Research in Motion (RIM) has unveiled the latest incarnation of its iconic BlackBerry handset.

The BlackBerry Bold is a slimmed-down version of the traditional handset that boasts improved multimedia features. RIM expects the device to hit the market later this summer.

The smaller handset is just half an inch thick, and the casing sports a black chrome finish and a black faux leather back plate.

"The new BlackBerry Bold represents a tremendous step forward in business-grade smartphones," said RIM president and co-chief executive Mike Lazaridis.

Among the new features is a revamped web browser offering a 'full-page' web view allowing users to see the full HTML versions of a web page rather than a trimmed-down mobile version.

Users can then zoom in and navigate the pages by way of a small trackball device.

Multimedia files are managed with Roxio Media Manager, and the Bold features an iTunes utility to wirelessly sync with a music collection on the user's PC.

The Bold will feature a 2-megapixel camera and a 480 x 320 LCD display which will be fused to the lens. This allows for clearer images and better display of colours, according to RIM.

Other hardware specs include 128MB of Flash memory and 1GB of built-in storage along with a MicroSC/SDHC card slot. The Bold will be powered by a 624MHz processor, and contains support for GPS.

In addition to Wi-Fi and Edge, the Bold will be the first BlackBerry to support tri-band HSDPA connections.

Some analysts believe that the new handset could give Apple's expected 3G iPhone a run for its money.