The BlackBerry Pearl 9100 may be getting a variant with a full QWERTY keyboard that resembles a cramped version of the BlackBerry Bold keyboard rather than its SureType iteration. An accessory reseller has obtained the full OEM QWERTY part for the Pearl 9100, a model that has not been released yet.

The original Pearl made its consumer debut with a narrower, slim form factor and the use of the SureType keyboard, making the device chic. The SureType keyboard was used in the narrow chassis of the Pearl since it fitted 2 characters per key. While there are some who prefer the advantages of a full keyboard, Research in Motion has built a dedicated SureType following with its BlackBerry Pearl line. It’d be interesting to see how useable the full keyboard module would be on the narrower body of the Pearl. It’s a good thing RIM will be offering two versions of the keyboard, based on preference.

(via: CrackBerry)