Last night we attended the grand opening of the Porsche Design store in Toronto to celebrate the availability of the Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry® in Canada. We made sure we were on the scene to capture all the action. Thorsten Heins, President and CEO, Research In Motion was also on hand to address the crowd and introduce the device.

“The BlackBerry P’9981 created in partnership with our friends at Porsche Design is made for beauty, for aesthetic, but also for function. It’s just a pleasure to type on the keypad,” said Heins.

The device itself was definitely a crowd pleaser and the custom Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9981 photo booth setup was also a huge hit!

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9981 here’s the scoop.

The Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry has received great buzz since we unveiled the exclusive model in Dubai last October. This all-new Porsche designed BlackBerry smartphone is a thing of beauty, and I felt we should give you a first-hand tour of the P’9981 from BlackBerry and let you see what this elite smartphone is all about.

The luxurious form factor of the P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry features a wide QWERTY keyboard and fluid 2.8” touch screen display surrounded by stainless steel finishes and a rich leather backing. It also comes with Porsche Design authentic accessories including a specially designed matching charging pod.

The P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry is as technically inspired as it is a distinctly Porsche design. Under the hood, the BlackBerry® 7.1 OS powers social collaboration and productivity with apps like BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™), Documents To Go® Premium, voice-activated universal search, and BlackBerry® Balance™ technology. Plus, the fast new BlackBerry® Browser and 1.2 Ghz processor help you power through tasks quickly and easily.

Lastly, the P’9981 from BlackBerry experience is unmistakably Porsche Design. With this exclusive smartphone comes a specially designed user interface (UI) and a customized Wikitude World Browser that unleashes an awesome Augmented Reality experience. It also includes NFC (Near Field Communication), a technology that is designed to enable many new and exciting capabilities, including the ability to make mobile payments, exchange information, and pair with NFC-enabled accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone. Another cool feature is that you’ll have a premium BlackBerry PIN, unique to your P’9981 from BlackBerry, which helps you identify other P’9981 from BlackBerry users around you if they have enabled this feature on their device.

What do you think about the Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry? Let us know in the comments!

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App Showcase

At several interactive demo stations within the BlackBerry booth, you’ll have the chance to get your hands on a ton of apps spanning categories of music and video, productivity, business, lifestyle, social, and more. Explore BlackBerry App World™ storefront to find some brand new favorites for your smartphone or tablet.

Ask the Experts

We’ve brought along some of the best and brightest minds in the company to talk BlackBerry philosophy on apps, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, tips and tricks, and upcoming technologies. Don’t miss this opportunity to get some face time with BlackBerry experts from a wide variety of areas.

Gaming

Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Monopoly… The list goes on, and on, and on. If I give in and head into this area, I’ll likely never leave. Swing by to try out the amazing gaming experience on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and show off your skills on the full HD plasma screens connected to the devices. Whether you’re into action, puzzles, or adventure, there will most certainly be something here for everyone.

The BlackBerry Porsche Vehicle

No, not the phone… we’re talking about an actual Porsche 911 convertible located on the show floor and fully loaded with QNX and BlackBerry technology! Check out how the next-generation tablet platform integrates seamlessly with automotive systems. I’m still waiting on my request to take the car for a spin; I’ll keep you posted.

This is just a glimpse of what we have on site – be sure to come by and check out the booth if you’re in attendance, and if not, we’ll be keep the whole BlackBerry family up to date on all things CES via our social channels. Don’t miss the updates on Twitter®, as well as the blog posts and videos that we have planned throughout the week.

Have you had a chance to check out the BlackBerry Booth at CES 2012? Tell us your favorite part!