Research In Motion countered the criticism of the browsing experience on BlackBerry devices by releasing a new WebKit-based browser the device maker says will download files faster by making better use of mobile operators' networks and offer a better display of websites through full HTML rendering.

Analysts say the enhancement was critical as today's BlackBerry devices offer a poor browsing experience and enterprise users have begun to bring more consumer-oriented devices, such as the Apple iPhone.

In August, RIM acquired WebKit solutions developer Torch Mobile, the maker of the Iris web browser for mobile devices, to tackle the problem. This week RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis said during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, that his company expects the new browser to attract a wider audience to the BlackBerry platform. No exact date has been set for the browser's release, although the company said late last year the enhanced browser would be available in early 2010.

Lazaridis also continued to push the notion that mobile applications need deep integration with BlackBerry devices. These "Super Apps" will be integrated with phone functions users consistently access, such as email. He demonstrated how users can view and send Twitter tweets from their inbox.

For more:
- see this release
- take a look at this Bloomberg article

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