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BLACKBERRY’S FIRST ENTRY into the touchphone market was disastrous with a device called the Storm (and its successor, the Storm 2) which impressed us at first look but showed serious hardware and software problems over extended use. It wasn’t the big play against the iPhone that Canadian manufacturer Research in Motion had hoped for, but now it’s back with a new touchscreen that may be the competitive instrument the company has been looking for.
The BlackBerry Torch is the best of both worlds: it has a physical slide-out qwerty keyboard that resembles the BlackBerry Bold and a big touchscreen that uses the same capacitive technology Apple made famous with its iPhone.
You might think the name “Torch” somewhat strange, but it has in part to do with the fact RIM acquired Torch Mobile in 2009 with a browser technology that’s built into the BlackBerry OS 6 operating system – and this is a key addition.
The Torch is the first device to ship with OS 6, and the new system is impressive. It features an intuitive interface that works just as well whether you’re touching the screen or using the keyboard and tiny trackpad to navigate around.
OS 6 has a new feature called Social Feeds, by which you can view messages from BlackBerry Messenger, Twitter, Facebook and other services all in one place. It also has a very handy drop-down summary of your calendar appointments and messages that can be accessed from a home screen.
The Torch and the new operating system built on what BlackBerry is famous for have sorted out problems previously experienced with the platform. For example, BlackBerry’s web browser has been poor but OS 6 has a new browser based on Apple’s WebKit technology and just plain rocks. Its interface is highly intuitive and even automatically organises your most used applications in their own pop-up space for easy access.
I find it hard to criticise the Torch. Its screen isn’t quite as good as the iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S in terms of resolution, but it’s not far off, and the camera is also slightly behind those of its competition. But the operating system is a pleasure to use and the touchscreen is on a par. The slide-out keyboard is a nice addition and will be a welcome feature to users who want to touch but don’t want to sacrifice their keyboard. And battery life is about what you’d expect from a smartphone.
But you soon forget the hardware when you dive into OS 6, which is simply one of the best mobile operating systems around. BlackBerry users are a different breed and look for different things in a phone than other people. But for its fans this is the best device RIM has ever made.
Review
VERDICT: The best of both worlds – touch and keyboard.
COMPLEXITY: BlackBerry users will know what to do.
PRICE: R8 000.
Also consider: Motorola Milestone.
VALUE RATING: 7/10
The BlackBerry Torch is the best of both worlds: it has a physical slide-out qwerty keyboard that resembles the BlackBerry Bold and a big touchscreen that uses the same capacitive technology Apple made famous with its iPhone.
You might think the name “Torch” somewhat strange, but it has in part to do with the fact RIM acquired Torch Mobile in 2009 with a browser technology that’s built into the BlackBerry OS 6 operating system – and this is a key addition.
The Torch is the first device to ship with OS 6, and the new system is impressive. It features an intuitive interface that works just as well whether you’re touching the screen or using the keyboard and tiny trackpad to navigate around.
OS 6 has a new feature called Social Feeds, by which you can view messages from BlackBerry Messenger, Twitter, Facebook and other services all in one place. It also has a very handy drop-down summary of your calendar appointments and messages that can be accessed from a home screen.
The Torch and the new operating system built on what BlackBerry is famous for have sorted out problems previously experienced with the platform. For example, BlackBerry’s web browser has been poor but OS 6 has a new browser based on Apple’s WebKit technology and just plain rocks. Its interface is highly intuitive and even automatically organises your most used applications in their own pop-up space for easy access.
I find it hard to criticise the Torch. Its screen isn’t quite as good as the iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S in terms of resolution, but it’s not far off, and the camera is also slightly behind those of its competition. But the operating system is a pleasure to use and the touchscreen is on a par. The slide-out keyboard is a nice addition and will be a welcome feature to users who want to touch but don’t want to sacrifice their keyboard. And battery life is about what you’d expect from a smartphone.
But you soon forget the hardware when you dive into OS 6, which is simply one of the best mobile operating systems around. BlackBerry users are a different breed and look for different things in a phone than other people. But for its fans this is the best device RIM has ever made.
Review
VERDICT: The best of both worlds – touch and keyboard.
COMPLEXITY: BlackBerry users will know what to do.
PRICE: R8 000.
Also consider: Motorola Milestone.
VALUE RATING: 7/10
