T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Research In Motion (RIM) are introducing the BlackBerry 7100t in the United States and announced an early October delivery.

The BlackBerry 7100t comes in a form factor similar to mobile phones, but incorporates a large screen, a QWERTY-based keyboard and the full functionality of the BlackBerry platform. It is designed to easily allow both one-handed and two-handed operation.

Differently from the prvious RIM Blackberry models, the phone experience is changed, and it even includes a dedicated 'send' and 'end' phone keys, a numerical phone keypad with large keys, typical talk time of more than 4 hours, a speakerphone, Bluetooth support, polyphonic ring tones and quad-band GSM/GPRS phone functionality.

RIM incorporated a new keyboard technology called SureType that converges a phone keypad and a QWERTY keyboard to fit within the size constraints of a traditional 'candy bar' phone design. Through an integrated keyboard and software system, SureType provides users with an instinctively familiar look and feel and allows them to dial phone numbers and type messages quickly, accurately and comfortably. The company claims that SureType dramatically outshines the traditional multi-tap phone approach and will fundamentally change the way people think about typing on mobile phones.

The BlackBerry 7100t works together with BlackBerry Internet Service for consumers who are looking to upgrade their phone, and want "always on" access to email - whether it's business or personal email. No special servers or sophisticated corporate I.T. departments are needed. With a few simple clicks, BlackBerry Internet Service is ready to go, and customers can get push-based access to up to 10 personal and corporate email accounts (including support for viewing email attachments). The new model can also connect to RIM's enterprise platform (called BlackBerry Enterprise Server) for larger corporate and government customers.

Other features of the BlackBerry 7100t include built-in IM functionality; built-in Bluetooth technology supports hands-free operation via wireless headsets and car kits; and the large, high-resolution color screen means web sites appear in living color and users have ample workspace to compose and retrieve information including contacts, emails or instant messages.