Over the past six weeks RIM has announced the introduction of at least four new Blackberry models. This comes as no surprise as the competition in the smartphone arena is more fierce than ever and RIM is trying to regain its foothold in the industry. At Unlock Worldwide we have kept you abreast of any news related to the upcoming models: Torch 9810, Bold 9900 & 9930 and the Curve 9360.
Today we a going to review the 9810 Torch which Is coming out on Canada?s Rogers Wireless network.
The 9800 Torch series has been a bold step in Blackberry?s future. Having both the complete touch screen and a slide out keyboard is a distinct competitive advantage in a world were most of us are still trying to get a hold on how to type on a glass screen. The 9810 Torch is the upgrade version and although cosmetically the differences are small, the biggest change has to be that it comes with Blackberry OS7 operating system installed.
Specifications:
- Blackberry OS 7
- Liquid graphics 3.2? 640 x 480 touchscreen
- 1.2Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
- 768 MB RAM / 8GB internal storage
- 5MP camera with an LED flash
- 720p HD video
- 14.4Mbps download speeds
- Wi-Fi
- A-GPS
- Bluetooth 2.1 w/A2DP support
- Accelerometer
- Compass
- Micro USB slot
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Dimensions 111mm x 62mm x 14.6mm (with the slider shut)
The Phone
The new 9810 Blackberry Torch looks just like the 9800 model. One difference being the colour as it is now more of a silver. The keyboard is slight larger but really hard to notice. There is also an onscreen keyboard that will work in both landscape and portrait modes.
The Screen
The new model comes with increased resolution and does have a much sharper look. It has really good brightness levels so it is easy to use in the daylight.
The OS
There is a definite difference with the new OS7 upgrade. But with few applications readily available for the new OS it is too soon to tell. A really good new feature is the modular app bar which slides up or down or side to side on the touchscreen. This makes it easier to access applications.
- Webkit browser
- Universal search
- Threaded messaging
- Gmail contacts syncing
- App World opened
- Touchscreen features
- Voice search
- Bluetooth support for the PlayBook
BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) has had an upgrade and now supports native Gmail calendar and contacts so you can sync your information from there. Blackberry App World 3.0 is scheduled to be ready soon and this should make the OS7 experience much more worthwhile.
Camera
The 5 mega pixel camera on the 9810 Torch is top quality. It has good autofocus capability and it has good speed. The photo gallery app is well designed and it is easy to scroll through the photos. The 720p video is impressive with frames rates that are smooth even in low light filming.
Battery
The battery last more than eight hours and seems to be an improvement over the 9800 Torch.
Mobile Network
This model is coming out on Rogers Wireless and will be rolled out among other carriers like Telus, Bell, T-Mobile,AT&T, Movistar and Vodafone.
Overall this is a great model from Blackberry, but it still leaves much to be desired in today?s world of touchscreen smartphones. Blackberry enthusiast still love BBM and that is why RIM stands a fighting chance to regain its standing in the wireless communications world of tomorrow. The 9810 Blackberry Torch is sure to be a winner for now, but RIM will need to come up with something cutting edge if it plans to stay ahead in 2012.