BlackBerry announces multimedia-rich Torch 9800 handset

The next push for BlackBerry will come in the form of the Torch, a slider handset offering the best of both worlds: a 3.2-inch touchscreen and a compact QWERTY keyboard.

This new handset also offers a ton of other features including 4GB of storage built in, expandable memory with a microSD slot, 3G with quad-band support (meaning you can take it practically anywhere in the world), 802.11n WiFi, GPS, a 5 megapixel camera with flash, and a touch-sensitive trackpad.
But the announcements didn’t stop there as the makers of the BlackBerry – Research In Motion – announced a new version of the BlackBerry operating system. Named BlackBerry 6, the new OS includes integrated social networking, HTML5 support, a more visual interface, and more multimedia support including the ability to browse your iTunes library over WiFi on your phone.
The good news is that this new operating system won’t be limited to owners of the Torch. Research In Motion has said that the update will becoming later this year to owners of the Bold 9700, Bold 9650, and Pearl 3G smartphones. No word on whether BlackBerry Storm and Storm 2 owners will be included in this group, but we can only hope.
Meanwhile, Australians hoping to grab the Torch are in luck. We’ve been told that it should be available in the coming months from Optus, Telstra, Vodafone and 3.
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