Today, BlackBerry announced its vertical slider (traditional BlackBerry keyboard slides out from under the phone) loaded with the new BlackBerry OS 6 brains, and being held captive exclusively on AT&T’s network.

The Torch is the first BB to be released with the new OS and is scheduled to hit stores on August 12th for $199 with a new two-year contract.

Here are the stats for the Torch:

- 4GB internal storage with a 4GB microSD card in the box
- New Webkit browser (’bout time)
- 5 Megapixel camera
- 802.11n Wi-fi
- Improved social networking integration (Facebook & Twitter)

…and they promise the antenna works just fine – Antennagate.

My personal opinion is that this phone will be a beast for those folk who work for companies whose IT department LOVES BlackBerry security administration features. They get a shiny new phone they can sweat their manager for. Additionally, BlackBerry phones are still the friendliest phone to use, so most of my clients who don’t have their [tech] ears to the ground will continue to use BlackBerry (and I won’t tell them otherwise).

BUT

As far as keeping up with the iPhone and the fifty-eleven Android phones out there – BlackBerry gets a “C” grade from me. They have done just enough to stay in the same sentence as the other two brands. The phone is nice, the OS is nice, the new browser is (you guessed it) nice; but, they really haven’t done anything new or creative to set themselves apart. All those features bulleted above – merely afterthoughts as the iPhone and the Androids have carried those features for the better part of the year…and them some (Wi-fi hotspots, front-facing cameras, ginormous displays, etc.). Last rip of BlackBerry in general is the “App War” going on between iPhone and Android – BlackBerry is nowhere in the conversation in the amount or quality of mobile apps being released for the other two brands – Which is my MAIN gripe by the way…

Maybe it’s just me, and “I’m to techie for my BlackBerry” and this phone was built to enhance the current offerings of the BlackBerry line. Which is cool…I guess?

What do you think? Will BlackBerry survive the onslaught from the multiplicity of Androids and the eerily concerning devotion that is your typical Apple fan?