Optus to offer new BlackBerrys in Sept

Optus announced today that it would offer two of the five new BlackBerry smartphones running the new BlackBerry 7 operating system.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900. (Credit: RIM)

Optus said that it would sell the BlackBerry Torch 9860 and the BlackBerry Bold 9900 from early September.

"We're excited that Optus customers will be among the first in the world to get their hands on these fantastic BlackBerry smartphones featuring the new BlackBerry 7 operating system," Austin R Bryan, Optus Digital Media director, said in a statement.

The phones are built on the BlackBerry 7 operating system, driven by a 1.2-GHz processor. They both have 5-megapixel cameras.

The phones offered by Optus are only two of five new BlackBerrys announced by the company overnight (two Bolds and three Torches), all based on the BlackBerry 7 operating system.

RIM is launching the five phones with 225 carriers and distribution partners globally, having started certification programs for the handsets.

The BlackBerry Torch 9860. (Credit: RIM)

The other Bold model is the 9930, and the other two new Torch models are the 9810 and 9850.

The Bolds are being touted as the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones yet at 10.5mm. They'll also have in-built near field communications (NFC) support. While the Torch 9810 has a keyboard, the 9850 and the 9860 introduce an all-touch design with what BlackBerry said was the largest display on a BlackBerry smartphone to date, at 3.7 inches instead of the 9810's 3.2 inches.

All devices feature RIM's new "Liquid Graphics" technology that promises to deliver faster speeds and a better touchscreen experience.

Other features include voice-activated universal search, augmented-reality experiences with BlackBerry Messenger 6 and a list of pre-installed apps that include BBM, BlackBerry App World, BlackBerry Balance, BlackBerry Protect and more.