Research in Motion presented two new devices in London, which are placed in the Torch Series. The new phones are the Torch 9810 and the Torch 9860. Both devices have a touchscreen and are running BlackBerry OS 7.
Both the 9810 and the 9860 leaked prematurely. The Torch 9810 was in the rumor mill kas the Torch 2, and resembles the Torch 9800. Under the hood, several improvements have been implemented. Like the Bold 9900, the new Torch is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor from Qualcomm. The 3.2 inch touchscreen and sliding keyboard remain as they are. The 5 megapixel camera stays as well.
The 9860 was known as Blackberry Touch, but now it is added to the Torch series. This device, unlike the Torch 9810, has no physical keyboard. The Torch 9860 can be operated using a 3.7 inch touchscreen, and as such is an outsider in the smartphone programme from RIM, which mainly includes devices with a physical keyboard. The 9860 comes with a built-in compass, a feature that we do not often see in smartphones.
Multimedia
The phone is well equipped with multimedia options. With a 5 megapixel camera it is possible to record a 720p video. The Torch 9860 can be seen as the successor to the Storm 2, the previous BlackBerry device with just a touchscreen. That handset had little success. In an attempt to regain market share grom Apple's iPhone, and Android phones of various brands, the Canadian manufacturer will again tries to make a touch-only phone.
RIM is heavily under fire lately. The company has to cope with activist shareholders, who believe that the downward spiral in which the brand has ended up, can be turned by splitting the company into a division that develops smart phones and tablets, and a division that makes software for devices. BlackBerry's software is much praised for the protection provided by these features. Especially companies strongly attach to it.
QNX
At the press conference in Londen, RIM promised with to come with more devices to soon. The expectation is that the company will bring out smartphones equipped with the operating system you find on the PlayBook, QNX. The new phones that were launched today don’t come with QNX, unfortunately. Both new Torches come to the store near the end of August.