Blackberry Torch 9800 Smartphone Review

Key Features
Positive Aspects
Negative Aspects
Should You Buy?

The Blackberry smartphones are well-known for their full physical Qwerty keyboards, instead of full touch screens. But if you are the type who desires the very best of both worlds, then the Blackberry Torch 9800 might be an ideal smartphone for you.

Key Features Of The Blackberry Torch 9800

Estimated Price: $200 - $649
Release Year: 2010
Operating System: Blackberry 6
Size: 4.4 by 2.4 by 0.57 inches
Weight: 5.68 oz
Storage Options: 4GB internal, micro-SD expandable up to 32GB
Processor: 624 MHz Marvell PXA940
Screen: 3.2 HVGA touch screen
Resolution: 480×360 pixels
Cameras: 5MP
Internet: HSDPA, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Battery Life: 5.5 hours talk time, 432 hours standby
Service Provider: AT

Positive Aspects Of The Blackberry Torch 9800

Controls
The controls on the Blackberry Torch 9800 may attract a number of users for the simple fact that they're easy to use. There are always reasons why people prefer a touchscreen over a keyboard, and vice versa. By including both, Blackberry has provided the best of both worlds. The keyboard is good for physical typing (though it is understandably small), and there's also a virtual keyboard on the screen if you don't want to open up the phone.

Screen
The Blackberry Torch 9800 has a 3.2 inch screen. This is smaller than many other smartphones on the market due to the bugger controls. However, it is a larger screen than you'll find on most other Blackberrys which helps to make it a lot easier to use.

Internet
Another benefit of having so many control options on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is that it's really easy to navigate your way around the web browser. Extra features include the ability to use your Blackberry as a modem for a laptop.

Surfing the web is also pretty fast on this device thanks to the fact that it supports Wi-Fi and HSDPA (3.5G) just like the other top smartphones on the market today.

Features
There are a few reasons why people still choose to buy Blackberry smartphones, and that's generally thanks to the superior way in which the operating system handles messages and emails. If that's the primary use for your smartphone, you may find the Blackberry interface (along with the physical keyboard) very useful.

Negative Aspects Of The Blackberry Torch 9800

Operating System
Never versions of the Blackberry operating system have borrowed features from Android to make them more user friendly, including the notifications bar and multiple home screen options. Blackberry is also useful for users who want to funnel emails and Messenger messages into one inbox, helping to keep better organized.

However, there are also a number of drawbacks of the operating system. Blackberry have far fewer apps available to download, and many of the apps feel like a poorer quality on this device compared to major operating systems. Blackberry simply isn't as well supported as other operating systems, and more and more users are moving away towards iOS and Android.

Music Player
The music player on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is good, but there are a few problems. The inbuilt speakers are very quiet, and there's no option to play FM radio like you'll find on most other smartphones on the market.

Resolution
With a resolution of 480 by 360 pixels, the screen on the Blackberry Torch 9800 just doesn't look as good as its biggest rivals (like the iPhone 4).

Processor
Although the processor is powerful enough for you to get a lot done without waiting around, it isn't as powerful as the 1 GHz processors you'll find on many of the Blackberry's main rival, meaning it's not quite as fast and doesn't handle multitasking as well.

Design
The Blackberry Torch 9800 feels very solid in your hands. This is a good thing in term of durability, though it doesn't look as sleek given the fact that it needs to fit in a physical keyboard as well as the touchscreen.

Battery Life
With a talk time battery life of 5.5 hours, the Blackberry Torch 9800 is pretty average in the world of tablet computers. It'll last for 432 hours on standby, which is a little more impressive.

Cost
The Blackberry Torch 9800 doesn't come cheap given that its features aren't as powerful as the top rival smartphones on the market. The truth is that you could get better value with a different manufacturer.

Camera
There's a 5 megapixel camera on the back of the Blackberry Torch 9800, which is good quality for a smartphone. The photos come out quite well, but the main drawback is the fact that the camera can only record videos at 640 by 480 resolution (VGA). Most other smartphones on the market can record videos on HD quality.

Should You Buy The Blackberry Torch 9800?

Even though the Blackberry Torch 9800 is really a solid phone, it's difficult for it to meet the standards set by a number of its greatest competitors like the HTC Droid Incredible 2, or even the Apple iPhone 4. When it comes to a phone with both a touch screen and physical keyboard, the Blackberry Torch 9800 is really your very best choice. But if you are less picky about controls then you might want to look elsewhere for smartphones with better value for money. Buy the Blackberry Torch 9800 Smartphone from Amazon.com.

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