Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry, has launched its first flip version as it seeks to win over non-business users.

RIM hopes that the new BlackBerry Pearl Flip will underpin the success of previous forays into the high street, including pink versions and a Facebook application, which have helped the company to almost double global sales in the past year.

Analysts believe that the new handset, which is expected to go on sale in Britain this year, could be the first BlackBerry available for pay-as-you-go customers.

Worldwide sales of BlackBerrys more than doubled in the second quarter of this year to 5.6 million, from 2.47 million the year before, according to Gartner, the technology research company.

The announcement comes in the middle of a stream of mobile technology releases, as manufacturers set their sights on the Christmas market. It follows the updated iPod Nanos revealed by Apple this week and ahead of launches later in the month by Sony Ericsson of its Xperia phone and Nokia of its N96.

Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of RIM, which is based in Ontario, Canada, said that the clamshell model, which was released in North America yesterday, was “extremely important” to winning more retail customers.

The original Pearl, which went on sale two years ago, was the turning point for RIM. Until then, the BlackBerry had been much larger, incorporating a full Qwerty keyboard, and was used primarily by businessmen.

The slimline Pearl, about half the size of its predecessor, helped to ease the handsets into women's handbags and jeans pockets, boosting sales.

RIM's expansion beyond the boardroom has put it in direct competition with rivals such as Apple, Nokia, Samsung and Motorola. Nokia is the clear market leader, selling 15.27 million handsets in the last quarter, almost three times as many as RIM.

Yesterday's launch of the Pearl Flip coincided with Nokia's unveiling of a new application that will enable 80 million of its devices to connect to Microsoft's business e-mail system.

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