BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review: Keeping RIM's Flame Alive
by Brian Klug on September 1, 2010 7:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Torch
- BlackBerry
- Mobile
Meet the Torch 9800
I’m going to just up and say it - the BlackBerry Torch is what you’d get if the Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm had babies. Obviously the Pre was the better half.
The Torch seriously does bear comparison with the Palm Pre though. Like the Pre, the display slides up along a track, revealing the BlackBerry’s distinctly shaped, four row keyboard underneath. Unlike the Pre, the Torch’s mechanism is spring loaded and completely smooth.
There’s no catch to hold it in place either open or shut, just the spring pressure that will ensure you’re either fully open or fully closed. I’ve seen some spring mechanisms in the past that were weak enough I could close the phone by jerking it very quickly, luckily the Torch’s doesn’t feel weak. There’s also no “oreo effect,” which plagued some of the first Palm Pres, where you could literally twist the display a few degrees. The Torch doesn’t rotate at all, and definitely seems to live up to RIM’s no nonsense build quality. Obviously the candybar form factor of older blackberries with no moving parts will still be more reliable long term, but the Torch does inspire confidence that it’ll come close. Part of that confidence definitely comes from the fact that the Torch is one of the heavier devices vying for market leadership at 5.7 ounces.
Oh, and thank goodness the backside of the Torch’s slider is matte black and not fingerprint-highlighting mirror. It’s interesting to note that RIM didn’t stick the AT&T branding back here, but at the bottom on the lower lip of the Torch.
Ditching the keyboard is exactly what the Storm and its similarly maligned cousin, the Storm 2, did wrong. Without just the right amount of word suggestion and auto correct software assistance, it isn’t possible to rely on a virtual keyboard. Moreover, RIM’s keyboards have consistently been among the best, if not the best due to their trademark shaped domes and row spacing that deliver excellent tactile feedback. I found myself typing at full speed once again.
Thankfully, RIM has learned its lesson and managed to keep the same portrait, thumb scrolling candybar form factor, plus touchscreen - and simultaneously include a keyboard. I honestly think this format is pretty close to being ideal if you absolutely need a keyboard, but want a screen large enough for touch interaction. Two awkward attempts later, I think it’s finally safe to declare that RIM has pulled off touch integration in a way that doesn’t totally compromise the BlackBerry feel or form factor.
I found myself using the device with the keyboard tray open almost all the time, and using the optical trackpad for navigation everywhere. That isn’t to say that I was using the old-school trackball style navigation more because the touchscreen doesn’t work (because it does, flawlessly finally), but because the trackpad is easily reachable from the keyboard with your thumbs. The whole thing feels flawlessly balanced either way, there’s just something more ready to go about playing with the Torch with the keyboard tray open.
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s44 - Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - link
RIM's release of this at price parity with the much more advanced Samsung phone indicates that they're more interested in gouging their captive user base than advancing their platform.Sivan - Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - link
I don't full agree with the dichotomy of business vs. consumer mapping onto keyboard vs. touch form factors.Even Brian notes how easy it is to use the keyboard and trackpad instead of the touchscreen. A lot of users value this ease of use especially for messaging or interacting with the device efficiently. Those are not necessarily business users. A touchscreen is not a requirement for a fun BlackBerry, I'd argue that just making BlackBerry 6 available on the venerable Bold line would make most BlackBerry users very happy.
That form factor is also much more battery efficient, the smaller screen (no need for touch) as well as more internal space for a battery, and the immediately availability of the keyboard the trackpad are the small details that make the traditional BlackBerry appealing regardless of whether one is a business user or not.
jah1subs - Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - link
What are the other devices promised for BB OS 6 upgrades?deputc26 - Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - link
I believe the OS version should read 2.2 not 2.1King Krapp - Thursday, September 2, 2010 - link
I spy Hyperbole and a Half in the background... nice.7Enigma - Thursday, September 2, 2010 - link
Suck it Trebek!Makaveli - Thursday, September 2, 2010 - link
Anand,Why didn't you install the Youtube player off the app world.
i'm on a 9700 Bold And I never open youtube links directly in the browser its all done by the app.
Also it would be cool if you could do a browser test with Opera Mini since most people use this over the default browser.
ibex333 - Thursday, September 2, 2010 - link
This new blackberry phone really doesnt sound like much of an improvement over older BB phones...With phones avaialble like the Droid G1 or the Droid X I dont understand why anyone would want to own a Blackberry unless security is the main concern. I got my Bold 9000 because back then, it was one of the very few phones that had such a nice keyboard and looked so professional and pleasing.
Now, Droid phones are so much better in just about every way IMHO. The #1 reason for this, is hacks.... What can possibly beat playing GBA, SEGA, SNES and other older console games on your phone with perfect speed, sound and great controls via a full featured keyboard and WASD buttons? And if that's not enough, you can install thousand of other nifty apps, where the number of these apps will only increase becuase developing for Droid will in the near future be as easy as developing for Linux if it isnt that way already!
Android is every geeks dream, and I cant see Apple or Blackberry RIM even touching this wonderful platform when it comes to sheer fun factor and the multitude of possiblities. Yes, I am an Android fanboy, and iPhone and Blackberry should just go in a quiet dark corner, curl up in a fetal position and just.....die....
wolrah - Thursday, September 2, 2010 - link
You had a complaint about a lack of easy 2G/3G switch on the CDMA Android devices. I don't think this is a real issue due to how CDMA 3G works. It's the same radio in a similar operation mode, so it's not like GSM where there's an entire different radio being fired up when you use 3G. The battery savings are not likely to be notable.strikeback03 - Friday, September 3, 2010 - link
In looking for ways to improve the battery life of my HTC Diamond, I found lots of people saying that the constant switching between 3G and 1x is what caused the excessive battery usage. Though in admittedly limited testing I didn't see a difference.I would imagine you can get a widget for Android to lock the device in 2G mode, should you need that functionality.