Research In Motion Launches BlackBerry Flip

Research In Motion(RIMM Quote) unveiled Wednesday a flip or "clamshell" version of its popular Blackberry Pearl smartphone.

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 will be available in the U.S. exclusively from T-Mobile beginning in the fall, the company said in a statement. Pricing details weren't announced.

"The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this exciting new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further," said Mike Lazaridis, Research Iin Motion president and co-CEO, in a statement.

Research In Motion hopes the new flip phone appeals to the North American consumer market which seems to prefer the shape. The company said 70% of cell phone users in the U.S. use flip phones, a market underserved by Research In Motion in the smartphone category, the Canadian Press reported on its Web site.