Our Blackberry Torch 9800 Review

In the three-horse race between iPhone, Android and Blackberry's operating system, Blackberry are sitting comfortably in third place at the moment. Could the Blackberry Torch mobile phone give them a much need boost?

The QWERTY keyboard on this slider handset has smaller keys than existing Blackberry users will be used to, but it only takes a couple of minutes or so to get used to it. After all, it must have been tested on the lumpiest of fingers.

The touchscreen on the Blackberry Torch 9800 is an improvement on its predecessors, but only an improvement. And that is the thing about the Blackberry Torch mobile phone - it is just an improvement when maybe it would have been better to bite the bullet and go for a complete overhaul, now that Blackberry's 6 OS is here. Again, this is just an improvement, rather than a radical overhaul of the previous system, but it is definitely an improvement.

The touchscreen is clear and easy to operate, with the option to move icons around easily, and is impressively responsive. Intuitive folders, such as that for frequent apps, certainly help to speed up tasks. Of course, given Blackberry's dedication to easy emailing, accounts can be integrated along with those for Facebook and Twitter.

Smartphones can also be used for talking to people, and the Blackberry Torch mobile phone works well in this respect. Calling is consistently clear, both going out and incoming, with less tendency to lose signal than previous models.

One niggle, which could become annoying over time, is the slow 600mhz processor. Waiting for images, or even little PDFs, takes a couple of seconds, which is a couple of seconds longer than some are prepared to wait. This underpowered processor means that multitasking, such as moving even small sections of text around, also takes longer than you would be used to.

Compared to the almost childlike simplicity of an iPhone, the Blackberry Torch mobile phone offers too much choice on its interface. There are multiple ways to carry out tasks, some working better than others, where a simple but efficient system would have saved aggravation. That said, all phones are different, with their own quirks, and they all need getting used to. Once you have found your preferred way of working with this handset, it will work well for you.

One pleasing feature is the Blackberry Torch mobile phone's 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. There are a lot of useful options both before and after taking a shot, with portrait and landscape modes available, plus an impressive array of editing tools onboard.

What We Liked

The Blackberry Torch mobile phone comes with a lot of features, with many more downloads available.

What We Disliked

The slow processor was a letdown, considering this is a business tool designed for multitasking.

Our Final Verdict

Once you get used to its complications and have simplified them to your own taste, the Torch's ease of use is a big plus.

Compare Handsets

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	Blackberry Torch 9800
General
Form Factor	Candybar
Dimensions	111 x 62 x 14.6 (mm)
Talk Time	340 mins
Standby Time	336 hours
Weight	161 g
Quad Band	Yes
Photo and Video
Integrated Camera	Yes
Camera	5.00 megapixels
Camera Flash	Yes
Video Player	Yes
Phone
Polyphonic Ringtones	Yes
Integrated Keyboard	Yes
Smart Phone	Yes
Internal Memory	4GB
Memory Card Type	MicroSD (32GB max)
Messaging
Instant Messaging (IM)	Yes
Screen
Colour Screen	Yes
Connectivity
3G	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes
Email	Yes
HSDPA	Yes
WAP	Yes
Web Browser	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
GPS	Yes
Music and Radio
MP3 Player	Yes
MP3 Ringtones	Yes
Additional Content
Downloadable Content	Yes
Downloadable Games	Yes
Downloadable Ringtones	Yes

Blackberry Torch 9800 Full Specification

General

Photo and Video

Phone

Messaging

Screen

Connectivity

Music and Radio

Additional Content