Research in Motion, the Canadian manufacturer of the BlackBerry, has taken the wraps off their latest device, the Torch.

Combining touchscreen capability with a slide out keyboard the model is seen as an attempt by the firm to claw back lost market share from Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system.

In addition to an Apple style touch screen the device boasts software which allows users to combine information feeds from email, texts and social networking sites into a single “universal feed” and “universal search”.

RIM’s chief technology officer David Yach, regards the phone as being geared toward promoting communications strength above fun, stating that they are more about “us” as opposed to rivals focus on “me”.

The phone will go on sale in Britain toward the end of the year.