RIM unveils newest member of the BlackBerry family: the Tour

Today Research In Motion unveiled its latest high-end smart phone – a sleek, and reportedly very fast Blackberry that will be available for customers of both Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Until now, RIM has released each of its devices in an exclusive deal with a single wireless carrier.

According to Reuters, the Tour, as the device is known, "falls somewhere between the BlackBerry Curve, which has proved very popular with consumers, and the BlackBerry Bold, which RIM has aimed at high-end corporate users." The newest BlackBerry will allow users to transition to different mobile networks outside of North America – an important feature for international travelers.

The Tour will reportedly cost $199 after rebates, and with a service plan. That's the same price as the Palm Pre and the newest iPhone 3G S. But as Roger Cheng notes in the Wall Street Journal, the Tour won't be tied to just one carrier.

---

Click here to follow CSMHorizonsBlog on Twitter.