RIM launches two new BlackBerry Torch phones

Research In Motion on Wednesday took the wraps off two more powerful versions of its touchscreen BlackBerry Torch, aiming to buy time until it can introduce a radically new software package in its smartphones.

The new phones, along with a Bold upgrade unveiled earlier, are part of what the Canadian company called its biggest global launch ever as it seeks to claw back North American market share losses from Apple’s iconic iPhone and a slew of devices running on Google’s Android software.

Investors reacted favorably, pushing RIM’s deflated stock price up 3 percent.

“RIM’s new BlackBerry smartphones could well be the most important devices in the Canadian smart device vendor’s history, following a recent slowdown in device shipments, staff cuts and doubts over the company’s strategy and leadership,” Ovum analyst Tony Cripps said.

The three touchscreen phones, running on the new BlackBerry OS 7, boast improved screen displays and pack a 1.2 GHz processor from Qualcomm, the most powerful ever for a BlackBerry phone. All three devices will launch with carriers globally by the end of August, RIM said… Read More [via reuters]