RIM Plans to Release Seven New BlackBerry Smartphones This Year

Posted on Aug 2nd 2011

Research in Motion (RIM) announced ambitious plans to release seven new BlackBerry smartphones before the year ends – all of which will be running RIM’s next-generation operating system BB OS 7.

Specifics on two of the new phones were released by RIM in May -- the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the Bold 9930. The new Bold models look practically identical to the existing Bold handsets, except that the displays are now touch screens. They are also much thinner and sleeker. The Bold 9900 is headed for T-Mobile as the carrier's first-ever 4G-capable BlackBerry; the 9930 is a global dual-mode CDMA/GSM phone that will likely head for Verizon Wireless.

The new list of smartphones is also rumored to include a few leaked devices, like the 9860, the 9850 Torch 2 (Monaco/Monza) and a Curve Touch.

The new smartphones will ship with BlackBerry OS 7, which promises augmented reality applications via a built-in magnetometer and faster performance thanks to a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor. The browser also promises to be speedier, with a just-in-time JavaScript compiler and HTML5 video support. NFC (near field communications) technology is another feature, designed for mobile payments. Voice search and 720p HD video recording are also welcome additions.

Source: CNET