subject: A Closer Look At The Blackberry Torch [print this page] BlackBerry's new Torch smartphone is a device that has grown in popularity with the media in recent times. The Torch represents BlackBerry's attempts to catch up with some of the latest Android hardware and the iPhone. While Blackberry has still retained a respectable amount of market share, they have completely lost media hype and have been relegated to being the default corporate phone. The Torch is BlackBerry's attempt to break that trend.
The Torch has a number of firsts. It is BlackBerry's first phone with their BlackBerry OS 6. It is also BlackBerry's first slider phone. Traditionally, BlackBerry has been known for having dedicated keyboards. They did go to a touch screen model with the BlackBerry Storm; however that phone hasn't fared too well. The Torch keeps a dedicated keyboard, but hides it with a slider feature, thus moving on to the new touch-screen format while still maintaining the functionality of their full keyboard. The screen is a capacitive touch screen with a half VGA resolution. It is highly responsive, unlike the Storm which many users found difficult to use because of the necessary of "Clicking" the touch screen.
The new operating system provides a number of benefits. One of the most notable benefits is the webkit based browser which allows for a great web browsing experience. Even though BlackBerry was known as the first phone to allow full internet access, they never really updated their browser much, and it still felt like the early mobile browser, unlike many of the more modern smartphones, which had browsers that felt almost as powerful as a computer. In addition to the noticeably better browsing experience, the user interface has been improved. Large icons make good use of the limited screen space, and it is easy not only to navigate the phone, but also to customize it to make it more personal and easier to use.
Although the Torch is a very good phone, users may want to purchase accessories, just like with any other phone. BlackBerry Torch accessories which a user may want to consider purchasing include BlackBerry Torch cases and BlackBerry Torch screen protectors. You will probably want to consider as small of a case as possible, as the BlackBerry Torch is a fairly large phone.
Overall, the BlackBerry Torch is a pretty great phone. It really makes some much-needed improvements to the BlackBerry line of phones to help make them more modern and more competitive. The Torch is at least as good as many other smartphones, although unfortunately it may not be better. The Torch probably doesn't have quite what BlackBerry was hoping and it may not completely recapture the market, however it will at least keep BlackBerry as a viable smartphone market competitor. Nevertheless, the Torch is a great phone, and is well worth considering getting.
