As you may be aware by now, the forthcoming (and we're talkin' September 18, people) multimedia-capable T-Mobile BlackBerry 8100 will be marketed as the BlackBerry Pearl.
Maybe it's the caffeine kick from just a few seconds ago but I am thinking, "hmm, I wonder what Cingular' BlackBerry 8100 will be called?"
I'm sure that a) the decision has already been made; b) we or someone else will find out before Cingular or RIM will hype it. But hey, let's not let that scenario spoil our fun.
To frame the issue, I need to get botanical on ya.
There's a reason for the name BlackBerry Pearl. As we learn on Wikipedia, the most recent cultivars released from a U.S. Department of Agriculture program at Oregon State University (go, Beavs) are the thornless cultivars 'Black Diamond', 'Black Pearl' and 'Nightfall' and the very early ripening 'Obsidian' and 'Metolius'. Some of the other cultivars from this program are 'Waldo', 'Siskiyou', 'Black Butte', 'Kotata', 'Pacific', and 'Cascade'.
Pearl. You get it?
Somehow, I don't see the BlackBerry Waldom tee-hee. BlackBerry Cascade- nah, faulty signals do that. Most of the other names are tooregional or too obtuse.
But get what I am driving at here? Forgive me for the shout out but:
BLACKBERRY DIAMOND!!!!
Maybe this is just a bit more than a SWAG (Silly Wild Assumed Guess, for those of you with enhanced sensitivities) but I have to think there is a naming convention going on here.So let me predict, then, that the Cingular BlackBerry 8100 will be called the BlackBerry Diamond.
If I am right, I have enough of an ego that you'll need to scrape me off the ceiling.
1. It would be a really bad marketing move for RIM to name the Cingular branded 8100 something other the the BlackBerry Pearl. This would do nothing but further confuse consumers who already have no idea what model BlackBerry devices they have. If it is the same device, just call it the BlackBerry pearl. RIM should definitely take a page out of Palms book and give identical devices the same name no matter what network or carrier they are on.
Posted at 9:54AM on Aug 10th 2006 by Robb Dunewood (RIMarkable)