RIM acquires Torch Mobile; WebKit-based browser headed to BlackBerry handsets

News

Wow. That probably sums up everyone at BGR’s initial reaction when we got a heads up that RIM acquired Torch Mobile. Why, might you ask? Well, it goes a lot deeper than this, but all we can see glistening right now are the words “WebKit-based browser”. That would go nicely with some Flash and Silverlight action, eh?

Thanks, Jason!

34 Comments
  • webbie

    @glenn

    What’s so good about the new build then?

  • thenext1

    Well this one make me cry because Iris was the only one option on WM Smartphones non-touch devices, and we’re left alone without a decent web browser: PIE sucks bad, Netfront is getting a bit outdated and slow, and Opera and other browser are all messed up (I wonder what are developers smoking when they comment out those 15-20 lines of code to support non-touch devices, for the sake of nonsense).
    And of course we won’t get any full IE-supporting AKU update from HTC. Yeah!

  • http://www.facebook.com/numetheus Christopher Coz

    @thenext1,
    Time to get a different phone?

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone) at: Phoenix Arizona, USA

  • steve

    Finally, I may only need one phone!!!
    I LOVE Blackberry for email and instant messaging but found its browser lacking compared to itouch(iphone). If Blackberry gets this right, I may only need my Blackberry on my hip and get rid of my itouch from my pocket.
    A FREE pocket!!!!

  • http://www.hernandezlawAZ.com TechnoBeaver

    I’m not really that bothered by the BlackBerry browser. My only issue is on those sites where all you get is the hourglass.

    Other than that it seems ok to me.

    CH.

  • jeremyblaze

    f the rendering, which can be more easily fixed with or without Webkit…. think JavaScript. I would love for my Storm to handle JavaScript without taking 3 minutes to process.

  • 0157h7

    @webbie it renders page well, is really fast and as I said earlier, I can tell when I click on link 9wehreas with Opera sometimes it is not as clear as I would like.) Like Glenn said the first release was horrible but they made some serious ground. I use it over Opera, PIE, and Skyfire.

  • webbie

    @thenext1

    “I wonder what are developers smoking when they comment out those 15-20 lines of code to support non-touch devices”

    Why are you assuming that it’s just 15-20 lines of code exactly?

  • twoods1969

    Now that Torch Mobile for Windows Mobile is gone, the search is on ONCE AGAIN for a good browser for my Pocket PC….Thanks alot Torch Mobile! It’s all about money, isn’t it? I hope you made a profit with selling your company!! I was very hesitant with possibly using Skyfire as my current browser due to the great product you made….I guess I shouldn’t have been concerned with customer loyalty…

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