BB7 OS-running BlackBerry 9720 launched for Rs 15,990

Smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry has now launched its latest mid-segment offering, the 9720, in India for Rs 15,990. The smartphone had first popped up back in August, but will now be available to customers in the sub-continent. The USP of the new device is that it will come with a dedicated BlackBerry Messenger key and will also be the first device unveiled this year to not run on the latest BB10.

The company, during the announcement, stated that the device will be available with retailers from September 14 onwards. The specifications of the phone seem competent. The design of the 9720 comes across as a mix between the company’s Bold and Curve smartphones. The new device will be available in black, blue, pink, purple and white avatars.

Specification-wise, the device comes with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display with a pixel resolution of 480 x 360. Internally, the 9720 is powered by an 806MHz Tavor MG1 processor with 512MB of RAM thrown in. In terms of photography, the smartphone comes with a 5-megapixel EDOF (Extended Depth of Field) primary camera with image stabilisation, 4X digital zoom and flash.

The BlackBerry 9720 has launched in India

Connectivity-wise, the smartphone comes with most of the usual suspects like 3G-support, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. As mentioned earlier, the 9720 will run BB7 OS version 7.1. Rounding up the package is 512MB of internal storage that can be expanded via a microSD slot and a 1,450mAh battery, which the company claims will give up to seven hours of talk time and 18 days of standby time.

All in all, the new smartphone seems decent. It should be interesting to see how users perceive the phone and the fact that it does not come with BB10. The company has said that this device is the first hybrid smartphone in the sub-Rs 20,000 category. And while there are enough options to keep a user interested, it remains to be seen if the older version of BlackBerry’s OS has enough steam left in it to pull in users. The company’s diligent promotion of its latest BB10 may very well prove to be its undoing in this case.