Etisalat will become the first operator in the Gulf region to launch the highly-anticipated BlackBerry Storm 9500 smartphone device in the UAE.

Etisalat is also offering customers the chance to be one of the first to own the device by entering a contest on the Etisalat web site at www.etisalat.ae/storm.

The BlackBerry Storm is the world's first 'clickable' touch-screen smartphone. The touch-screen depresses ever so slightly when pressed, responding like a physical keyboard to dramatically enhance the user interface and enable easy and precise typing.

The touch-screen also supports single-touch, multi-touch and gestures for intuitive and efficient navigation.

'Our customers will soon be able to enjoy the most exciting smartphone available today using Etisalat’s high-speed, reliable 3.75G HSPA mobile network,' said Abdulla Hashim, vice president, Business solutions - Etisalat.

'Combined with the functionality and network efficiency of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service platforms, users will have access to an unbeatable wireless experience.'

The BlackBerry Storm boasts powerful communications features and global connectivity with 3G (HSPA) network support, built in GPS, desktop-style web pages, advanced multimedia applications, a 3.2-megapixel camera and the industry's leading mobile messaging capabilities all of which is designed to give users an incredibly fast and powerful mobile experience.-TradeArabia News Service