RIM unveils new BlackBerry Torch (9800), new OS aims to challenge Apple's iPhone.

[Mayareira]

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/2010/..._torch.top.jpg

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Research In Motion unveiled the much-hyped BlackBerry Torch 9800 on Tuesday, a new touch-screen BlackBerry smartphone with a pull-out keyboard and a significantly updated operating system that is designed to compete with the likes of the iPhone and Android smartphones.

The new phone will hit U.S. stores August 12 and will be priced at $199.99 for customers who purchase a two-year service agreement. RIM said the Torch will be available to international customers "in the months ahead."
AT&T (T, Fortune 500) will be the exclusive carrier of the Torch 9800, the first BlackBerry to run RIM's modernized operating system, BlackBerry OS 6. The new operating system gives BlackBerry its first full Web browser, as well as other features that are common on most of today's smartphones like social networking integration, universal search and multiple home screens.

The new phone also includes a 5 megapixel camera, built-in GPS, and video recording at up to 640x480 resolution. RIM estimates that the phone's battery charge will last for 5.8 hours of talk time on 3G networks. (Follow Fortune.com's live blog of the BlackBerry launch.)

Like the iPhone, the BlackBerry Torch will be covered by AT&T's metered data plans. The less-expensive DataPlus plan allows 200 MB of data each month for $15, with the pricier DataPro offering 2 GB of data for $25.

The Torch is RIM's (RIMM) first attempt at a combination touch-screen/physical keyboard hybrid, and looks somewhat like the Palm Pre. Verizon Wireless' (VZ, Fortune 500) BlackBerry Storm and subsequent Storm 2 were RIM's preliminary tries at a touch-screen, but without a physical keyboard, they never appealed to RIM's core customers and failed to live up to the "iPhone killer" hype.

With the Torch 9800, RIM hopes it has a phone that will appeal to both its dedicated corporate customers as well as fickle consumers that are constantly in search of the new best thing.

The Torch allows users to preview e-mails, appointments, texts and social network updates in one location. The phone has a much-improved media experience with Wi-Fi music synchronization, a new podcast app and an easy-to-manage photo gallery with a pretty neat two-finger tap function for selecting multiple images. Social media is easier too, with a feed that integrates Twitter, Facebook and other sources.

The phone's 624 Mhz processor is fast compared to previous BlackBerry devices, but not compared to the 1 Ghz speeds available in other $200 smartphones like the iPhone 4, HTC Evo and Motorola Droid X. No new third-party apps for the Torch stood out at RIM's unveiling of the device, but the company said it has made the app development process much easier, which should help it compete with bolder and richer app selections on the iPhone and Android app stores.

In all, the Torch is certainly the best BlackBerry available and a marked improvement over previous versions, but it's more of a catch-up device than a leap forward compared to its smartphone competitors.

"If you like BlackBerry, you'll look at this design and think it's a nice upgrade, but it's not going to convince anyone that's looking for an iPhone to change their minds," said Ken Dulaney, analyst at Gartner. "The Torch is a market-holder rather than a market-expander."

BlackBerry has been able to make significant inroads with consumers in past years with low-priced models like the Pearl and Curve. For users who text a lot -- especially teens -- the BlackBerry keyboard is a hit, as is the BlackBerry Messaging service.

Still, the momentum has shifted in the mobile world towards Apple and Google. Despite BlackBerry's commanding lead in the smartphone market, with double the market share of the nearest competitor, Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500), BlackBerry's growth has stalled in recent quarters.

Apple and Google had bested RIM's devices in terms of ease of use, availability of third-party applications, touch-screen technology and Web browsing capabilities -- to name just a few critical smartphone components. Plus, newer iPhones and Android phones offer secure Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail and calendar support -- the hallmark of RIM's devices.

The good news for RIM is that more than half of its business comes from the slow-to-change enterprise space. Though some are starting to dabble in iPhones and Android phones, BlackBerry remains the corporate smartphone brand.

Shares of RIM were down 2% on Tuesday in mid-afternoon trading. The stock rose nearly 3% immediately following the announcement and then quickly fell into negative territory.

Source - CNN

First full web browser, finally.

[OWS_Tonx]

Pass. I loved my Tour, but the Motorola Droid puts it to shame.
Edit - High hopes for it. If it is as good as its said to be, may be worth looking at, but I dislike AT&T, so I'm not too sure about it for myself.

[Mayareira]

I've been using BB 9700 and loving it, but it looks like the new OS won't be supported by older models.

Not fun, since I'd love to have a full web browser on it and Opera Mini 5.0 is just too buggy to be worthwhile so far.

EDIT: And Opera Mini crashes yet again. Worst thing is, I'll have to take the battery off to get it fixed.

[*Shinzon*]

Is this particular phone going to be a Verizon specific model like the storm? Fucking verizon service is balls.

[OWS_Tonx]

It says it's AT&T like iPhone. Unless I misread it.

[Krandor]

Holy shit, a thread from Mayareira that involves Apple.

inb4 not an Apple fanboy and lolMayareira

[Siniroth]

Sounds like something I'll be getting when my current phone contract expires in december

Edit: I'm in Canada, so I won't have terrible service and it'll be out later than it is for you USA people so any immediately destructive bugs will be gone

[wyrmtung]

I was disappointed with this announcement. There was a lot of anticipation in the last week but this product is kind of meh. Doesn't seem innovative.

[Julian]

Of course this topic must be about how this new phone is "challenging the iphone", and not actually about the new phone.

And then I saw who the OP was, and it made even more sense.

My mom has a blackberry, looks meh, never really cared for it.

[Korietsu]

Blackberry on the worst cellular service in the nation? Yep, sure challenging that iPhone 4.

[vagus]

Blackberry on the worst cellular service in the nation? Yep, sure challenging that iPhone 4.

Yo Iphone 4 fanboy, get off of Steve Job's penis.

Some of you seem to think that Blackberry is the worst company in the world. Lol. BB has a huge following and nerdy tech guys are so against it. The business world loves it. On that note, this new BB OS seems interesting but the new phone they're introducing isn't anything groundbreaking. BB needs to figure out something before more Android phones start to take over the market.

[Krandor]

Yo Iphone 4 fanboy, get off of Steve Job's penis.

Some of you seem to think that Blackberry is the worst company in the world. Lol. BB has a huge following and nerdy tech guys are so against it. The business world loves it. On that note, this new BB OS seems interesting but the new phone they're introducing isn't anything groundbreaking. BB needs to figure out something before more Android phones start to take over the market.

Holy shit, read his post.

He was saying that putting the new Blackberry on what is arguably the worst cellular service in the country is a stupid idea, not that RIM was a bad company. At last check in the smartphone world they still have the largest userbase of any of the big 3 (Android, iOS, Blackberry), though that number is dropping quickly to the other companies.

And to be fair the only reason the business world loves Blackberry is because of their private email system, which is also the source of grief for them of late with countries overseas blocking Blackberry email since they can't monitor it.

[Izzy]

I'm pretty sure Mayareira is either the biggest Apple fanboi ever, or the greatest Apple vs PC vs etc troll ever.

[Korietsu]

Yo Iphone 4 fanboy, get off of Steve Job's penis.

Some of you seem to think that Blackberry is the worst company in the world. Lol. BB has a huge following and nerdy tech guys are so against it. The business world loves it. On that note, this new BB OS seems interesting but the new phone they're introducing isn't anything groundbreaking. BB needs to figure out something before more Android phones start to take over the market.

Amazingly enough, I'm an android user. I hate ATT with a passion. I wouldn't even have a cell phone if I had to use ATT. I'd get a goddamned satphone before that. With RIM actively fucking themselves in the ass, and their shitty interface and shitty design they're not going to be around much longer in anywhere but business if that. I know the majority of BB users have them right now are because they can't afford something like an iPhone or a Droid or they had them before the iPhone changed the paradigm market.

Sent from my DROIDX on Verizon Wireless.

[Marajade]

From what I've seen, its basicly a vastly improved version of the storm. Its not as fluid or as flashy as the iPhone is, but then again its a BlackBerry. Its for buisnesses, and people who want a phone to do work, and less for playing around. It has very nice features and blends towards the 'this is neat' aspect the iPhone shoots for, but its still a buisness phone, and needs to be looked at as such.

That said. Do you need to upgrade to it if you like your current blackberry? Probably not. Looking to upgrade already? Worth it in my opinion.

Also, you can update your OS on your older BB phones to OS6, but only if they have the onboard memory to handle it.

[vagus]

Amazingly enough, I'm an android user. I hate ATT with a passion. I wouldn't even have a cell phone if I had to use ATT. I'd get a goddamned satphone before that. With RIM actively fucking themselves in the ass, and their shitty interface and shitty design they're not going to be around much longer in anywhere but business if that. I know the majority of BB users have them right now are because they can't afford something like an iPhone or a Droid or they had them before the iPhone changed the paradigm market.

Sent from my DROIDX on Verizon Wireless.

You do make a great point that many BB users jumped into the market pre-Iphone. If BB does not make major changes soon, they will continue to lose people to Iphone's slick design and the Droid / google Machine.

Droid phones are starting to become more and more slick. The O/S becoming more stable and user friendly which will compete with the IPhone. I've had a Iphone and a BB and they both have their uses, but i want a HTC EVO.

[Kurokikaze]

Yeah seriously... I'm getting a little tired of these threads dude. Wanna take your trolling/flamebaiting elsewhere?

This makes what...? 5? I don't remember anymore.

[Krandor]

Yeah seriously... I'm getting a little tired of these threads dude. Wanna take your trolling/flamebaiting elsewhere?

This makes what...? 5? I don't remember anymore.

From the last thread he started

Microsoft, terrified by Apple's success, looking deeper into the tablet market
Apple is set to revolutionize the input device market next.
Kin, Microsoft's "iPhone killer", fails 6 weeks after launch.
Do you believe in Astrology? (That turned into such a laugh fest, tho unrelated to topic at hand)
Steve Jobs: "Flash is no longer necessary, html5 is the future.", Microsoft&Google agrees.
Cupidtino - A new dating site for elite Apple fans.
Apple releases iPad.
Apple unveils iPhone OS 4.0

So he's now started 9 threads on BG, 8 of them Apple flamebait

[Mayareira]

Started more like 60+ threads actually (only 56 shows up, rest, older ones don't) and...

"Apple releases iPad, Apple unveils iPhone OS 4" are far from flamebaits. I approach news with a completely objective point of view with no Apple bias or whatsoever.

Besides, I don't even use an iPhone. I'm a BlackBerry person.

[Krandor]

I approach news with a completely objective point of view with no Apple bias or whatsoever

Sig worthy.