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Photos: BlackBerry Bold and two Torches usher in BlackBerry OS 7

Device trio carry latest operating system from RIM...
By Jo Best, Contributor
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1 of 11 Jo Best/silicon.com

BlackBerry new smartphones

Device trio carry latest operating system from RIM...

BlackBerry maker RIM today added three new devices to its portfolio with the launch of the Bold 9900, and Torch 9810 and 9850.

The 9900 and 9810 both feature a touchscreen as well as a Qwerty keyboard - the latter's is a slide-out - while the Torch 9850 is an all-touch device.

All three devices run the latest version of RIM's operating system, BlackBerry 7, along with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor and five-megapixel camera.

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BlackBerry Torch 9850 backgammon

BlackBerry Messenger is making a greater appearance in the OS, with RIM tying its social features into more applications.

Among them is the Backgammon game - shown above running on the 9850 - included on the handsets, which users can invite their BBM contacts to play.

BBM has also been integrated with Facebook Chat, allowing BlackBerry 7 users to message contacts between the platforms.

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Wikitude on BlackBerry Torch 9810

BBM is also put to use with BlackBerry 7's inclusion of the augmented reality app, Wikitude.

The app layers data points by location on top of the real world view provided by the phone's camera - shown above on a Torch 9810.

On BlackBerry 7, Wikitude is integrated with social services such as Facebook, Twitter and BBM to enable BlackBerry users to find their nearest contacts.

According to RIM, Wikitude could be used to help users find friends in parks, music festivals and restaurants.

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BlackBerry 7 on Bold 9900

BlackBerry 7 - shown here on a Bold 9900 - also comes loaded with the premium version of document editing and viewing software Documents To Go.

BlackBerry Balance software is also integrated into the OS - RIM's response to the consumerisation of IT trend. Balance allows the IT department to control business information independently of a user's personal data. For example, should a staff member leave a company and take their BlackBerry with them, the IT department can remove passwords and other corporate information while leaving the user's personal contacts and data intact.

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BlackBerry Bold 9900

The three devices launched today are expected to be available in the UK in the coming weeks.

The Bold 9900, back view pictured above, is RIM's first NFC phone.

The company is expecting NFC to take off in the UK this year. "Boris [Johnson, Mayor of London] has announced he wants the Olympics to be as contactless as possible - we think that's a strong catalyst for change," RIM's UK MD Stephen Bates told silicon.com.

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BlackBerry Bold 9900

The Bold 9900 has a backlit keyboard, 8GB of onboard memory, GPS and a five-megapixel camera.

According to RIM, it's aimed at heavy messaging users.

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BlackBerry Torch 9850

The Torch 9850, on the other hand, is aimed at multimedia users and has a bevelled edge aimed at making it more comfortable to hold with a two-handed grip.

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BlackBerry Torch 9850

It too comes with a five-megapixel camera and GPS but has 4GB of onboard memory, expandable to up to 36GB.

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BlackBerry Torch 9850

With a 3.7-inch screen, the Torch 9850 has the largest display of any BlackBerry to date.

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BlackBerry Torch 9810

The Torch 9810 slider device is around 11cm long when shut and 15cm when open, and has a 3.2-inch display.

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BlackBerry Torch 9810

The Torch 9810 supports HSPA, the higher speed version of 3G.

To see how the BlackBerry has evolved over the years, check out our gallery of BlackBerrys through the ages.

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