# Blackberry Torch - is it any good?



## Gym Beam (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm due for a handset upgrade. I currently have a very basic Blackberry Curve - a kind of entry level smarphone. It is not very good - but I enjoy the Blackberry service - BBM, internet, FB Twitter, e-mails etc. I obviously want to keep those services, but that means getting another Blackberry handset. IS the Blackberry Torch any good - as this is the most recent one. I'm not very tech savvy - so hi tech phone not my thing.

SHOT!


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## live_jayeola (Feb 16, 2011)

Are you serious? The web on a BB phone? Zzzzzzz


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## g force (Feb 16, 2011)

BB apps work just fine, in fact as well as iPhone ones for Twitter, FB etc. As for the handset itself - I use the latest Curve and my boss got a Torch and he hates it. 

It looks fantastic but as soon as you slide the screen up to reveal the less-than-ideal keypad it all goes horribly wrong. Basically due to the screen weight it tips in your hands ever so slightly. It may not be a massive issue for you but I found typing emails for any amount of time on it hugely annoying. Def get down a shop and try it out.


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## editor (Feb 16, 2011)

It's had mixed reviews - the consensus appears to be that it's 'average' -  and it's hard to justify buying when compared to some of the newer Android/iPhone models.



> t's tough to feel really excited about the BlackBerry Torch and OS 6 after heavy testing. We had high hopes coming into this review that the new operating system would be more than a fresh coat of paint on an aging user experience -- that we were going to see substantial changes in the attitude and direction of the company. While there are notable improvements here and much that is laudable, what we're ultimately left with is, at its core, more of the same.
> 
> For all the improvements in the browser, the more upscale fit-and-finish of the UI, and the thoughtful changes in basic functionality, we still feel like this device is a generation behind the market. Instead of meeting the rising stars of the smartphone world (Apple and Google) head-on, RIM has taken something more like baby steps toward innovation. The company seems convinced that it's got a better idea about what its customers want and how a smartphone should act in 2010, but we can't say we agree.
> 
> The Torch seems sluggish, underpowered, and dated from a hardware design standpoint, and BlackBerry 6, despite its new features and polish, still feels woefully behind the curve. To call the Torch the "best BlackBerry ever" wouldn't be an understatement, but unfortunately for RIM and the faithful, their best isn't nearly good enough.


http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/04/blackberry-torch-review/
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cell-phone-reviews/blackberry-torch-9800-review/


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## mwgdrwg (Feb 16, 2011)

There must be new models of Curve Blackberries on the way?


eta..."blackberry sedona" looks like the next gen. Curve.


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## g force (Feb 16, 2011)

Yep I think i'd hold off on the upgrade until the new model comes out.

Ed- you make a good point but neither has BBM which is you use heavily is hard to replace. Personally I think unless you absolutely need push email (and some people do) and BBM it's best to either see what the Sedona is like or take a punt on an Android device.


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## Gym Beam (Feb 16, 2011)

Thanks for guidance - Ed that review was most helpful. I might just wait a bit and see what the newer models are like. I would consider the other options (I phone etc) but I'm kinda comfortable with the Blackberry services. So it looks like I have to stick with their handsets, which by all accounts are not very good compared to other handsets.


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## editor (Feb 16, 2011)

g force said:


> Ed- you make a good point but neither has BBM which is you use heavily is hard to replace. Personally I think unless you absolutely need push email (and some people do) and BBM it's best to either see what the Sedona is like or take a punt on an Android device.


My GMail is pushed to my Android phone.


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## Kid_Eternity (Feb 16, 2011)

My Gmail is pushed to my iPhone, don't know why anyone would get a Blackberry these tbh...there's a nice retro thing about them I guess but there's so much more going on with iOS and Android...


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