Do you know what London and Toronto have in common? Yesterday, both cities hosted BlackBerry® 7 OS launch events, welcoming the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810, 9850 and 9860 smartphones to the BlackBerry® family! Among the guests of honor were the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 and 9930 smartphones, both of which are BlackBerry 7 OS devices that had previously been announced at BlackBerry World™. Of course, the Social Media team at Research In Motion® (RIM®) was on hand at these launch events to demo the smartphones and speak with attendees.

While the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are not yet in stores, we’re eager to share these early hands-on impressions from the press, everyday shoppers and BlackBerry smartphone users. We may have provided the BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones, but these opinions are 100% their own. Once you have an opportunity to use the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 or 9930 smartphone, feel free to post a comment of your own and let us know what you think about them.

The new BB Bold 7 browser is 40% faster than before. My Bold 5 just shudder with envy. So did I. #BB7FanNight http://lockerz.com/s/126330103—
katie (@motherbumper) August 04, 2011

Very impressed with new Bold – very thin and sleek and new OS7 is super smooth on it #BB7FanNight—
Jehan Watson (@JehanWatson) August 04, 2011

#bb7fannight The 9900 defines what Blackberry is all about. The physical keyboard and touchscreen is a winning combination. @BlackBerry—
Max Fireman (@brava27) August 04, 2011

Thinnest blackberry every made also touch screen! Love the new bold 9900! #BB7FanNight http://twitpic.com/60k1tk—
Jordana Stein (@jordanastein) August 03, 2011

BlackBerry Bold 9900 impression: 4.5\5! Great response! Very very snappy! #BB7FanNight—
Michael Lam (@FindMike) August 03, 2011

#BB7FanNight. Ultra sexy my heart is beating like a disco drum for the new Blackberry BOLD baby!!—
Desiree_Todd_313 (@DesireeTodd_313) August 04, 2011

Website: TheCellularGuru

“The Browser: is now up to 40% faster than the WebKit browser found in OS6, and 100% faster than the original browser found in BlackBerry 5 devices. The new browser has the most compliant HTML5 implementation of any device on the market; we actually pitted my Rogers Nexus S browser head to head with a BlackBerry Bold 9900 at HTML5test.com – the Nexus scored a 184, while the BlackBerry Bold 9900 scored a staggering 277.”

Read more: Interview with Annu Dawar the Product Manager for BlackBerry 7 at #BB7FanNight

Website: NerdBerry

August 4 – “Following in the footsteps of the Bold 9000 the 9900 has what is probably the best BlackBerry keyboard I have used. …. The touch screen responsiveness is top notch, and can be compared to other platforms and manufacturers … The one feature that I hadn’t really thought about going into the event, but which surprised and amazed me the most, is the Wikitude browser. The Wikitude browser takes advantage of the augmented reality and is surprising cool. As you can see in the video the augmented reality can be used for several social media functions, and the integration of BBM is off the hook.”

Read more: (VIDEO) Hands On With The BlackBerry Bold 9900 At #BB7FanNight In Toronto

August 3 – “The night has been full of hands on with the new BB7 devices, like the highly anticipated Bold 9900, and I have never been more a fan. When the Torch 9800 launched I thought I had seen the pinnacle of Blackberry, but tonight I stand corrected.”

Read more: BB7FanNight In Toronto Delivers Results!

Website: CrackBerry

“I love the look and feel of the new Bold, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE KEYBOARD, and I love that there’s finally a touchscreen on a front-facing qwerty BlackBerry. The new Bold is FAST, rich looking and is just the absolute best of the traditional BlackBerry experience.”

Read more: (VIDEO) BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9930 Hands On and First Impressions (part deux)

The BlackBerry® Torch™ smartphone family is welcoming a whole slew of new siblings today. In addition to the all-touch BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850 and 9860 smartphones, we also announced the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9810 smartphone, the evolution of the popular BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone. #TeamBlackBerry members in North America will be able to purchase the BlackBerry 9810 smartphone from AT&T, Bell, Telus and Rogers. For more details on pricing and international availability, make sure to check out our BlackBerry Torch product page or contact your local carrier.

We asked Product Manager David to get the inside dirt on the 3 things you need to know about the BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone. Let’s do this!

1. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is the BlackBerry Torch smartphone evolved

Our intention with the BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone was to build upon the success of the original BlackBerry Torch all-in-one design by combining powerful new hardware with the powerful new BlackBerry® 7 OS. The new BlackBerry Torch 9810 improves upon its predecessor, the BlackBerry Torch 9800, with a crisp new 3.2” inch touch screen with a VGA (640×480) resolution at 246 DPI (“dots per inch”), which is a great tip-off to the new hardware under the hood. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone also features a 1.2 GHz processer, a 5 MP camera with HD video recording, face detection and image stabilization, a digital compass and HSPA+ network support. Combined with the BlackBerry 7 OS, these new hardware features ensure that the BlackBerry 9810 smartphone is faster and more fluid than its predecessor.

We’ve also added subtle refinements to the traditional BlackBerry Torch casing, as well as its keypad. To top it off, we coated the BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone in a distinctive silver color that we feel reflects the power and performance of the device.

2. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone is a great blend of form and function

Unlike its new siblings, the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone features the original Torch’s popular full QWERTY keypad, touch screen, trackpad combination. With a touch screen larger than its new cousins, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry 9930 smartphones, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 is a flexible device for people who require both form and function from their smartphone.

Like the other new all-touch BlackBerry Torch smartphones, the big, brilliant touch screen of the BlackBerry Torch 9810 is well-suited for 3D games, watching videos and browsing the web. If you need to get some work done on the go, that screen is also handy for viewing Microsoft® PowerPoint® and Microsoft Word documents with the free bundled Premium version of Docs to Go™. Of course, if you need to start editing those documents, or you want to fire off a few emails or BBM™ your friends, you can easily switch to portrait mode and slide out the full QWERTY keypad. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone’s HD camera captures photos or video and makes it easy to share both with friends via Facebook, Twitter, and BBM 6 (or possibly through that BBM 6-connected app you’ve downloaded). Regardless of your needs, the BlackBerry 9810 smartphone offers the flexibility to get it done.

3. The new BlackBerry 7 powers the BlackBerry Torch 9810

Like the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone is running the brand new BlackBerry 7 OS, and thus shares many of the same benefits. For starters this means a new and improved BlackBerry browser, optimized touch screen UI (“user interface”), BBM 6, hardware accelerated Liquid Graphics, and support for new apps like the Wikitude augmented reality browser on the BlackBerry App World™ storefront. Make sure to check out what my coworkers Sangita and Troy had to say about these BlackBerry 7 features in their BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 post, and stay tuned for a more in-depth overview from BlackBerry 7 Product Manager, Annu, in a future blog post.

For my money, my favorite BlackBerry 7 feature has to be the next generation BlackBerry browser. The BlackBerry browser is smooth and responsive, whether scrolling through web pages with your fingers or using the trackpad. Web pages load at tremendous speeds, and are naturally rendered as you’d expect to see them on your desktop browser, thanks to Liquid Graphics.

Post a comment and let David know what you think of the new BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone!!

I’m happy to tell you about two new BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphones announced today, the all-touch BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850 and 9860 smartphones. #TeamBlackBerry members in North America will be able to purchase the BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone from AT&T, Rogers, Telus and Bell, and the BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone from Sprint and U.S. Cellular. For more details on pricing and international availability, make sure to check out our BlackBerry Torch product page or contact your local carrier.

To ensure you have our patented Inside BlackBerry insight into these sweet all-touch BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones, I tapped Product Managers Sangita and Troy to list the 5 things you need to know about the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860. Take it away, Sangita and Troy!

1. The all-touch BlackBerry Torch has a screen built for everything

With a 3.7” inch touch screen at a WVGA (800×480) resolution with 253 DPI (“dots per inch”), the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 have the biggest BlackBerry® smartphone screens ever. These all-touch screens provide a sharp and crisp viewing experience to combine everything BlackBerry devices are known for – performance, security and reliability – with new user features like augmented reality apps and improved web browsing and multimedia experiences.

Personally, I love the BlackBerry Torch smartphone screen most for browsing the web with the next generation BlackBerry 7 browser. My news sites, shopping sites and my daily obsession, tech and lifestyle blogs, all render fast and look great on that big, beautiful screen. Of course using BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphone touch screens to pan, zoom and scroll through my favorite websites is easy as well.

One design element to note with the all-touch BlackBerry Torch screen: we designed the face of the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones to ‘fall over’ the device edge (something we call ‘The Waterfall’ internally), which lengthens the screen to provide a visual experience that works in landscape or portrait orientation.

2. The new BlackBerry Torch smartphone design is sculpted for touch

Our design goal with the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones was to create a stylish look that sets the product apart in a field filled with boxy devices. The seamless front lens with ‘Waterfall’ ends offers a great visual experience and the sculpted back provides a perfect ergonomic fit, regardless of whether it’s used as a traditional phone (in portrait orientation) or like a gaming console or web browser (in landscape orientation).

Though there are many layers to the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones design, they are integrated and flow one into the other. For example, the buttons on the side of the smartphone are simple to find with your fingers and provide quick access volume, mute and camera functionality, but are understated, so as not to interrupt the design. Another example would be the back housing of the BlackBerry Torch smartphone, which dips down to fit in the camera lens and flash, without impacting its form and feel in the palm of your hand.

Engineering the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones to meet this vision wasn’t easy, and there were a number of occasions where it appeared that we might have to trade-off form for function. But our development teams rose to the challenge, and in the end, have delivered a product that is both aesthetically pleasing and incredibly functional for both personal and professional use.

3. The new BlackBerry Torch smartphone evolves the all-touch experience

We knew when designing the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones that the touch screen user interface (“UI”) would have to be both refined and robust enough to support an all-touch device (it would be pretty hard to write an email otherwise, Ed.). Many improvements and enhancements have been made to the touch screen UI in the BlackBerry 7 OS that the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones take full advantage of. These improvements vary from minor adjustments of touch sensitivity based upon screen location to redesigning the layout of the virtual keyboard for easier texting (I personally love the fact that symbols and numbers are now combined under one key). In addition, the predictive text algorithms have also been optimized to provide fewer, more targeted word choices for faster communications.

All these improvements combine holistically to ensure an efficient and intuitive experience when using the BlackBerry Torch smartphone, whether you’re BBM™ chatting with a friend or playing the latest game.

(YouTube link for easy mobile viewing)

4. The all-touch BlackBerry Torch smartphone is packed to the gills with new features, including an HD camera and Magnetometer

In addition to the large and crisp screen, the all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones have many hardware features new to BlackBerry smartphones, including an HD camera and magnetometer (also known as a “digital compass”). These features aren’t just for show, but allow BlackBerry smartphone users to create, consume and share great content on their device. Here are a few examples:

Camera – The BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphone cameras supports HD recording at 720p to capture stunning videos to view on your BlackBerry smartphone, computer or HDTV. But my favorite feature has to be the 5MP, zero-shutter lag photo camera. I have a five-month-old son and my BlackBerry Torch smartphone (which is always with me) has been the perfect tool for me to capture those special moments. The ability to upload these photos from within the Camera app with a few clicks to Facebook® so I can virtually instantly share these moments with friends and family turns the BlackBerry Torch into something more than a smartphone for me.

Magnetometer – Combined with the Camera app and GPS, the magnetometer or digital compass on the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones has enabled a new class of “augmented reality” applications on the BlackBerry platform. One example is the Wikitude augmented reality browser, which will be available on the BlackBerry App World™ storefront at launch. The Wikitude browser combines real and virtual worlds via the Camera viewfinder to provide immediate and relevant data about one’s surroundings. One great feature of the Wikitude browser is its integration with BBM 6. This (opt-in) feature allows you to see the location of your BBM 6 contacts in real-time and spontaneously arrange to meet for coffee if you happen to be in the same ‘hood. See the video above for an example.

5. The new BlackBerry 7 OS powers the all-touch BlackBerry Torch smartphone

Together with the powerful hardware found in the BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphone, the new BlackBerry 7 OS offers a variety of performance and usability enhancements resulting in a truly wonderful user experience. Annu plans to talk about BlackBerry 7 in more detail in an upcoming post, so we will highlight one specific aspect of BlackBerry 7: something we call ‘Liquid Graphics’.

From the ground up, the software architecture of BlackBerry 7 has been redesigned to maximize the use of hardware acceleration and graphical fidelity. This optimization allows for rich graphics, smooth animations and a fluid touch experience. Liquid Graphics touches much of the features discussed above, from the new BlackBerry browser to the all-touch UI to 3rd party applications like the Wikitude browser or 3D games. Combined with the large screen, Liquid Graphics provides a responsive and striking graphical experience for BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphone users.

Please post a comment and let Troy and Sangita know what you think of the new all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones, and don’t hesitate to ask questions about each device!