RIM launches BlackBerry Torch 9800

Posted on 5 Aug 2010 at 12:54

Research in Motion has announced its latest BlackBerry smartphone - and the first to use its new generation of operating system, BlackBerry 6 - the Torch 9800.

Just announced in the US and caught by SlashGear, the new handset brings a radical redesign for a company which has previously focused on small screens and an often clunky operating system - which, in the wake of Google's Android and Microsoft's up-coming Windows Phone 7, was getting increasingly outdated.

The company is clearly hoping that the BlackBerry Torch 9800 will change that image for good: a large 3.2in 480x360 touch-screen display slides up to reveal the physical keyboard that the company would have been crazy to ditch, while the on-board camera is an impressive 5 megapixel unit with auto-focus and flash.

As well as 3G connectivity, the Torch 9800 includes 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi for connection to home or corporate networks and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR for hands-free use.

The new OS offers a "visual, fluid interface" along with improved music and video playback options and integration with social networking feeds such as Facebook and Twitter without the need to install separate applications. A new web browser is also part of the package, although support for Adobe's Flash technology - introduced to Android smartphones as part of the 2.2 release - is still missing.

While official UK pricing has yet to be announced, Vodafone has confirmed that it will be offering the handset and has opened a pre-registration page on its site.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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