RIM Unveils 5 New BlackBerry Models

Research In Motion confirmed the launch Wednesday of five new BlackBerry 7 smartphones, a move many are seeing as RiM’s attempt to shake off its demons, get back into the mobile phone game and catch up to Apple’s iPhone.

President and Co-CEO of Research In Motion Mike Lazaridis said in a release Wednesday that the launch was the “largest global launch of BlackBerry smartphones in [the company’s] history.”

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930, BlackBerry Torch 9810 and BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 will run the BlackBerry 7 operating system, which features, among other improvements, a browser 40 per cent faster than the one included in the OS 6, and voice-activated device and web searching. BlackBerry Balance is also integrated into the new OS, a program that eliminates the need own two phones by separating corporate from personal access.

And BlackBerry Messenger 6, the newest version of BlackBerry's instant messenger application, will also come standard on the phones.

All three phones feature a five megapixel camera (which the iPhone already has) and 4x digital zoom (the iPhone has 5x.) The Torch 9850/9860 is also capable of producing 720 pixel HD videos (same as the iPhone 4.)

The two Bold models, which were announced earlier this year, are the thinnest BlackBerrys yet at 10.5 millimetres wide. In terms of phone design, CNET UK called it “a well built, well designed phone,” but also pointed out that it isn’t really groundbreaking. The 9930 is for CDMA markets, while the 9900 is for UMTS and GSM markets, but are otherwise the same handset.

The Torch 9810 still features a slide keyboard with a touch screen and track pad, unlike its “cousin”, the 9850/9860 Again, it seems like this phone is more of the same, though the BlackBerry blog calls it an “evolved” version of the Torch. The screen is larger than that of the Bold, and RiM calls it “a flexible device for people who require both form and function from their smartphone.”

The Torch 9850/9860 is completely touch screen, keyboard and all. Like the two Bold handsets, they are basically the same handset, the 9860 reserved for used in GMS and UMTS markets, while the 9850 can be used in CDMA or UMTS markets.

Intomobile, a blog that reports cell phone news, notes the phone’s resemblance to the Storm and questions RiM’s attempt to get away from the “negative stigma” associated with the Storm model. Its 3.7 inch display is only negligibly bigger than the iPhone.

Ovum analyst Tony Cripps told Reuters Wednesday that the new phones “…could well be the most important devices in the Canadian smart device vendor's history, following a recent slowdown in device shipments, staff cuts and doubts over the company's strategy and leadership.”

According to the RiM blog, Rogers, Bell and Telus will all carry the BlackBerry Torch 9810 and 9850/9860, but there’s no official word on the Bold models yet – the blog only mentions that they will be available around the world sometime this summer.