RIM Heaps One More Item on the BlackBerry Accessory Pile

By Nick Mokey Published April 1, 2009

RIM Heaps One More Item on the BlackBerry Accessory Pile

Not content to allow you to dock your BlackBerry on your desk, listen to music from it while out, and on your home stereo, Research in Motion threw one more neat accessory into its growing line of BlackBerry accessories on Wednesday. But maybe you missed it in the buzz surrounding the App Store.

The as-of-yet-unnamed speakerphone uses Bluetooth to connect wireless to BlackBerry devices and broadcast callers over a car’s built-in speaker system using an FM transmitter. Much like similar devices, you can also use it to stream music from your phone to the stereo, and it will automatically mute music to accommodate for incoming calls.

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The biggest news, though, may be RIM’s particularly stylish design, which shrinks the typical in-car speakerphone to sleeker and slimmer dimensions. The entire plate-like covering for it serves as one big button, with various colored LED indicators that shine through from below to indicate status. RIM also claims it will deliver 13 hours of talk time.

While its certainly nothing new in the realm of features, the speakerphone demonstrates just what a coordinated push RIM is making to build up the accessory line surrounding its phones and paint them as music-friendly entertainment devices. (Showcasing its audiophile in-ear headphones and home stereo Bluetooth streaming device at CTIA didn’t hurt this impression, either.) And if you’re a hardcore BlackBerry aficionado looking for a speakerphone that feel right at home in the Benz, this just might be the one.

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As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…

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