As the largest provider, AT&T launched its wireless cell phones. One of them is BlackBerry Torch 9800. BlackBerry is a popular brand which inspires intense emotion for almost everyone who owns a smartphone. For its users, “BlackBerry” brings to mind words like functional, dependable, workhorse, indispensable. For its detractors, the words are more like ugly, old, and out-of-date. One of its types, Torch is Research in Motion’s attempt at silencing its critics. A whole new operating system, BlackBerry OS 6.0, is combined with a whole new sliding form. It is like BlackBerry’s answer to Google’s Android and Apple’s near-ubiquitous iPhone. The BlackBerry Torch is, simply, a thing of beauty. Then, it is almost completely black, with dark gray metal on the front edges. The back of the Torch is rubberized. So, it makes for a very easy yet strong grip. With the front touch screen off, the phone looks almost like a smooth river stone and this is a good thing. The new device also represents a departure for RIM from form factor. It also features a slide-up screen that reveals a hardware keyboard beneath. In the past, BlackBerry has been either standard “candy bar” style — keyboard right on the front of the phone, with a screen above or “touch” style, with no physical keyboard at all, and a large touch screen to serve as the keyboard. The latter style is more like an iPhone, while the former style which was pioneered by RIM.
It has slide mechanism. It is well-crafted, solid, and fluid. There do not seem to be any springs or moving parts involved, and there is not a “catch” or latch. This design also makes the users feel like the Torch’s screen slides on air. The slider is great. Hope that RIM expands this feature to other phones. As far as phone input goes, the Torch allows the best of both worlds: a physical keyboard when you need it and a sizeable touch screen when you do not.
Then, how about that physical keyboard? It looks and acts exactly like its relatives on other BlackBerry phones, such as the Bold and Curve. Its keys are easily distinguishable from one another, and they are big enough for a standard-sized thumb to press. However, larger thumbs will probably have issues here. The top of the phone has a sophisticated and well-designed feature. It acts as a large smooth metal rocker with the left side serving as a screen-lock button and the right side as a mute button. The effect here is also impressive. It is because RIM has managed to squeeze quite a few physical keys onto a relatively small phone without sacrificing build quality. This is a stark contrast to Apple’s approach where physical buttons are eschewed for aesthetic reasons.
RIM also gets high marks here for originality. It is completed with the standard micro-USB port. It is the only opening on the left spine, while a headphone port, volume rocker and “convenience” button round out the right spine. Out of the box, the RIM BlackBerry Torch comes with some features: a standard battery, AC adapter, USB cable, 3.5mm stereo headset, 4-gigabyte microSD card and a polishing cloth.
Leave a Reply: