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The BlackBerry Bold, as the new smartphone is called, is the first BlackBerry to support high-speed HSDPA mobile networks and comes with integrated GPS, Wi-Fi and a host of multimedia features.

"It's really a step up in function in many core aspects of the system," claims RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie.

The Bold features the most vivid display ever on a BlackBerry, offering a half-VGA resolution of 480 x 320. It also boasts a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capability, and a media player for watching movies and managing music collections. RIM even claims iTunes users can synchronise their music on to the Bold, although DRM-protected songs won't play on the device.

The device ships with 1GB of storage, with the option to boost that memory through the microSD/SDHC memory card slot, which is accessible through a side door.

Unlike some consumer-oriented BlackBerry devices, such as the original Pearl smartphone, the

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Bold retains the full QWERTY keyboard. The chrome-finish body has a faux-leather backplate.

The smartphone rolls out globally this summer and will cost between $300 and $400 (£150-£200).

Work and play

While RIM hopes the Bold will entice corporate users to upgrade the handsets they currently own, Balsillie said he "wouldn't be surprised if it gets picked up by the consumer".

This isn't the first time a BlackBerry is being loaded with multimedia features to catch the eye of the retail customer. RIM has actively worked at diversifying its client base away from the executives, lawyers and other professionals who use the BlackBerry for sending secure wireless e-mail.

More than a third of RIM's 14 million subscribers are now classified as non-government and non-corporate.

This pursuit of consumers has put RIM in increasingly direct competition with devices such as Apple's iPhone that target the broad consumer market.

Still, Balsillie says the Bold is aimed first and foremost at the business, or enterprise, audience. "It's pretty fair to say that the Bold does quite a job for cementing our leadership in the (enterprise) side," he claims. "We understand our roots and we understand the priority there."

The device will be a test of whether the shaky economy is making corporations less willing to spend on new wireless hardware. Some analysts have expressed concerns that companies will delay upgrades or cut back on spending on items such as the BlackBerry.

RIM helped dispel such worries last month when it delivered a higher fourth-quarter profit and a robust outlook.