Mobile News

Release Date: August 12, 2010

$199 w/ a 2 year contract
$499 no contract

Battery:

If there was one component of a cell phone that people think about first, it would definitely have to be battery life. The Blackberry Torch 9800 definitely has its upsides and downsides, but battery life is definitely an upside. The battery life is rated at about 5.5 hours of actual talk time, standby time of about 17 days. If you’re using your Torch for audio and video use, then you can expect 29.8 hours and 6 hours for audio and video usage, respectively.

Initial reviews of the Torch 9800 report that heavy usage is not a problem, but it generally only lasts for a single day on a single charge.

Memory and Processor Speed:

Internal flash memory is something that most users don’t think about, but Research in Motion has made it easy to walk the balance between the internal memory a phone needs to be very functional, and expandable memory. Most smartphones are now designed to let you play audio and video, as well as have more space for pictures. The expandable memory slot accepts up to a 32GB microSD card, but the nice part about the Torch is that it comes with a 4GB microSD card. Many smartphones forget to include a memory card with your purchase, leaving you to have to take time out of your day just to pick one up.

Processor speed is decent, though not as good as other smartphones on the market. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t have the best experience around — the 624MHz processor will be able to handle just about anything you can throw at it.

Screen:

The screen on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is a touchscreen, which is the primary feature that Research in Motion is pushing. The screen is fairly roomy at about 3.2 inches and has a resolution of 360×480.

Form:

One of the biggest criticisms of the BlackBerry line is that the phones are not stylish. However, true BlackBerry fans will really appreciate the fact that the form of the phone as a whole is very solid and non-assuming. You will not be sorry by checking out the Torch 9800, as the size of the phone gives you plenty of room to grip the phone and hold it securely. Although the phone is not as thin as other smartphones, the solid feel is something that BlackBerry users have been used to over the years.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is a slider phone with a touchscreen element, which is all the more reason why the phone has been structured with solid design in mind rather than flashy looks.

Controls:

From the moment that you pick up the Torch, you’ll have no trouble using it right away. This is due to Research in Motion (RIM) focusing more on fluid design and controls than anything else. You slide the phone up and expose the full keyboard as well as the standard phone controls.

Camera:

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 has plenty of fantastic features, but it’s the 5 megapixel camera that will definitely get your attention. In a nutshell, the camera on the 9800 has some superior features that should be noted. The biggest is autofocus, which means that you won’t have to do much to get a great shot of everyday life. In the past, camera phones meant dealing with fuzzy, grainy photos. However, RIM is trying to get regular people into the BlackBerry line, which means making sure that the camera is as effortless as possible.

Other Features:

* GPS
* Wi-Fi
* Bluetooth
* Web browsing