Research In Motion (RIM) has launched the BlackBerry Curve smartphone, priced at Rs 19,990.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 operates on the new Blackberry 7 platform, it supports GPS and Wi-Fi facility and has a 5 megapixel camera with flash and video recording.

The device also comes with built-in support for Near Field Communications, a new technology that enables many capabilities, including the ability to pair with other NFC-enabled accessories. The handset comes with another feature called BlackBerry Protect which allows users to back up their personal data and help locate misplaced handsets using GPS.

The company has partnered with Bharti airtel to sell the device. Under the partnership, airtel is offering two months of free trial usage for new users. Users can avail of airtel’s Rs 299 BlackBerry plan, which entails free usage for two months and local calls are priced at Re 0.20 per second, while SMSs sent to any one BlackBerry number are free for one year from the date of purchase.