortment."
"This collaboration stems from a shared belief that form equals function," said Todd Wood, SVP for Industrial Design, Research In Motion. "The Porsche Design P'9981 is a truly modern luxury smartphone, where the timeless style of Porsche Design meets the unmatched mobile experience provided by BlackBerry."
Powerful hardware and software
The Porsche Design P'9981 is built on a performance driven platform that features a 1.2 GHz processor, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and advanced sensors enabling new augmented reality applications. It comes with 8GB of on-board memory, expandable up to 40GB with a micro SD card.
BlackBerry® 7, the operating system for the new Porsche Design P'9981, includes a next generation BlackBerry® browser with a fast, fluid web browsing experience that is among the best in the industry. It also features Liquid Graphics™ technology, which delivers a highly responsive touch experience with incredibly fast and smooth graphics.
The Porsche Design P'9981 includes built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), which will enable many new and exciting capabilities. The Porsche Design P'9981 smartphone from BlackBerry will be available from Porsche Design stores later this year.
For more information please visit www.BlackBerry.com/ae/P9981smartphone or www.BlackBerry.com/sa/P9981smartphone
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