New BlackBerry Model Expected To Be Unveiled Next Week

TORONTO -(Dow Jones)- Research In Motion could be set to unveil the latest version of its BlackBerry device as early as next Tuesday, sources told Dow Jones.

The BlackBerry 8700, codenamed Electron, is expected be introduced in conjunction with Cingular Wireless, the big U.S. carrier jointly owned by SBC Communications and Bellsouth. According to one Web site, bbhub.com, which is dedicated to news about Research In Motion and its BlackBerry device, the companies have booked the Tribute event hall in New York City Tuesday evening for a launch party. The featured guest will be Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, according to the Web site.

Armstrong and his fiancee, singer Sheryl Crow, carried on the early stages of their courtship via their BlackBerry devices, according to media reports.

The launch of the 8700 would be a welcome diversion for Research In Motion, which has been in the news lately more for its legal travails with NTP Inc. than for corporate developments. The widely anticipated device will be the Waterloo, Ont. firm's answer to a host of competitive offerings aimed at knocking it off its perch atop the wireless-email market. Nokia, Motorola and Microsoft have all announced competing products.

In a research note Friday, National Bank Financial's Deepak Chopra said he believes the 8700 will offer a number of technological advancements over the current generation of BlackBerries, as well as an upgraded QWERTY keyboard. The key item to watch for is pricing, he said, noting that he believes the 8700 will sell to Cingular for about $325-$350. It wasn't clear whether Cingular will sell the device to subscribers at a subsidized price, but many carriers have been discounting the devices heavily, as the BlackBerry is a big revenue generator for carriers, he said.

Chopra doesn't own Research In Motion shares and his firm doesn't have an investment-banking relationship with the company.

On Nasdaq Friday, Research In Motion is up $1.11, or 1.8%, to $62.50 on about 2.5 million shares.

Company Web Site: http://www.rim.net

-Stuart Weinberg, Dow Jones Newswires; 416-306-2026;

stuart.weinberg@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 29th October 2005