Research in Motion's new Blackberry Torch 9800 will be initially released through Optus. The mobile carrier will be the first to sell the device, which has been touted as the best Blackberry model ever. The Blackberry Torch 9800 offers data entry features previously absent from the smartphone line such as a full touchscreen and a QWERTY keypad.

Blackberry has yet to provide an outright price for the handset. However, Blackberry has announced that the new Torch would be available by October 25. The smartphone maker was more vague when it came to the Torch 9800's release through Telstra and VHA, only saying that the handset would be available "in the coming months."

The handset also boasts of features such as a 5-megapixel camera, high-speed 3G network support worldwide, WiFi connectivity, 8GB of included memory and built-in GPS.

The smartphone has a 3.2-inch touchscreen. The device is 0.57 inches thick (thicker than other smartphone devices) and is highly customizable.