BlackBerry Torch 9800

BlackBerry Torch 9800

The Blackberry's Torch 9800 has all the qualities of a smartphone except for its not-so-great shape and size and its low resolution screen.

Keypad King

The BlackBerry has a big booming screen with a QWERTY keypad just behind it. Like a typical Balackberry mobile, the Torch has a good and well-spaced keypad that slides down to the bottom when it is opened. The Torch feels slightly bulky with its 161 gram weight, as it has both a touchscreen and the QWERTTY keypad slid behind.

There is absolutely no complaints about the on-screen keyboard too. The predictive text along with the built-in spell checker might make it a very great typing experience. Being BlackBerrry's biggest asset, the physical keypad is generally preferred over the touchscreen keypad.

Optional Operations

The torch has offered a basket of options to each of its operations ranging from typing text to checking your emails. It depends on an individual showing their preference between having a number of options or keeping it simple. The homes screen of the Torch alone is said to have numerous choices of icons.

Apart from the touch screen you have the touch pad option that is capable of controlling most of the operation with ease with the help of the back and the menu key. A small notification area will give you updates on your emails and facebook. The home screen has a scrolling-up-and-down menu that will give you access to most of the phone's mail features. The speaker icon at the bottom allows you to choose between seven sound modes. A single tap can take you to the connectivity menu to choose between controls like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc. It is capable of multi-tasking and is GPS supported.

There are chances that a user may get frustrated by a series of options given for each and every activity. On the other side people who love to have options would have more and more to explore from the Torch; especially for the ones who do not always fancy the traditional methods of using mobiles may feel that this is the right choice for them.

The most welcoming feature of the mobile is its universal search option that will allow you to search for just anything in the phone from contacts to applications.

Fabulous Features

Unlike the other Blackberry mobile phones, the phoe loses its SurePress feature and has the all new multi-touch capability. This means you can zoom in and zoom out between screens quite easily with pinch to zoom multi-touch capability. The Blackberry 6 OS makes the phone feel more like a touch screen device rather than its earlier version of touch screens. An iPhone 3G still has the better screen resolution. The 5MP camera on the BlackBerry is good for pictures and video recording.

Display Debacle

The Torch's 3.2-inch screen is not the best among mobile phones, thanks to its low resolution but the zoom option was quick enough to make it clearer as it gets bigger. It is behind the sharper displays of the iPhone4 and the Samsung Galaxy S II. It is also heavier and bulkier than other smartphones like the Galaxy S. the touch-screen does not have the suer tough Gorilla Glass like that found on the Motorola Defy which runs on the Android 2.1 version.

Browsing Beast

The new web browser of the BlackBerry Torch is very good and does a neat job of loading pages without the slightest of fuss. A pack of software including the RSS reader, Twitter, Facebook, MSN Messenger and many more are powered in the device.

Just in case you are not happy with the list of applications in the device you can actually go for more in the BlackBerry App World. When compared with the multitude of apps available for Android phones in the Android Market, or for Symbian phones it may not be that advantageous. Curiously the iPhone 4 does not support JAVA.With the Curve around you, you can stay in touch with your near and dear ones with the help of messages, emails, social networking contacts and other mode of communications. The Torch's ability to handle emails was even better. The Push-email feature and BlackBerry's ability to handle Google Applications are a boon to its users.

The Nokia E7 is a clear competitor as it too has a similar siding out screen and a full QWERTY keyboard. However the phone does not support a memory card slot for expansion. This smartphone too is ideal for social network integration and messaging. It has Microsoft Exchange Active Sync support.

The Torch does not falter in the connectivity front also with access to 3G connectivity and 802.11n Wi-Fi. A 512MB of built in memory along with a in-box 4GB card takes care of the storage functions. The memory too can be upgraded to 32GB which is an advantage over the iconic iPhone 4 which only has internal memory. The Torch supports most multimedia files and has an FM radio too unlike the iPhone.

The Battery life of the device is definitely impressive with RIM claiming that the device stands 18 days in standby mode. The Torch's ring quality and the two way call quality is expected to be exceptionally good.

On the ending note, the BlackBerry is a device that offers the delight of a touch screen without having to lose the physical keyboard. With an updated OS, the Torch has too many options for all its activities, making it a bit complex. If you are an email freak or a lover of complex and variety services, you can go for the Torch 9800.