We had seen the BlackBerry Torch 2 in a series of product rendering shots and leaked roadmaps, but today we get to see the real thing up and running. It’s running OS 6.1, and the few shots show options for Bridge (to share e-mail, contacts, and other PIM apps to the PlayBook tablet), as well as a magnetic compass app to show which direction you’re facing, and what looks like a gyroscope calibration app, which will no doubt be necessary to make sure augmented reality apps work properly.The exterior is reportedly identical to the original Torch (i.e. slide-out keyboard, lock/mute rocker on the top, micro USB on the left, convenience key, headphone jack, and volume control on the right).
In terms of specs, we’re expecting a 1.2 GHz processor, 3.2-inch 640 x 480 display, 8 GB of storage (plus microSD memory card), 512 MB of RAM, 5 megapixel camera with flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G, near-field communications (for tap-and-go payments), and OpenGL support for 3D graphics.
With that, we will have seen three of RIM’s upcoming BlackBerry handsets in the wild: the Touch (Monaco/Monza), the Bold Touch (Montana), and now the Torch 2. All three will be solid iterative upgrades, including beefed up processing power, and new features like NFC, mobile hotspot, and augmented reality app support. Combined with the lower-end Curve Touch and new variants of the PlayBook, it looks like RIM is just about set for all the way through to the fall. At that point, I suspect we’ll start seeing some OS 7 devices, which will bridge the operating system gap between their phones and tablets.
Expect the Torch 2 to be announced for AT&T at BlackBerry World next month, with a release this summer, likely in July. Any of you guys excited for it, and willing to hold out a few months to get one?
[via BGR]
Update: So much better shots have come out of nowhere, not revealing anything particularly new, but you do get to see the OS and platform version (6.1 bundle 195 and 6.1.0.23, respectively).
