No BlackBerry OS 7 upgrade for existing handsets

Remember how excited you were about getting your new Blackberry Torch or curve 3G? Or how giddy you got at the prospect of getting the OS 6 update on your Bold 9700? Well, prepare to become a little deflated. RIM's latest mobile platform, BlackBerry OS 7 won't be gracing current BlackBerry smartphones with its new-fangled presence.

RIM has decided to forego an upgrade for current BlackBerry users and instead start afresh with a clean slate - its newly announced Bold 9990 and 9930.

There is a good reason for this heinous omission. As we know, the 9900 and 9930 both pack a 1.2GHz processor and all that extra power means a better performing OS. Older BlackBerry's and their significantly lower processors will simply not be able to handle its power.

While this may seem like a harsh blow to current BB users - especially owners of the Torch who have only been rocking the latest OS for a short amount of time - there's no denying it makes sense. However, it does mean users will miss out on HTML 5 support, improved performance, faster web browsing and slick new icons.

Also

BlackBerry Bold 9900 hands-on
BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 official with Blackberry 7 OS