BlackBerry Torch 9800 Phone (AT&T)

198 Comments

1. 7 of 9 says:

   August 22, 2010 at 12:21 am

   Review by 7 of 9 for BlackBerry Torch 9800 Phone (AT&T)
   Rating:
   I just purchased the Torch to replace my heavily abused Bold 9000 (still one of the best blackberry devices ever created). I also have a Curve 2 (Verizon) for work. I have been using Blackberry devices for over 4 years now and upgrade regularly when new devices become available. First the good:

   The web browser has been improved by leaps and bounds. It was without a doubt Blackberry’s weakest feature and although it isn’t as good as say the iphone’s or andoid’s browser…it is still darn good.

   The multitouch screen is a great addition. Again..not as pretty or nearly intuitive as the iphone’s or the droid’s…but a great feature to add to a blackberry. It’s fairly responsive and not like that garbage that RIM/Verizon released in the Storm. It’s nice having the extra real estate to work with.

   Media management – it’s great to not have to wait 2 weeks for a half dozen of your photo thumbnails to pop up. Enough said!

   Solid Design – it feels like a tank (unfortunately weighs as much too). I dropped the phone from about 4 feet (it was actually flung out of my hand by my very inebriated friend) and it survived without a scratch or a hiccup. This fall was incurred with no case or protection on the phone mind you. The screen was still in sms mode where it was right before it was ejected from my hands. The slider feels very solid as well. I hope it stays that way.

   SMS Messaging now uses the same bubble format as BB messenger. This is a very welcome change. It’s nice not having to scroll three pages to make sense of what somebody was responding to. In addition you can actually preview attachments such as photos in SMS mode. The same applies for emails. No having to download an attachment to see a preview.

   The camera is a great improvement as well. It takes some nice pictures and the flash is actually semi-usable.

   A keyboard! I know it’s small and a slider but it’s so nice to be able to type with one hand and not have to rely on a touch screen QWERTY all the time. The on screen keyboard is acceptable in horizontal mode and no more difficult to use than the iphone’s or android’s but it’s very tough to type in vertical mode since it’s ridiculously narrow. You are still able to easily get out simple sentences without having to slide the phone open though.

   There are a slew of improvements but these were the ones I thought made the most of an impression.

   The Bad:

   The Torch is snappy but it’s disappointing Blackberry didn’t bump up its processor. If I’m not mistaken it still uses the same proc that’s in my Bold 9000. Don’t get me wrong…the phone feels quicker than most Blackberry devices but why not join the 1ghz party like the rest of the big boys?

   Apps – if you’re looking for apps this is the wrong phone. The app store is mediocre at best. Plus why do I have to pay 2-5 times as much for an app on my blackberry than what I paid to get it on my iphone? Hopefully the apps will improve with time.

   Learning curve – the phone has a little bit of a learning curve and OS Six feels…well not complete. I wonder some time how engineers and testers miss the easy stuff. For example…to move an icon you can actually press and hold it to select options (a la iphone)…but you need to use the trackball to move it instead of just moving it on the screen with your finger. That to me feels half-@ssed. I actually ran into that issue with another item on the phone but it escapes me. Maybe I’m just being picky. Also…missed calls..when you first view your missed call there are options to: delete – email – text – view contact – forward – add notes – switch application – help and full menu. But there is no Call Back option. You have to literally select full menu or view contact, select the number, and then dial it. How difficult would it have been to just add a simple CALL BACK? I don’t get it.

   The menu options are vast and sometimes require several strokes to get to what you want to do. I like having a million options believe me…just not at the “touch screen” level. Also the application icon menu is nice but very busy and difficult to navigate at times. I will probably get used to it…but they could have made it a bit more intuitive.

   Overall…it’s a really good phone – i just don’t LOVE it yet. Good call quality. You tube videos don’t stutter like they used to. I have a web browser I can actually USE. Touch screen. So I’m a little disappointed the menu is not more like my iphone. Then again I’m a Blackbery kind of guy. And that’s why my iphone is next to my night stand for a late night bejeweled session and not in my pocket.

   Anyway…sorry for the long winded review but I just wanted to give everybody an honest idea of what the phone is like. I rely on Amazon a great deal for reviews and I hope this helps you.
2. Cory Crawford says:

   August 22, 2010 at 12:32 am

   Review by Cory Crawford for BlackBerry Torch 9800 Phone (AT&T)
   Rating:
   I am so sick of arguing with people about iPhones. The name should be changed to iFun because thats really all they are made for. They can barely handle any of the tasks that a “phone” should so why have the word “phone” in the name. With that said, this new Blackberry is a phones phone. No nonsense. Its not gonna win any fashion awards at the 2010 Phony awards. It wont be breakout phone of the year. It probably wont ever outsell droid or iPhone. Your kids and their friends wont be talking about how excited they are to get the new Torch. But when it comes to making and receiving PHONE calls, emailing, texting, surfing the web, updating status’s or blogs, viewing documents, there is no better phone out there then this one.

   The main thing that I knew I would love is the physical keyboard combined with touchscreen. I really dont think physical keyboards will ever be phased out because they are faster and more accurate than any touchscreen could ever be. And I think RIM is betting on that fact with this phone cause there is not one phone on the market that combines a big screen with a kick a** keyboard. I had a Bold 9000 and upgraded to this phone (via amazon wireless for only 99 bucks!) and besides the speakers not being as loud, this phone is better in every way then an already amazing phone in the Bold 9000. Contrary to what all the reviews around the web are saying, the screen is amazing. Who would want to watch HD movies on their phone anyway? Thats dumb. I have a tv and/or a laptop for that. Not to mention on 3G networks you cant stream any higher resolution than this phone can view anyway.

   I really do love the screen and how responsive it is. Its just a smart intuitive screen and combined with the optical touchpad (which makes clicking links or selecting text so easy when you have big fingers like me) theres really nothing you cant do with it. The Universal Search feature is great too and makes you wonder “why havent I always had this as an option”. Thats how all my blackberrys have been though. World phone to the Curve to the Bold and now to the Torch and every time I’m thinking why cant all phones be made like this. They make sense. They enhance your life because life is about people and relationships and this one communicates with those relationships better than anything. I hate that Blackberrys arent as cool to own even though Kanye West Obama Justin Timberlake Lady Gaga Jay-Z T.I. etc all own blackberrys. (no A-list celeb needs to feel cooler by having a phone hence why most dont have iPhones.) But thats something I’m more than happy to give up in exchange for reliability and practicality.

   If you own a Blackberry right now you will LOVE this phone. If you have ever owned and liked a Blackberry in the past, you will love this phone. If you are thinking about getting a Blackberry, you will love this phone. If you really like the iPhone or new Droid then go get one of those. They are good devices in their own right as well but as for all the aforementioned things, NOTHING will beat a Blackberry. Its just like anything else, cars women music sports its all just personal preference and theres no judgement for choosing whats best for you. But as for me, I prefer a phone that does what phones do.
3. Roland Muts says:

   August 22, 2010 at 1:14 am

   Review by Roland Muts for BlackBerry Torch 9800 Phone (AT&T)
   Rating:
   Reading the reviews online, some nothing more than a rehashed press release from RIM, i was excited: finally a good replacement for my 8310 Curve. I ignored the references to the iPhone 4: screen too small, not as crisp, processor speed too low, in short, bound to fail. Instead I started thinking about what I want in a new phone.

   I think what people reviewing this phone tend to forget, is that it’s more of a business-oriented phone, not so much ‘let’s download the latest fart app and show it to all my friends’. This phone has got excellent messaging capabilities, proper mailboxes for as many as 10 accounts, 3G speed (when AT&Ts network plays along nicely on the West Coast) and now a proper web browser (same as iPhone).

   And, guess what: to me it doesn’t fail at all. Why?
   
   * it has got the trusty Blackberry keyboard. Why would you need an on-screen one, when you have the real deal? Tried all kinds of phones, such as the iPhone4, Samsung Galaxy, Tilt2. Still, the Torch had the best feel.
   
   * it has the best messaging; I like the ease of use of setting up new accounts to monitor, and how easy it was to move from my old phone onto the new one. all inboxes into one, or show them on-screen as separate inboxes, one for each account.
   
   * the browser is amazing; not a distinguishing factor between iPhone and Torch, but definitely better than the old RIM browser

   About the processor speed:
   
   * how fast does it have to go? You don’t need the fastest possible to browse, I hope? Your 3G speed is probably more important than how fast you can get a web page to show up, rather than the processor. I did some tests with streaming YouTube videos, I did not see any lag or stutter, other than when the phone starts buffering. This happened more when in California than at home in Chicago, where I consistently got 5 bars.

   What I simply don’t care about: social media, social feeds, and all that. You know, you can either delete these icons, or move them into a folder and hide them. If you don’t want them, you don’t have to see them.

   So maybe when people say ‘the Torch is failing’, they need to be a bit more specific about what for they’re using the phone. It’s time for reviewers to be more upfront, saying what they were looking for in a new phone.

   If this phone needs to be the latest and greatest YouTube video viewer? Might still work. If this needs to be the fastest phone on paper? No, look for other phones instead. If you need a solid messaging phone, for both business and maybe after hours? Definitely look into any Blackberry.

   I like mine, don’t want to trade it in for anything else.

   About the price reduction: where are the terms and conditions? Is this for a totally new subscriber, or also for renewing your plan? Kinda bummed out that this is happening already within 7 days of launch, but I’m sure I’ll find a solution.
4. J. Ehrlich says:

   August 22, 2010 at 1:28 am

   Review by J. Ehrlich for BlackBerry Torch 9800 Phone (AT&T)
   Rating:
   So far so good! I’ve owned it for a couple of days and am amazed at all of the capabilities it’s got. My firm has an Enterprise server, and the integration is really cool. The Universal Search function integrates with Enterprise, and that’s extremely helpful. Social networking has been totally built into the phone, so if you like Facebook/Twitter/MySpace/etc., it’s all there. With the new browser, the Internet and maps are about 1000 times better. Phone calls are loud and clear — for the first time, my sister didn’t bitch at me about sound quality when I was talking to her from my living room!

   My biggest issue with the Bold was the 1/2 screen — I wanted a full screen, and boy did I get it. The screen is huge and everything is serious big and readable.

   So far it’s been really smooth, and the things I had issues with (screen not dimming, touch screen TOO sensitive), I was able to adjust to my liking in Options. You can really personalize this phone. I have no issue with the keyboard — it’s not as bouncy as the 9700, but it’s basically the same size and easy to use. Having a keyboard is a dealbreaker for me, so I was excited about this phone coming out.

   I appreciate that RIM cut down on the “goodies” (the leather case, the good earphones) to keep the cost down, but I missed them anyway — they’re part of what makes owning a BlackBerry a cut above. And my main critique of the phone would be its heft — it feels HUGE. I keep comparing it to the 9700. Appearance-wise, they’re almost the same, but the Torch feels like a brick in comparison. I still love it, though.
5. rgharris says:

   August 22, 2010 at 1:32 am

   Review by rgharris for BlackBerry Torch 9800 Phone (AT&T)
   Rating:
   I have really been satisfied with the performance of the Blackberry Torch. There are so many features I love on this phone.

   PROS:
   
   * Great Phone and Messaging Device – Number one priority for a smart phone is calling and messaging. This phone excels at both.
   
   * Notification System – Notifications for apps(email, SMS, phone, Facebook, calendar, etc.) appear in the notification bar at the top of the screen.
   
   * Easy Access to Quick Settings – Tapping the top of the screen brings up connectivity options, alarm settings, and links to other phone options.
   
   * Universal Search – Start typing on the physical keyboard from the home screen to search the entire phone or after typing tap the browser icon to search Google.
   
   * Physical Keyboard – First of all, great for typing. Second, doesn’t take up space on the screen (virtual keyboards block much of the screen) so you can view emails, texts, etc. much better.
   
   * So Many Options – OS 6 works well by touch and by using the track pad. Both methods together create a great experience. One place the track pad is very useful for is clicking small links on web pages, because it is very hard to be accurate with your finger.
   
   * Multitasking – Very quick and easy to use. I use it all the time to browse and SMS at the same time. Even works well with many applications running.
   
   * Shortcuts – The physical keyboard is very useful for speed dial, copying and pasting, and the many many other shortcuts in OS 6.
   
   * Physical Keys – (Send, menu, escape, end) Very useful, one major problem I have with some touch screen phones is the lack of these physical keys. Holding the menu key in any app brings up the multitasking screen.
   
   * Well Constructed Slider Mechanism – Smooth sliding action, no wobble that affects usage.
   
   * Webkit Browser – A major upgrade to Blackberry browsing. Best feature is double tap to wrap text so it fits the screen, making reading text much easier. Also has pinch to zoom.
   
   * Customizable Profiles – Sound profiles have many many options. You can change settings for all types of notifications. Easy access to profiles from home screen. The flashing LED alert (which can be disabled) is one of my favorite Blackberry features.
   
   * Wifi Music Sync – Easy and efficient way to transfer music to your phone. Works Great! Has normal headphone jack.
   
   * Social Networking Integration – Facebook, Twitter, etc.
   
   * 5 MP Camera – Takes great photos, has flash.
   
   * Auto On/Off – Conserves battery.
   
   * Visual Voice Mail – Much easier than calling your voice mail to listen to messages.
   
   * Good Battery Life – Will definitely last at least all day even for heavy users.

   CONS:

   * Low Resolution Screen in comparison to some other new smart phones. However in my opinion the physical keyboard (because it doesn’t waste screen space as a virtual keyboard does) makes up for this most of the time.
   
   * Slow processor (compared to other new smart phones) – However I have not had any problems with lag even when running multiple applications.
   
   * No HD video.
   
   * Webkit browser still is not perfect. I hope the performance on many sites will be improved with new OS updates

   CONCLUSION:
   
   The Torch should be great for anyone who wants a very reliable smart phone for calling and messaging with many other great features and apps. This review probably seems fairly long, but I just touched the surface of the many features of this phone. I am still finding new features and shortcuts every day. I would definitely recommend this phone.