The new Blackberry Bold was unveiled in October 2008. Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo is suspending sales of BlackBerry Bold after about 30 users reported that the smart phone's keyboards heated up during recharging.

Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo said it suspended domestic sales Friday of the smart phone BlackBerry Bold after about 30 users reported the keyboards heated up during recharging.

There were no reports of the cellphone handsets catching fire or causing injuries, the company said in a statement, which was issued only a week after the model was put on the Japanese market.

About 4,000 units of the BlackBerry Bold, which was launched by the Canadian firm Research In Motion (RIM) last year, were sold in Japan in the seven days since its local debut, DoCoMo said.

RIM announced in December that the number of Blackberry users had reached some 21 million in more than 140 countries.

(c) 2009 AFP