Research In Motion unveiled a new BlackBerry smartphone with a touchscreen and slideout keyboard on AT&T Inc's network to go head to head against Apple's iPhone.

The BlackBerry Torch will go on sale in the United States on August 12 for $199.99 with a two-year contract with AT&T. The device uses a new operating system and has a faster and easier-to-use Web browser, RIM said on Tuesday.   

Analysts said the device does not represent a major advance on rival handsets as the device's consumer-friendly features were just enough for RIM to catch up with rivals.

"RIM is playing catch-up. This is clearly the upgrade for BlackBerry users, but otherwise not a lot here is super exciting," Altimeter analyst Michael Gartenberg said.

The Torch does not represent a "leap forward", but will help RIM compete with rivals such as iPhone and Google's Android software, used in phones from several vendors including Motorola, said NPD analyst Ross Rubin.   

"This gets the experience competitive again -- if they can do that with the efficiency and stability that RIM is known for, then it's a positive," Rubin said. - Reuters