RIM's launch of 5 BlackBerry OS 7 devices, not without highs and lows

RIM moved forward today on some of its promised plans (CP: BlackBerry fallout: Does RIM really have a plan?), introducing five new BlackBerry handsets running its new BlackBerry 7 OS. Making the announcement from London, it was RIM's largest launch to date, and certainly its largest global launch — a notable decision, given the increasing reliance of the handset maker, and the industry, on non-U.S. customers. (Unfiltered: Apple's record-breaking iPhone sales came thanks to developing markets.)

More than 225 carriers and distribution partners will later this month begin offering the phones: the keyboard-geared BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930, RIM's thinnest phones ever and its first to include NFC (near-field communications) technology; the touchscreen-focused BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860; and the slideout-keyboard-boasting Torch 9810.

The new BB7 OS is said to feature a more fluid Web browsing experience that's 100% faster than BB5-based phones and features optimized HTML5 performance for excellent gaming and video viewing.

All five new smartphones also feature a "range of powerful hardware enhancements including a 1.2GH processor, HD video recording, 24-bit high-resolution graphics and advanced sensors enabling new augmented reality applications such as Wikitude that can be seamlessly integrated with BBM6," RIM said in a statement.

The Bold 9900 and 9930 feature 2.8-inch high-res multi-touch displays, 8GB of on-board memory expandable to 40GB, 5-megapixel cameras with 720p HD video recording, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity, and tri-band UMTS/HSPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/Edge radios.

The 9850 and 9860 feature 3.7-inch touch displays and virtual keypads, 4GB of on-board memory expandable to 36GB, 5-megapixel cameras with HD video recording, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity, and dual-band CDMA 2000 1x EVDO Rev A, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and single-band UMTS radios.

While the Torch 9810 features a 3.2-inch high-resolution touch display, a 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording, GPS and Wi-Fi and support for 2G, 3G and HSPA voice and data networks, including international roaming.

"We certainly expect these new devices to help to boost sales in 2H11 as they all come with additional features, cool apps and are targeting different segments of the market and various wireless networks," Informa Telecoms & Media principal analyst Malik Saadi said in an Aug. 3 research note.

However, the news isn't all good for RIM, which intended to launch these devices during the second quarter but didn't, to the disappointment of the developer community, Saadi continued.

"NFC is a nice-to-have feature, but, as there are limited applications and services supporting it in market currently, it is not a huge differentiator and only adds an additional cost to the device," he explained. "Also, the 'all-touchscreen' Torch has been a while coming as a natural successor to the disappointing Storm, particularly when the smartphone market has gone touchscreen mad over the past 18 months."

As if that weren't enough, Saadi had two more "alsos."

The first is that BB6 apps aren't automatically compatible with BB7, "which means that developers will have to create one version for BB6 and another for BB7 in order to target a wider audience," said Saadi. "Also, as there is no upgrade path from BB6 to BB7, users who want BB7 will need to get one of the new smartphones, which may discourage developers from supporting BB7 until these device sales grow."

Co-Ceo Mike Lazaridis, in a statement, said he expects customers will love and be "thrilled by the faster performance, enhanced browsing and richer multimedia delivered by these powerful new ... smartphones."