Research in Motion To Launch 5 New BlackBerry 7 Operating System

Published on August 5, 2011

August 4, 2011 – 2:01am Torch 9810, Bold 9900/9930 and Torch 9850/9860

Canadian smartphone maker Research in Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.TO) Wednesday said it plans to launch 5 new BlackBerry smartphones based on the new BlackBerry 7 Operating System. The products will begin to be available from carriers around the world starting later this month.

In its largest ever global launch of BlackBerry smartphones with more than 225 carriers and distribution partners around the world, the company will introduce two new BlackBerry Bold models, 9900 and 9930, and three new BlackBerry Torch models, 9800, 9850 and 9860, all featuring RIM’s next generation of hardware and software platforms.

Separately, telecom operator AT&T Inc. on Wednesday outlined plans for its future portfolio of 4G BlackBerry smartphones including the exclusive 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810, planned to be launched in August. The company will also offer Bold 9900 and Torch 9860.

Research in Motion said the new Bold series phones are its thinnest smartphones ever, each offering a large keyboard and brilliant touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. They are also the first to include built-in support for Near Field Communications or NFC, a new technology that is enabling the ability to pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags, among others.

The new Torch 9810 smartphone combines a large touch display with a convenient slide-out keyboard, while 9850 and 9860 introduce an all-new, all-touch design featuring the largest display on a BlackBerry smartphone to date.

Further, the next-generation BlackBerry 7 OS, which combines advanced WebKit browser engine with the powerful hardware enhancements, are up to 40% faster than BlackBerry 6 based smartphones and up to 100% faster than BlackBerry 5 based smartphones, the company said.

As per a recent report by comScore Inc. (SCOR), Research In Motion ranked second among smartphone platforms with 27.1 percent, trailing behind Google’s Android with 34.7 percent market share.

Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO of Research In Motion, said, “This is the largest global launch of BlackBerry smartphones in our history. The BlackBerry solution offers a best-in-class mobile communications experience that customers love and we think they will be thrilled by the faster performance, enhanced browsing and richer multimedia delivered by these powerful new BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Torch smartphones.”

Struggling to withstand intense competition from rivals, including Apple Inc.(AAPL), in the smartphone as well as tablet computer markets, the company recently said that it would streamline operations across the organization as part of its cost optimization program, including about 10 percent cut in global workforce.