The BlackBerry Torch 9800 has been described by many as ‘two phones in one’, with its improved touch screen technology and additional slide-out qwerty keyboard. But rather than being a smartphone with an identity crisis, the Torch 9800 combines the best of both worlds and takes all the favourite bits from other BlackBerry models, bringing them together in one device.
RIM have always had a large, captive sector of the business market, but not all of their smartphones have greatly appealed beyond that spectrum. However, the BB Torch 9800 aims to address that and does so admirably, being packed with all the business essentials while also being seriously stylish and cool.
With the 9800 it’s all about choice.
Take the keyboard, for example. There’s a BlackBerry keyboard just a fraction thinner than the Bold’s, which slides away beneath the capacitive touch screen. Text can be entered from either the screen or the keyboard – you choose what’s most natural to you.
Perhaps for answering an email you’d rather use the keyboard and optical trackpad, while browsing your friends’ latest Facebook activity might be better on the touch screen.
Much talked about before the Torch’s release was the new BlackBerry 6 operating system, which will be familiar to seasoned BlackBerry enthusiasts while also being more powerful and easier to use. The interface has been redesigned and made simpler and it now integrates better with RSS feeds and social network sites such as Twitter and MySpace.
Though RIM is not anywhere near Apple when it comes to apps, there are an ever growing number available. The Torch 9800 is the first BlackBerry that comes with BlackBerry App World pre-installed, making it easier for you to browse and purchase applications. You can make the most of the enhanced multimedia features by using the YouTube or Podcasts apps.
Universal search enables you to search through email, messages, contacts, music, videos and more on the smartphone, as well as extend search to the Internet or to discover applications on BlackBerry App World.
Internet browsing has also been improved thanks to the inclusion of a new and rich WebKit-based browser.
The packed features of this smartphone will have many enthusiasts and BlackBerry newcomers alike keen to get their hands on one – one of the most coveted smartphones of the year.
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