On Tuesday RIM and AT&T formally announced the latest BlackBerry handset and it’s called the BlackBerry Torch. It’s BB’s first slider smartphone, and it comes with a full QWERTY keyboard BB users are accustomed to. Let’s run through the specs, shall we? The Torch packs a 3.2″ (360 x 480) capacitive touch screen display, 5.0MP camera with flash, auto focus, image stabilization and geo-tagging, built-in GPS and 802.11n WiFi, quadband 3G radio, and 512MB of Flash memory with 4GB on-board and a microSD/SDHC memory card slot for additional storage (up to 32GB supported). It measures 4.4″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ when closed and 5.8″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ when the slider keyboard is out. Face buttons include start/end calls, main menu, back, and an optical trackpad. The Torch will be the very first BB to run the just detailed BlackBerry 6 operating system. This means it will include the fast Webkit browser (for which it was named after–RIM recently bought a company named Torch Mobile), integrated social feeds, a new multimedia experience, and universal search. The phone will be made available to purchase on August 12 for $199.99 on a new two-year contract with AT&T at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, RadioShack, and AT&T stores.
The brand new form factor is extremely compelling. It’s the new OS, which seems to be following the pack and not making its own strides, that I am worried about. Look in the gallery below for press shots and after the break for the PR and two “launch videos”.
[Via Engadget]
Today, Research In Motion (RIM) launched the BlackBerry Torch 9800 – RIM’s first slider smartphone. This premium new smartphone features a capacitive touch screen, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and the new BlackBerry 6 operating system, which includes a powerful WebKit browser. With the legendary BlackBerry keyboard you love accompanying a large touch screen, users now have the best of both worlds – a refined smartphone designed for the heart and the head. And with BlackBerry 6, graphical menus, intuitive navigation and universal search make the BlackBerry user experience the most dynamic ever!
Key BlackBerry Torch features include:
· Brand new form factor – Touch/QWERTY combination smartphone
· BlackBerry 6 – Featuring:
o Context-sensitive pop-up menus for more relevant options
o A new WebKit browser for faster and more robust performance
o Integrated social feeds including the ability to update multiple social networks from a single screen
o Engaging multimedia experience
o Universal Search to uncover results throughout your smartphone – from Contacts, Apps, data and the Web
· Sleek design with a touch-sensitive trackpad located on the front face of the device
· The first BlackBerry smartphone to include the new BlackBerry App World pre-installed, supporting carrier billing through AT&T, making it easier for customers to discover and purchase applications
· 3.2″ 360 x 480 capacitive touch screen display
· Vivid 5.0MP camera with flash, auto focus, image stabilization and geo-tagging
· Support for 3G networks (HSDPA)
· 512MB Flash memory, 4GB on‐board memory, microSD/SDHC memory card slot (4GB card included, cards up to 32GB supported)
· Built‐in GPS and Wi‐Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
· Network Support
o GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
o HSPDA/UMTS: 800/850/1900/2100 MHz
· Approximately 4.4″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ (closed), 5.8″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ (open)
In the U.S, the BlackBerry Torch will be available for AT&T customers on August 12 in AT&T company owned retail stores, online at www.att.com/blackberrytorch, and at Best Buy, Wal-Mart and RadioShack stores. The smartphone will be available for $199.99 with 2-year service agreement on a qualifying rate plan and data plan required. For more information about the BlackBerry Torch, please see the full press release at http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=4238.
For more details on BlackBerry 6, please watch the BlackBerry 6 YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWOkI_Urwo and visit http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=4237. Images of the BlackBerry Torch will be posted shortly at http://www.rim.com/newsroom/media/gallery/.