BlackBerry Torch 9800
RIM Dinged with Bluetooth-Related Patent Suit
Wi-LAN has filed a lawsuit against Research In Motion alleging that the BlackBerry maker is infringing on a single patent related to Bluetooth technology. Wi-LAN says a number of RIM's smartphones, such as the Bold, Pearl, Storm, and Torch, infringe on the patent. It is seeking damages and an injunction to halt sales of the devices in the U.S. Wi-LAN is a patent licensing firm. It has filed similar lawsuits against Apple, HTC, and Sierra Wireless over LTE technology. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
NXP Sues RIM Over Patents, Wants Triple Damages
Research In Motion was hit with a lawsuit by NXP, which alleges that RIM's BlackBerry Torch, Curve, and Bold smartphones infringe on six of its patents. NXP wants sales of the devices halted, and compensatory and triple damages. It's not immediately clear to which technologies the patents pertain.
Apple, HTC, LG, RIM, Samsung Targeted by Patent Suit
A company called Graphics Properties Holdings recently filed a lawsuit against Apple, HTC, LG, RIM, Samsung, and Sony, alleging that the companies' products violate its intellectual property. Specifically, the lawsuit covers a patent pertaining to how mobile devices process data and text into pixels on a display. The lawsuit names the Apple iPhone, HTC EVO 4G, LG Thrill, RIM BlackBerry Torch, Samsung Galaxy S/S II, and Sony Xperia Play as violating the patent. Graphics Properties, which has already sued some of these same companies under a different name, is seeking damages and royalty agreements.
AT&T and RIM Announce 4G BlackBerry Lineup
AT&T and Research In Motion today announced three upcoming 4G handsets that will be added to AT&T's smartphone lineup over the course of the next few months. First is the BlackBerry Torch 9810, an update to last year's 9800. The Torch 9810 is a vertical slider with a 3.2-inch touch screen with "Liquid Graphics" and a portrait QWERTY keyboard. It will run BlackBerry 7 and includes a 1.2GHz processor, 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video capture, and 8GB of built-in storage. RIM says that the BlackBerry 7 system software is faster, more efficient, and easier to use than BlackBerry 6. It includes a digital compass, support for augmented reality apps, and can surf the web 40% faster than BlackBerries running OS 6. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 will be available later this month for an undisclosed price. AT&T also said that it will offer a 4G version of the BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 (previously announced by RIM), and a 4G all-touch BlackBerry called the 9860. All three with be able to access AT&T's HSPA+ 4G network at speeds up to 14.4Mbps, which AT&T says is four times faster than current BlackBerry models.
BlackBerry Torch Web Site Reveals New Slider
The new BlackBerry Torch, expected to be revealed today at an event with co-sponsor AT&T, has been revealed on an AT&T Web site. The upcoming phone will be a QWERTY slider with a 3.2-inch, HVGA touchscreen display and an optical trackpad. The phone will use a new BlackBerry 6 OS with a "new rich Web browsing experience." Inside, the phone will pack 512MB of RAM, plus 4GB of Flash storage, in addition to a microSD slot with a preloaded 4GB card. The Torch is driven by a 624 MHz processor. The phone will offer tabbed browsing and multi-touch, pinch-to-zoom capabilities. A new social networking feed application will come bundled with the device, with support for Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. The new Torch will shoot photos with a 5 megapixel camera. The phone will support Wi-Fi with 802.11n networking. AT&T's BlackBerry Torch will use tri-band HSDPA networking and quad-band EDGE. The phone will be available on August 12 for $200 with a contract agreement.
