RIM introduces BlackBerry 7 operating system revamp

Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) unveiled its new BlackBerry 7 operating system at its annual BlackBerry World conference, promising improved performance and built-in support for Near Field Communications technology. Arriving in conjunction with the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones, BlackBerry 7 powers the new Liquid Graphics touchscreen, which touts faster, smoother performance for touch-based navigation, web browsing, pictures, video and graphics-intensive gaming--according to RIM, Liquid Graphics offers up to 60 frames-per-second performance with instant UI action/response. In addition to Liquid Graphics performance gains, the new BlackBerry 7 browser includes a new JIT (just in time) JavaScript compiler to improve webpage load time speeds alongside support for additional HTML5 elements.

BlackBerry 7 also introduces support for NFC technologies, enabling consumers to access information by tapping their device to a smart tag--presumably, RIM will eventually extend the platform's NFC capabilities to include contactless payments. Also new: Voice-activated search and BlackBerry Balance, which separates personal content from corporate content on the smartphone, enabling users to share social networking information, play games and explore other consumer apps while still adhering to enterprise demands for data management and security. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 are expected to hit retail this summer.

RIM is hoping BlackBerry 7 will revive its waning fortunes in the smartphone market. Last month, digital research firm comScore reported that Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android mobile operating system surpassed BlackBerry in U.S. market share, ending the RIM platform's long run at the top--BlackBerry now accounts for 28.9 percent of the U.S. smartphone market, behind Android at 33.0 percent.

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