May 26, 2011 17:01 GMT  ·  By

Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion is gearing up for the release of new handsets powered by its BlackBerry OS, and some info on what might become one of them has just emerged into the wild, along with two photos with the device itself.

We're referring here to the BlackBerry Torch 2 smartphone, the successor of RIM's first ever slider, the Torch 9800, which was launched on shelves in summer last year with the company's Blackberry OS 6 on board.

The BlackBerry Torch 2 (supposedly sporting the model number 9810, is expected to arrive on shelves with the new BlackBerry OS 7 platform on board, but specific info on when that might happen lack at the moment.

The device was expected to be unveiled to the world in early May, during the BlackBerry World, but RIM launched only one BlackBerry OS 7 device at that time, the Bold 9900.

The new smartphone is expected to maintain the same form factor as its predecessor, and should pair a touchscreen display with a sliding QWERTY keyboard, though this is not visible in the new photos that emerged with it.

The same as the new Bold 9900 smartphone, the BlackBerry Torch 2 should sport a 1.2 GHz application processor inside, which would offer it increased performance capabilities.

Moreover, it would sport a 3.17-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display, capable of delivering a 640 x 480 pixel resolution.

The fast application processor would be complemented by 768MB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory, rumor has it. The handset would also include a microSD memory card slot, to expand the available storage space.

On the back, the BlackBerry Torch 2 is expected to include a 5-megapixel photo snapper, with 720P HD video recording capabilities.

Of course, the new mobile phone would also come with support for WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as with 3G capabilities and with built-in GPS receiver.

The exact release date for the new device, as well as info on its pricing and availability around the world should be unveiled in the not too far future.

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BlackBerry Torch 2
BlackBerry Torch 2
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