RIM sets sights on WebKit, acquires Torch Mobile

Research In Motion's BlackBerry browser isn't poised to match Safari on Apple's iPhone, a glaring problem as the smartphone maker attempts to compete in the mobile-browser market. But RIM appears to be addressing this issue with its latest acquisition.

Torch Mobile, a WebKit developer that offers the Iris mobile browser, announced Monday that it has been acquired by RIM for an undisclosed sum.

"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," Torch Mobile wrote in a statement on the company's Web site.

RIM's decision to acquire Torch Mobile might be a smart one for the company. WebKit has become the (unofficial) standard in the smartphone market, providing users with a superior browsing experience than what is currently offered on BlackBerry smartphones. It's widely considered to be fast and robust. Most importantly, it's open source.

Several RIM competitors, including the iPhone, Palm's Pre, Symbian S60 phones, and Android-based devices use WebKit to power their respective browsers. RIM ostensibly felt that it needed to level the playing field.

Earlier this month, market analyst at TD Securities, Chris Umiastowski, said that RIM representatives are promising a BlackBerry browser on-par with the iPhone's browser by the summer of 2010. That news was followed by a report from the Boy Genius Report claiming RIM will integrate Flash and Silverlight support into the BlackBerry browser.

Torch Mobile might be the first step towards achieving that goal.

RIM did not announce its plans for Torch Mobile or its browser. Terms of the deal were also undisclosed. But at this point, it seems that the question of if RIM will release a WebKit-based browser needs to be replaced by a question of when it will be offered in BlackBerry devices.

[forever4now]

Now, with the exception of WinMo, all of the "native" browsers of all of the major smartphone OSes (iPhone, Android, WebOS, Symbian & Blackberry) will be WebKit-based.

This will make it easy for developers, to create web sites & applications that:

1. render consistently on all smartphones (including WinMo, if a 3rd-party WebKit browser is installed).

2. utilize HTML5.

[Splashes]

And we can only hope that this trend makes its way to desktop browsers as well. Web developers will wet their britches in sheer joy.

[FarkTurloon]

Won't it also make it easier for malicious coders to focus on one set of exploits? When there were 5 different browsers, coding for any 1 wasn't worth their time - if they ALL use webkit - doesn't that make them a more juicey target?

[Splashes]

Good point. I'd say the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, though. Ah, for an IE-free world!

[Splashes]

Whoops -- meant to mention that even with lots of different browsers, IE has been pretty much the only target due to market share. That's changing a bit now, with Firefox's share increasing. The point is, the number of available browsers doesn't matter as regards exploits -- what's important is the spread (distribution) of market share.

[t8]

IE is the main target because it is the only browser that is part of the Windows kernel, hence it can allow whatever into the central nervous system of the OS. The other browsers are inherently safer as they are applications.

[plings]

LOL.

Iris always sucked.

Oh well.

[apwinthrop]

So is a mobile browser war coming or is it already over? http://bit.ly/16RvMk

[Goodbye Helicopter]

WebKit isn't in a browser war.
It's open source, it's a brilliant rendering engine for web content.
As the difference between mobile devices and desktop devices becomes more and more one of size and weight, it's nice to know that this is the only good way to go.

[t8]

Great news.

Standards make it easier for developers and better for customers.
Now if only IE would go completely away.

[parliament_fuck]

You need to stop using the word "ostensibly" until you learn what it means. Please.

[kelmon]

I imagine that Apple are very happy at this news since the WebKit project is something that they have a lot invested in. If everyone uses WebKit then it will make online browsing much easier be it on an iPhone or Blackberry and everyone benefits.