It's been getting a lot of flak in the press lately, but the RIM Blackberry Torch is actually a really good phone. Problem is, there's little about it that actually feels original and fresh, making it a tough sell in today's smartphone market.
Physically, it's not particularly attractive, although it does look appropriate for business users. It's not as big as I imagined, but it is hefty in hand and construction feels sturdy. Display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 360 resolution) that's bright and responsive, while the bottom-sliding QWERTY keyboard made for comfortable typing (not as good the Bold, though).
As a phone, the Torch delivered great call quality, with little problems (there was occasionally some distortion). Those on the other end reported very good sound as well. Speakerphone had too little volume, though, so it was difficult to use in noisier environments. Battery is rated at 5.8 hours of talk time and should last over a day (might make it to two) with normal use.
One of the phone's biggest features is Blackberry OS 6, which finally updated the platform's interface into one better suited to today's market. Overall, it delivers on its promise: better UI, faster navigation, a well-executed universal search and an updated, infinitely more functional browser. If you've handled an iPhone or Android before, though, there's really nothing new that leaves you impressed. The handset runs a 624MHz processor and is quite sluggish when switching between tasks to the point of freezing for a few seconds.
Being a Blackberry, it's got the solid business capabilities down pat: quad-band world phone, robust connectivity (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS) and impressive messaging services (Blackberry Messenger, Blackberry Enterprise Server and more). It's up to speed on the social networking end too, with preloaded apps for Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, along with an aggregator called Social Feeds. There are a number of notable apps, as well, such as Documents To Go and AT&T's variety of services. While it does have access to App World, you can only store apps on the 512MB of built-in memory.
Data speeds are good, but not spectacular. YouTube requires several seconds of buffering, but it does play continuously after the initial slowdown. Multimedia playback has been vastly improved, with a sexy presentation and a good collection of supported formats. The screen could have been better, but it's definitely serviceable for both music and videos. A 5.0 megapixel camera is also onboard, with some nice editing features and above average shot quality.
Overall, there's nothing bad about the Blackberry Torch. It's just that RIM is now competing with phones that have leaped ahead of it both in hardware and software. While it's officially listed at $199.99 from AT&T, Amazon has slashed down the price to $99.99, so it might be worth it to consider.
An unannounced phone from RIM just showed up for sale over at Canadian carrier Rogers' site. Called the Blackberry Curve 3G 9300, the handset appears eerily similar to the Curve 8520, with 3G connectivity appearing to be the biggest difference.
Unlike the Torch, this one isn't likely to be running the Blackberry OS 6 (at least, there's no mention of that potential selling point), so none of the fancy new UI experience. It takes the familiar QWERTY candybar form factor, with 109 x 60 x 13.88 mm dimensions and 106 grams of weight.
Details of the Curve 3G 9300 include a 2.4-inch TFT LCD (320 x 240 resolution), a 2.0 megapixel camera module, aGPS (with Telenav), Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, 3G (3.6Mbps HSPA), 256MB internal storage and 2GB microSD card preloaded (expandable up to 32GB). Battery is rated at four hours of talk time and 17 days of standby. As with RIM's other newer releases, it comes with Blackberry's usual robust messaging and business features, along with world phone capabilities, access to the Blackberry App World and pre-installed social networking apps.
The Blackberry Curve 3G 9300 is now available from the Rogers website. Price is $79.99 (Canadian) with a three-year agreement and $399.99 without a contract.
[Rogers via Unwired View]
Research In Motion has announced the first phone running the all-new Blackberry OS 6. Called the Blackberry Torch (model 9800), it's the company's first handset to feature a sliding QWERTY keyboard, which it pairs with a full touchscreen display.
Sporting a vertical slider form factor, the new phone measures a respectable 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.57 inches and weighs 5.68 ounces. A world phone, it supports quad-band GSM, quad-band UMTS and tri-band HSPA, with voice service in over 220 countries, data service in more than 195 and 3G connectivity in 125.
Details of the Torch include a 3.2-inch touchscreen (480 x 360 pixels), a 5.0 megapixel camera module with flash, aGPS, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, a 3.5mm audio jack, 4GB built-in storage and 4GB preloaded memory card (expandable up to 32GB). Core hardware consists of a 624 Mhz processor and 512MB of RAM. It comes with a 1,300 mAh battery, providing 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 13 days of standby.
Possibly bigger news than the new phone is the new OS, which upgrades the old Blackberry interface into a modern, finger-friendly platform. The company claims a "fresh, approachable and engaging experience" for users, coupled with the robust messaging and business talents that have made RIM's devices a household name. Features include BlackBerry Enterprise Service, BlackBerry Internet Service, a tabbed full HTML browser based on WebKit, social networking integration, universal search and beefed-up multimedia capabilities.
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 will be available beginning August 12th. Price is $199.99 with a two year service agreement and a data plan under AT&T.
[RIM]
RIM just announced their newest Blackberry and it's the smallest one yet. Called the Blackberry Pearl 3G, the ultra-compact smartphone packs everything in a 1.96-inch wide body, weighing a light 3.3 oz.
Aside from the size, the most notable feature here is the inclusion of 802.11n wireless support, a first for Blackberry phones. It will also come in two models: 1900 (which uses the space-saving, pseudo-QWERTY SureType keys) and 1905 (which uses a surprising T9-style keypad). Yes, Blackberry appears to be finally embracing the lower-end of the market too, with a release that looks to have more in common with Nokia's designs that the ones RIM has popularized.
Core hardware for the handset consist of a 624 Mhz processor, aided by 256MB of RAM. It runs Blackberry OS 5, complete with all of its familiar features, including the Blackberry Messenger, Media Sync and App World. Key details include a 360 x 400 resolution display, a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS (with Blackberry Maps), 3G, WiFi, microSD expansion (up to 32GB) and a 1,150 mAh battery (rated at 4.4 hours of talk time).
Definitely a unique phone for Blackberry, the Pearl 3G packs in a solid slew of features in a pocketable candybar frame. No word on either release date or pricing, though.
[Blackberry via Gizmodo]
The Blackberry Curve 8530 is the CDMA version of the entry-level 8520. While it comes with the same general design and feature set, it gets a leg up over its close sibling with a few additional talents.
Physically, the 8530 shares the exact design cues as its GSM counterpart. If you remember our review of the Curve 8520, we praised it for its attractive profile, comfortable 3.4-inch display and handy size. Our opinion extends to this newer version.
As a phone, it turns up mixed results when it came to call quality. On our end, conversation sounded loud and clear, with just the slightest hint of interference. Those on the other end, however, had plenty to complain about, especially once the speakerphone was used. General handset performance was snappy, thanks to the speedy processor paired with fast 3G. Battery life is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time, which amounted to a day or two of regular use for us.
Despite the entry-level tag (same as the 8520), this new Curve offers a good amount of options. There are the usual Blackberry favors, from the souped-up messaging set (BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Exchange Server, threaded views) to the usual basic phone features. Unlike the GSM version, though, the 8530 adds 3G, Wi-Fi and even aGPS to the mix, making it much more robust in terms of functionality.
It comes with some good productivity tools thrown in, including a good document viewer. There's no native way to create Office docs, though, so you'll have to pay for a capable editor. Music playback is surprisingly a strength, with expansive file support and excellent sound quality (even through the onboard speakers). The camera module (2.0 megapixel) is a notable downside, taking rather disappointing photos.
Overall, the Blackberry Curve 8530 is a pleasant surprise. While marketed (and priced) as an entry-level smartphone, it comes with all the necessary features that make it a complete handset (heck, many of Blackberry's more expensive phones don't even have Wi-Fi). It also costs less than its GSM counterpart at only $99 on contract.
