Mobile phone operator Vodafone has announced that it will sell the just announced Blackberry Torch 9800 handset in the UK with those interested in the smartphone able to pre-register.

The page which is available https://blackberry.vodafone.co.uk/torch/ here does not provide with the all important information about the monthly contract details or the price of that contract although we'd expect it to be north of £40 on a two year contract.

The Blackberry Storm 2 is available for £35 per month and is unlikely to be made obsolete by the introduction of the 9800 although the Storm 2 won't be upgradable to Blackberry OS 6 according to RIM.

The first Canadian manufacturer's first slider is also likely to likely to be available on O2 and Virgin Media as reported by a number of news outlets. 3 UK, T-Mobile and Orange have yet to confirm whether they will stock the phone.

The phone has received mixed reception from analysts and commentators because it doesn't provide with a compelling upgrade or alternative to the iPhone and Android handsets.