BlackBerry Torch to Launch for AT&T

RIM BlackBerry Torch (9800)

AT&T plans to sell the BlackBerry Torch, Research in Motion's first touch screen device with a slide-out keyboard, which also runs its revamped operating system, on August 12 for $200 with a two-year contract.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based handset maker said the Torch is the first device to run its BlackBerry 6 software, a redesigned interface seen as the company's effort to prove it can still compete against the surging popularity of Apple's iPhone and Google's Android smartphones. The Torch boasts a 5.0-megapixel camera, an inbox that integrates emails, along with updates from Facebook and Twitter, a universal search tool that scours for files on the phone and on the Web and Wi-Fi and high-speed HSDPA connectivity.
"It's not about bringing something new to BlackBerry but improving what we do best," said Don Lindsay, RIM's vice president for user experience. "We think this will be very powerful for users."
In past years, RIM built its lead in the lucrative smartphone sector from a loyal base of email hungry subscribers. But the company has seen its market share slip, in part, due to a slow adoption of touch screen technology and an explosion of feature-rich rivals.
RIM now hopes to turn around its fortunes with the Torch. The company is touting the device's latest operating system and better Web browser -- long a drawback on BlackBerrys -- with pinch-to-zoom capabilities.
Earlier this week, the United Arab Emirates announced plans to block BlackBerry services due to security concerns.