BlackBerry Torch and Bold Smartphones Set for August Release

Research in Motion has announced the release date for their new BlackBerry phones, with the BlackBerry Bold and Torch coming to AT&T and Sprint on August 21, and Verizon on August 25.  After a very bad year, RIM will be hoping these phones can do enough to put the struggling company back in the spotlight.

The BlackBerry Torch 9810 will feature a slide-out keyboard and a 3.2 inch touchscreen, and is basically a refreshed version of the Torch 9800.  While it is much the same as the 9800, it comes with a higher resolution display at 640 x 480 pixels rather than 480 x 360, and better memory at 8GB instead of 4GB.  The Torch 9810 will be available on AT&Ts 4G LTE network.

Sprint will be stocking the BlackBerry Torch 9850, which loses the keyboard but adds a bigger 3.7 inch screen.  The Torch 9850 will run on Sprint’s 3G network, and will sell for $149.99 after a $50 rebate, with a two-year contract.

Sprint will also be stocking the BlackBerry Bold 9930, which is being marketed as RIMs thinnest phone at only 0.41 of an inch thick.  The Bold 9930 will feature a 2.4 inch touchscreen that sits above a full keyboard, and will include 8GB of memory and nearfield communication technology.  The Bold 9930 will run on Sprint’s 3G network and will sell for $249.99 with a two-year contract.

Verizon are stocking the same BlackBerry Bold 9930 for $249.99, also with a new two year data plan.  All phones will feature RIM’s new BlackBerry 7 mobile operating system, which will be one of the major factors that influences the failure or success of these releases.