BlackBerry 9720 OS 7 smartphone with touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard unveiled

BlackBerry has lifted the curtains off its next device, the BlackBerry 9720, which runs the legacy OS 7.1 instead of the revamped BlackBerry 10 platform.

The BlackBerry 9720 boasts aesthetics similar to the company's Curve series. It features a full physical QWERTY keyboard and a 2.8-inch touchscreen display with a 360x480 pixels resolution, boasting an image density of 214PPI. The device runs BlackBerry 7 OS (version 7.1).

It is powered by an 806MHz Tavor MG1 processor and has 512MB of RAM. It sports a 5-megapixel rear camera with 4X digital zoom and image stabilisation, but lacks a front-facing camera. It also includes a 1,450mAh removable battery that delivers up to 7 hours of talk time and 432 hours of standby time. The device supports microSD cards of up to 32GB capacity, while the internal storage offered by the device is a meagre 512MB. The BlackBerry 9720 has dedicated BBM and BBM Voice shortcut keys, placed on the sides of the device. It also features FM Radio functionality.

Commenting on the launch of the device, Carlo Chiarello, Executive Vice President for Products at BlackBerry, said, "The BlackBerry 9720 smartphone gives you all the essentials of the BlackBerry smartphone experience to support a communications centric lifestyle. It has the best keyboard and functionality for BBM, as well as an updated BlackBerry 7 OS that adds many enhancements. It's perfect for customers upgrading from a feature phone or entry-level Android or Windows Phone device, as well as existing BlackBerry smartphone customers, that want a richer experience and jump up in style and performance."

The all new BlackBerry 9720 will be available in selected markets like Asia, EMEA and Latin America in the coming weeks. However, the pricing of the device has not been revealed yet.

Earlier, leaked images of the BlackBerry 9720 had appeared online.

The launch comes at a time when the company is in a state of turmoil and weighing options that could include an outright sale.

Mobiles launched in August 2013

BlackBerry 9720 key specifications

• 2.8-inch display with 360x480 pixels resolution and pixel density of 214PPI
• 806MHz Tavor MG1 processor
• 512MB RAM
• 512MB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 5-megapixel rear camera
• BlackBerry 7 OS (version 7.1).
• 1,450mAh battery