New versions of the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Torch were unveiled in London this morning.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 has the distinctive BlackBerry keyboard and now includes an NFC chip for contactless payments and pairing with accessories. It is also, at 10.5mm, the thinnest handset RIM has made.
The BlackBerry Torch 9810 offers a touchscreen and a slide-out keyboard. A third model, the ‘all-touch’ BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860, is an entirely touchscreen device, which RIM says has been designed to feel comfortable whether it’s held in either portrait or landscape position.
Rob Orr, RIM’s VP for product for EMEA, said: “What we have tried to do is create choice.” He described the launch, which is RIM’s first to be held outside North America, as “probably our largest over global launch of smartphones”.
All three handsets have 1.2ghz processors and more memory than previous BlackBerry models and all three are running BlackBerry 7 OS - a new version of the BlackBerry operating system.
RIM says the new operating system delivers web browsing that is 40 per cent faster than on phones running BlackBerry 6 OS. It also comes with BlackBerry Liquid Graphics, which Mr Orr said is “the product of a really significant piece of research and development”. He said the new technology makes the phone feel quicker and more responsive.
Other improvements to the OS include integration with Wikitude Augmented Reality, an overhauled Facebook app and improvements to the popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), including the ability to view your BBM contacts from within another app, such as a game.
RIM has admitted enduring a “challenging start” to the year. The mobile firm has seen its market share decline in the US and the PlayBook, its entry into the tablet market, received mixed reviews. The company has cut its profit forecasts and announced job cuts.
The Torch 9810, aka the Torch 2 (that phone cleared the FCC last month), will be a part of AT&T's "premium" BlackBerry family, which will offer a "faster and more fluid" user experience. The design doesn't break new ground, but its top features include the new BlackBerry 7 OS and support for the carrier's "4G" HSPA+ network.
We haven't had a full hands-on with OS 7 just yet, though we expect to take it for a test drive very soon. According to AT&T, the upgrade will bring a faster and more efficient user experience, HD video recording, improved graphics, a digital compass, and augmented reality. What's more, browsing should be up to 40 percent faster than BlackBerry OS 6 smartphones (like the first Torch) and up to 100 percent faster than BlackBerry OS 5 based handsets.
Other features on the Torch 9810 are admirable. There's a 1.2GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and 8GB of onboard storage. The 3.2-inch touch-screen will be powered by BlackBerry Liquid Graphics, but you'll also get a slide-out keyboard.
Later in the year, you'll be able pick even more BlackBerry goodness when AT&T unveils the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the BlackBerry Torch 9860. The touch-screen 9900 doesn't come as a big shock given that we've heard so much about the phone since its unveiling three months ago at BlackBerry World (check out the hands-on from CNET Australia's Joseph Hanlon who was at the show).
Inside a thin design you should find OS 7, a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera, HSPA+ support, 8GB of internal memory, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. T-Mobile has committed to carrying the 9900 already, though rumors of a delay have persisted.
We know less about the Torch 9860 except that it also will support HSPA+ and it will be AT&T's first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone (OS 7 as well). Otherwise, we imagine that its other features will compare favorably to its siblings.
Pricing and exact availability for the devices wasn't available at the time of this writing, but we'll fill in the details as we get them. And we'll do our best to get a hands-on as soon as we can.
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