RIM Lighting Up the BlackBerry Torch Smartphone in Australia
Announcement posted by BlackBerry 21 Oct 2010
Thursday,
21 October, 2010 - Sydney, Australia – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:
RIMM; TSX: RIM) today introduced the BlackBerry Torch™ 9800 smartphone in
Australia. The BlackBerry Torch is the world’s first smartphone to combine a
user-friendly BlackBerry keyboard with a full touch screen experience and the
first to include the new BlackBerry 6 OS.
“The BlackBerry Torch has been highly anticipated here in Australia and we are
very proud to be launching this innovative new smartphone with our carrier
partners,” said Adele Beachley, Managing Director for Australia and New
Zealand, Research In Motion. “The new BlackBerry Torch smartphone builds on the
familiar and powerful capabilities of the BlackBerry platform to provide the
features that are ideal for socially connected consumers while also providing
the tools that business customers trust.”
The new BlackBerry Torch features an exciting combination of a large touch
screen, optical trackpad and backlit slide-out BlackBerry keyboard. It offers
support for high-speed 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) networks around the world, includes the
latest generation in Wi-Fi (b/g/n) connectivity and features built-in GPS for
location-based applications and geo-tagging. Its 5 MP camera takes exceptional
pictures with continuous auto focus, image stabilisation, scene modes and zoom,
and it also supports video recording. In addition, it comes with a combined 8
GB of media storage out-of-the-box and includes a microSD/SDHD memory card slot
that can bring the total storage memory to 36 GB for customers who want more.
BlackBerry 6
The BlackBerry Torch is the first BlackBerry smartphone to launch with
BlackBerry 6, a new operating system that retains the trusted features of the
BlackBerry brand while delivering a rich experience that’s powerful and easy to
use. It includes expanded messaging capabilities with intuitive features to simplify
the management of social networking and RSS feeds (Social Feeds), and provides
integrated access to BBM™ (BlackBerry Messenger), Facebook, Twitter™,
MySpace™ and various instant messaging applications available on the BlackBerry
Torch smartphone. Its enhanced multimedia experience rivals the best in the
industry and includes a dedicated YouTube app and Podcasts app.
BlackBerry 6 has a redesigned interface and integrates a new and rich
WebKit-based browser that renders HTML web pages (as well as HTML email)
quickly and beautifully for a great browsing experience. It features tabs for
accessing multiple sites simultaneously, pinch to zoom for easy navigation and
a zoom feature that can intelligently wrap text in a column while maintaining
the placement of a page's key elements (simply double-tap on the BlackBerry
Torch).
“One of the new features of BlackBerry 6 that I particularly like is Universal
Search,” said Beachley. “It is easily accessible and allows users to search
through everything on their handset – email, messages, contacts, music, videos
and more – as well as extend their search to the Internet or to discover
applications on BlackBerry App World™.”
Pricing and Availability
The new BlackBerry Torch smartphone is expected to be available from Optus
‘yes’ stores from the 21 October 2010. The BlackBerry Torch 9800 will be
available from Telstra and VHA in the coming months. Please check with carriers
for in-store dates and pricing.
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About
Research In Motion (RIM)
Research
In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionised the
mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry solution in 1999.
Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers
around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most
throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM
operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM
is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange
(TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com
or www.blackberry.com.
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Media Contacts:
Antoinette Trovato, RIM Australia, 0437 763 316, atrovato@rim.com
Katie Judge, Spectrum Communications, 02 9954 3299, blackberry@spectrumcomms.com.au