Research In Motion Ltd. debuted a new Web browser for BlackBerries today, promoting it as easier and faster to use.

The new WebKit browser (available this year) will download files quicker and display Web sites better, co-Chief Executive Officer Mike Lazaridis said yesterday in an interview from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

RIM needs to improve browsing to win consumers in a market crowded with devices, said Steven Li, an analyst at Raymond James Ltd. in Toronto. Four months ago, RIM debuted a revamped version of the Storm -- a larger-screen BlackBerry for easier browsing -- to respond to mixed reviews of the first version and competition from smartphones like Apple Inc.’s iPhone.

“RIM’s competitors have brought better browsers to the market over the past two years, and RIM has had to play catch- up,” said Li. “RIM has to improve theirs given they’ve made the non-business customer focus such a big part of their strategy.” He has a “market perform” rating on the shares and doesn’t own any.

RIM bought browser-design firm Torch Mobile Inc. last year and has increased the number of Web patents it filed with the U.S. Patent Office fivefold since 2007, according to data from the agency to retool how users browse on a BlackBerry.

Lazaridis, 48, declined to be more specific on the timing of the browser’s debut.

“You’ll see how fast it downloads, how quickly it renders and how smooth it scrolls and zooms in,” he said.

 Article Credit: businessweek.com