It's a strange world where a company like RIM could be prosperous and endangered in equal measure. Ask any corporate user which kind of phone they will use and, nine times out of ten, they'll answer RIM. Its QWERTY handsets have become the gold standard for such users, but because the lines between corporate smartphones and consumer ones is becoming increasingly blurred, BlackBerry originates under increasing pressure via Apple's iPhone and the mass of Android handsets in the marketplace. Another thing is perfect for certain, adverts featuring Bono and U2 weren't the best, but RIM hopes BlackBerry OS6 as well as the Torch 9800 are going to be.
We were fascinated, therefore, to view what the Torch 9800 were required to offer on and on by specs alone it's perhaps surprising that RIM has hyped the device up to its. Its 624MHz processor seems distinctly aged, as does the 480 x 360 resolution of the 3.2-inch display. However, unlike previous handsets of its ilk, the Torch has a capacitive touchscreen plus the new OS supports the total-range of multi-touch gestures.
Another slightly surprising facet of the Torch is that's it is a slider, combining its touchscreen with the traditional BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. This really is understandable really as RIM's pedigree is in this arena, but it is hard to escape the impression how the touchscreen interface and physical keyboard are uncomfortable bedfellows, allies thrust together in the acrimonious peace. RIM has dodged one glaring oversight of the Palm Pre, however, because it has added a touchscreen keyboard to supplement the physical one.
Hunting more closely on the hardware design, it's evident that RIM has lost none of its design skills. Although Torch lacks the first wow factor of your Apple iPhone 4, closer inspection reveals an attractive, nicely sculpted device that exudes RIM's usual quality and attention to detail. We particularly similar to the soft-touch, lightly ridged back, which feels extremely comfortable within the hand. Equally impressive could be the smooth, solid feeling sliding action, though having less space between the bottom ridge of the screen section and the buttons below the screen could prove troublesome.
Another extraordinary feat is how comparatively slim the Torch is. Okay, it's not as thin as an iPhone 4 or other touchscreen only phones, but it's definitely slimmer than many slider phones and didn't feel overly porky in our hands.
We're not certain RIM has negotiated the many potential slider phone pitfalls, however. Such as the Palm Pre, with a population of similar portrait style slider keyboard, the recessed nature from the keyboard makes it harder to reach the keys, and also the device is less comfortable to support when typing than the Blackberry bold 9700. It's certainly a much better experience compared to Pre by dint on the Torch's superior quality keyboard, but those wedded thus to their current QWERTY BlackBerry's will more than likely the find the transition an awkward one.
As for the on-screen keyboard, it worked much better than we'd anticipated. By comparison to the iPhone's keyboard the keys do seem a touch narrower, and so harder to hit, but with a little time we managed a good turn of speed. Moreover, the predictive text system proved helpful very well, and it's also active when working with the physical keyboard. At the minimum it goes to prove that, when RIM does a brand new Storm or similar touchscreen only device, the new OS has an on-screen keyboard up to the task.
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