subject: Introducing the Blackberry Torch 9800 [print this page] The new Blackberry Torch 9800 may well be the handset that e mail addicts have been waiting for thanks to the handset supporting a full slide out Qwerty keypad in addition to a long awaited update to the Blackberry operating system.
The manufacturers previous attempts a a touchscreen handset were not successful, with models such as the Storm never really catching on, thus for a long time the brand have been associated with producing devices that utilised a trackpad navigation system alongside a full keypad on the front of the phone. Users have the best of both worlds on this new model, with a full capacitive touchscreen being incorporated and the full Qwerty system also keeping its place, although now in a slide out form. From a design aspect, it does make the phone look neater, with the obvious lack of buttons on the fascia meaning the screen dominates proceedings. The 3.2" display seems ample for everyday use, and the resolution of 480 x 360 pixels produces an HVGA image that looks crisp and clear. As with most touch screens, the essential proximity sensor is present to prevent accidentally pressing buttons during a call and a light sensor helps adjust the screen to the optimal viewing image according to lighting conditions. For times when you do not want to use the physical keypad, the screen offers a choice of three virtual varieties, with alpha numeric, Qwerty and compact Qwerty all available.
Once again, connectivity options are superb on the Blackberry Torch. To keep you in touch whilst on the move, the handset supports 3G for the ultimate mobile experience, and when out of range the phone also offers quad band GSM/GPRS and Edge 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz. Thanks to such great coverage, features such as push e mail notifications are also offered, keeping you up to date in real time with the status of your inbox. The handset also supports 3 speeds of Wireless LAN, or WiFi, with the newest "N" speed rating being accommodated for the ultimate speed when connected to a personal network or a WiFI hotspot. The phone comes with 512MB of memory on board, but this can be increased to upto 32GB with the adition of a micro SD card. This will appeal to people who want to take full advantage of the excellent media facilities on offer. The Blackberry Torch could well be the model that fans of the brand have been waiting for, thanks to the addition of an excellent touchscreen alongside the favourite full keypad and great connectivity options.
