Research in Motion (RIM) last night unveiled their much-vaunted ‘iPhone-killer’, the BlackBerry 9800, also known as the BlackBerryTorch. The device, which was unveiled at a press conference in New York, is the first BlackBerry device to incorporate a touch-screen interface, though the Torch also features the slide-out Qwerty keyboard the Canadian company RIM’s devices are famed for.
The Torch runs the new BlackBerry 6 operating system, which promises a better web browsing experiences and social features, whilst the BlackBerry Messenger universal inbox also features updates from social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Additionally, the smart phone is RIM’s first handset to incorporate the new BlackBerry App World Store, which will feature 7,000 apps pre-installed. According to Mike Lazaridis, co-chief executive of RIM, ‘This platform is the outcome of Research in Motion’s ongoing passion to deliver a powerful, simplified and optimised user experience.’
RIM’s latest phone features a 5-megapixel camera with flash, 4GB of internal memory, an additional 4GB microSD card slot, GPS, Wi-Fi and integrated 3G. The Torch is to reach the US market from August 12, though some tech experts have offered mixed views on the device’s debut.
According to the Boy Genius Report, a web blog that specialises in consumer gadgets, ‘this is a stop gap device for current Blackberry users… and that’s an issue.’
Ben Wood, An analyst from CCS Insight, countered such claims, stating that Torch ‘helps Research in Motion to narrow the gap on its rivals.’
