Launch of Pearl 9105 postponed

Dubai: The event for the launch of the new BlackBerry Pearl 9105 has been postponed until further notice, according to an email Gulf News received yesterday from the organisers. The event was originally scheduled to take place today.

Organisers did not comment on the reason behind the postponement. However, it is very probable that the hype in the media following the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority's decision to ban BlackBerry services in the UAE as of October 11 would have been a contributor to postponing the event.

The BlackBerry Pearl 9100, also known as the Pearl 3G, is already in the UAE market and it's what Research in Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry, say is the smallest BlackBerry smartphone yet.

While retailers are a little worried about a drop in BlackBerry sales, they say they will continue to sell them in their outlets.

"I have a feeling the matter will be resolved soon," Neelesh Bhatnagar, Chief Executive Officer of Max Electronics, told Gulf News yesterday.

"Etisalat and du say they will come up with alternatives and that's very encouraging news. They're ensuring the service will continue."