Research In Motion (RIM) and its Blackberry brand have a lot riding on the launch of the new Blackberry 9800 Torch. With the battle for Smartphone supremacy in full heat, and Apple’s iPhone sales showing no signs of a slow down, Blackberry has its work cut out for it. Google and it’s Android operating software is also a hot contender.
The new Blackberry 9800 Torch is a touchscreen slider. In other words, the phone looks like a full screen smartphone, like an iPhone. However, it has a bottom part that slides down and reveals and full QWERT keyboard and an optical trackpad.
The touchscreen on the 9800 Torch is a lot more responsive than its predecessor, the blackberry storm. There are two options for typing. It can be done on the on-screen keyboard or on the slide out keyboard. The slide out keyboard is probably the best blackberry has made to date. The keys are wide enough to provide enough room to type comfortably. Have the combination of a touchscreen and a full sized slide out keyboard is what makes the 9800 Torch stand out from the competition.
The Blackberry 9800 Torch also comes loaded with RIM’s new OS 6.0 operating system. The layout is somewhat different to what Blackberry users are used to, but there are plenty of new additions and it is quite easy to get used to. Similar to an iPhone, you can finger swipe through different screens. Applications and regular program buttons can be easily cataloged.
The web browser is a huge upgrade. It seems faster and has the capability to zoom in. The Torch 9800 also comes loaded with all the social media buttons such as AIM, BBM, FaceBook, Google Talk, MySpace, Twitter, Windows Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and RSS feeds. You can access all of your social links from one place. BBM also comes with a new look.
The Blackberry 9800 Torch comes with a Camera, and it is an upgrade 5.0 mega pixels which is better than the standard 3.2 MP seen on previous Blackberrys. The camera includes a flash and auto focus. Image stabilization and video recording are also available. Also included are 8 GB of memory for a better multimedia experience.
Battery life on the new Blackberry 9800 Torch is touted at 5.5 hours of talk time and 18 days of standby. Other features include GPS and Wi-Fi. The memory can also be expanded to 32 GB.
The Blackberry 9800 Torch is being launched in the United States under the AT&T Wireless network. The phones come factory locked. If you wish to purchase an AT&T 9800 Torch for use on another GSM network, unlock codes are available through Unlockology.com.
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