New Blackberry Torch tries to take a bite out of Apple

Research in Motion reveals "slider" smart phone and new operating system, and tries to avoid bans on its products

Published August 3, 2010 4:04PM (EDT)

The new Blackberry 9800 Torch
The new Blackberry 9800 Torch

Research in Motion, maker of Blackberrys and Blackberry addicts, unveiled its new 9800 Torch model today, complete with new Blackberry 6 operating system, touch screen and fancy slider construction. There was a big press conference scheduled to reveal the shiny new toy, but AT&T (the exclusive carrier of this smart phone) accidentally posted all the information on its site early.

PC Magazine calls the Torch "new and different enough" after a hands-on test. Bloomberg is reporting that this year will also see a RIM tablet device, built to compete with the iPad. The San Francisco Chronicle covers the Blackberry-iPhone competition, and MarketWatch has its eye on Research in Motion's stock value today.

Adding to the heady storm of news around the Blackberry manufacturer is the discussion of a ban on some of the phones' functions in the United Arab Emirates, and Reuters is reporting that RIM will allow India to monitor its services and will block 3,000 porn sites that have other countries up in arms. Watch the Blackberry 9800 Torch launch video from Engadget below:

 


By Christine Mathias

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