BlackBerry handsets could be getting a browser boost, thanks to an acquisition made by Research In Motion.
Mobile browser developer Torch Mobile has announced that it has been acquired by Research In Motion, in a note on its website.
It's good news for BlackBerry users disappointed with their handset's current browser. Torch is known as a specialist in the WebKit engine which is used as the basis for iPhone's Safari browser, not to mention Nokia's Web Browser for S60, Google's Android browser and Palm's webOS mobile operating system.
"Our team of developers will join RIM's global organization and will now be focused on utilizing our WebKit-based mobile browser expertise to contribute to the ongoing enhancement of the BlackBerry platform," says the note.
Torch Mobile's flagship product was its Iris browser, whose latest version was unveiled in February this year at Mobile World Congress. Running on Windows Mobile handsets, it claimed to render "virtually any site on the web the same as if viewed on a PC", including support for Flash Lite and sites designed for iPhones.
There's no news on when Iris will make it into BlackBerry handsets in some shape or form. Torch Mobile also has RSS reader and web widget products, which may come in handy for RIM going forward.
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