Hutch, one of India's leading telecom service providers, on Friday announced the launch of BlackBerry Curve 8300 smartphone in India at a cost of Rs 24,990.

This latest offering from Hutch and RIM (Research In Motion) is the smallest and, at 111.4gms, the lightest smartphone in the world with a full QWERTY keyboard.

It's packed with incredible features, including an enhanced media player, high-performance browser, a 2.0 mega pixel camera, BlackBerry Maps, expandable memory, voice-activated dialing, tethered modem and trackball navigation.

Powered by Hutch, this sleek BlackBerry device exudes a glossy liquid silver finish and has clear lines. The soft edges make maneuvering easier and more stylish.

Harit Nagpal, director (marketing and new business development), Hutch, said, "The BlackBerry Curve 8300 is the smartest handset in the market, designed to bring to its users a new level of convenience and style."

The salient features are:

• Email and text messaging
• Instant messaging
• Organiser
• Browser
• Advanced phone features
• Camera
• Media player
• BlackBerry Maps
• Expandable memory
• Tethered modem
• Trackball
• Battery
• Setup wizard

Norm Lo, vice president, Asia Pacific, Research In Motion on Friday introduced the BlackBerry Curve smartphone in India.

Photograph: Arun Patil