RIM Unveils BlackBerry Torch for AT&T at Media Event

Trying to keep up with the iPhones and Droids of the world, Research In Motion unleashed its latest smartphone, the BlackBerry Torch, at a high-profile event Tuesday.

A little of the buzz surrounding the New York City unveiling was sapped last week when information about the Torch was leaked. Nonetheless, RIM hopes its newest gadget will help it compete with phones perceived as being more cool” and user-friendly.

As we reported a week ago, the Torch will operate on RIMs brand-new BlackBerry 6 operating system, which includes a new browser that allows you to access multiple Web pages at once. It has an application that allows for one view of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. It has a 5 megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and environment settings. It also offers a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and an optical trackpad. You can get it for $199 after signing up for a two-year service contract with AT&T.

AT&T calls the Torch the biggest leap yet in BlackBerry evolution.” Time will tell if consumers agree, or care about a company thats been going through some hard times of late. RIMs share price has dropped by one-quarter since March as many question the companys viability in the marketplace as competition gets tougher and tougher. Many large companies, and particularly IT directors once an easy mark for RIM are testing the iPhone and other devices.