Research in Motion has outfitted BlackBerry 6 with a shiny new Webkit-based web browser. It’s much faster and easier to use with a touchscreen phone than earlier BlackBerry browsers… but the folks at CrackBerry have determined that it’s not quite as fast or responsive as the latest Google Android and iPhone web browsers — at least not on currently available hardware.

CrackBerry took three top of the line phones for a spin and checked to see how long it took to load several web pages on an iPhone 4, Samsung Captivate, and BlackBerry Torch 9800. The verdict? The BlackBerry came in third in every test — although to be fair, the phone also has a slower processor than the other two devices. The browser might actually be faster on a speedier device… if there was a speedier BlackBerry device on the market right now. But there’s not.

The good news is that the new browser is significantly faster than the last-generation BlackBerry browser. So there’s that.

You can check out a video of the test after the break, for all the gory details.

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One of the biggest improvements in the upcoming BlackBerry 6 mobile operating system is the new and improved BlackBerry web browser. The new browser is based on Webkit, like the browsers for iOS and Android devices. And we’ve gotten a few glimpses of the browser in action over the last few months. But now the folks at Research in Motion have posted a detailed description of the new browser. Here are some of the highlights:

• New start page with a focus on bookmarks and search
• Tabbed browsing
• Support for subscribing to RSS feeds
• Smoother panning and zooming
• Pinch to zoom on touchscreen phones
• Faster page rendering and support for web standards

You can find more details at the BlackBerry blog.

Research in Motion has been teasing us with previews of the new BlackBerry 6 operating system for weeks. But today the company officially introduced the first phone that will run the new OS: The BlackBerry Torch 9800. It will be available for $199.99 with a 2-year contract from AT&T starting August 12th.

The operating system will also be able to run on older BlackBerry devices including the Bold 9700, Bold 9650, and Pearl 3G.

BlackBerry 6 is still first and foremost designed with corporate users in mind, with strong security features and support for push email. But RIM has also baked in a new and improved Webkit-based web browser and new multimedia features as well as improved search features and a revised home screen layout.

Other new features include integration with Facebook, Twitter, and instant messaging services and the ability to synchronize media between a BlackBerry device and a PC over a WiFi connection.

If you’re looking for more information about the BlackBerry Torch 9800, I suggest you check out Gizmodo’s first look. It’s one of the best, most detailed articles on the phone I’ve seen… today.

One of the many changes Research in Motion is making to its BlackBerry operating system for version 6 is a redesigned home screen. Today the Inside BlackBerry blog has an article looking at some of the changes to the home screen.

First up, there are multiple views that you can toggle through using a navigation bar. The Frequent tab shows frequently used apps, while Favorites lets you create shortcuts for apps, contacts or web pages. There’s also a media tab, a downloads tab, and an All tab which shows all of your apps.

Basically, the All tab is the equivalent of what current BlackBerry users get. The other 4 tabs are all new and should make it easier to find the app, links, or contacts you’re looking for.

There are also new quick access areas, including one that lets you get to your phone’s settings much more quickly and another that shows recent messages, phone calls, and upcoming appointments and other information.

BlackBerry 6 also has a new universal search feature that lets you enter a search query and get results from everywhere on your phone including contacts, media, appointments, and even web results.

You can find more details and pictures at Inside BlackBerry.

We already know that BlackBerry 6 will have a revamped user interface and a vastly improved web browser. Now Research in Motion is giving a sneak peek at the multimedia apps that will ship with BlackBerry 6.

Audio and Video

• The new music app features a Cover Flow-style interface that lets you scroll through album art on a carousel to find music.
• There’s a thumbnail video view to make it easier to find videos
• Video playback modes will include full screen, fit to screen, and original
• There’s an integrated YouTube uploader for sharing videos
• There’s a new podcast app for subscribing to podcasts and playing them on your phone

Photos

• You’ll be able to organize photos by date, event, or other criteria
• The photo app now has a slideshow feature and support for pinch to zoom
• You’ll also be able to copy, paste, delete, or share groups of pictures

BlackBerry 6 will also support synchronization of photos, audio, and videos between a PC and BlackBerry device.

You can find more details about the new multimedia features at Inside BlackBerry.