RIM releases new touchscreen BlackBerry Torch

[kawikaratekid]

http://www.thestar.com/article/843248--rim-unveils-new-touchscreen-blackberry-torch

[kawikaratekid]

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) has officially released details about its latest smartphone that the company hopes will challenge Apple's iPhone.

The BlackBerry Torch was revealed at a press conference in New York Tuesday and boasts a touchscreen and a slide-out keyboard.

The Canadian company is also pushing a new operating system as a means to compete with other consumer smartphones that surf the web, play music and video and, of course, make calls.

RIM says the new operating system handles RSS and social media feeds, including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

The latest web browser also supports tabs to view multiple sites simultaneously and is designed to automatically format text for easiest reading.

A new multimedia feature allows users to wirelessly access their iTunes library over Wi-Fi and download songs to a BlackBerry.

The new OS will work on the new Torch and other BlackBerrys already on the market, including the Bold 9700, Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G

[rated_rko]

i dunno...i like the concept but i dont see it killing the iphone

[natenator]

i dunno...i like the concept but i dont see it killing the iphone
It's not meant to kill the iphone.

For March - May (comScore only releases quarterly updates) RIM still leads the smartphone market share with 41.7% and Apple at 24.4%. No doubt the next quarterly findings will be shifted a bit with the release of Iphone 4 but I don't believe RIM will suffer dramatically. Although, even a few percentage points represents millions of users.

[kawikaratekid]

It`s a great concept! I think the new operating system will welcome new developers. It definitely won`t kill the iPhone but the business world is going to love what this phone can do.

[Forever]

I am so over touch screen's, I miss real buttons. While its nice that RIM is making a "play phone" to compete with the other's I hope they don't completely abandon their less flashy business oriented model of phones. The reason they are still the number one in the market isn't because of people who want to be cool or spend 10 hours a day playing games on their phone, its because business runs on blackberry and business doesn't give a shit about touch screen and fancy apps. RIM makes a phone first and foremost for people who need to get the job done. I think if they lose sight of this they will be losing their primary market and just feeding off of apples iphone dribble like everyone else.

[natenator]

I am so over touch screen's, I miss real buttons. While its nice that RIM is making a "play phone" to compete with the other's I hope they don't completely abandon their less flashy business oriented model of phones. The reason they are still the number one in the market isn't because of people who want to be cool or spend 10 hours a day playing games on their phone, its because business runs on blackberry and business doesn't give a shit about touch screen and fancy apps. RIM makes a phone first and foremost for people who need to get the job done. I think if they lose sight of this they will be losing their primary market and just feeding off of apples iphone dribble like everyone else.
hence why the Torch is an interesting idea. If it can offer all of the Iphone et al AND while still have a keypad then I think it's a winner.

I am leaning towards an Iphone simply because I want one device for everything these days. I use my Itouch at home I am very productive with it eg: I can do all my online banking with it. I use my Itouch in place of a computer and only bring out a computer when I *need* to (things I can do or as easily with my Itouch).

If the new Torch can play music as well as the Iphone can; offer me the multimedia capabilities like the Iphone AND maintain my text-based communication productivity then it is likely I will stick with BB.

I've used BB since 2001 so switching for me is no lighthearted matter but frankly, I need more out of a device than what the current line of Blackberry's offer.

Also: I have the Bold 9000 and cannot use the 9700 due to a small keyboard size so if BB is going to keep making keyboards smaller than I may as well upgrade to a device which I can at least get some additional enjoyment out of.

[cog]

Any updates on reliability?

[Sandwiches]

it's gtg, had it since it came out and no problems what so ever... and it will soon have flash support

[vanskelig]

i tried a torch the other week, well, all week, I sent it back. Coming from iphone to android and trying to go to BB is impossible, the OS is so weak it becomes beyond frustrating to use.