When the arrival of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 came knocking, I was pretty much psyched to see if this snazzy new BlackBerry with its Palm Pre form factor (albeit much hardier) was going to offer me the best of both worlds. Could I finally enjoy a touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard together in a single device? I’d grown tired of using an onscreen keyboard and had suffered enough at the hands of onscreen keyboard typos. Yet, at its core the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is really still just a BlackBerry Bold 9700 with some nice enhancements courtesy of the new BlackBerry OS 6 and its new touchscreen. So why would anyone want it? Because folks- it has a keyboard and at the end of the day it’s simple to use! We know many business people who have transitioned to iPhones and Android phones, but for them, their hero still remains the BlackBerry when it comes to simple communication via email and long long battery life.
In the Box:
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 box comes with a polishing cloth, 4GB memory card, hands free 3.5mm stereo headset, charger and USB cable, quickstart and safety and product information booklet. Lastly there is a MiniCD included that has BlackBerry User Tools on it. From past experiences – the MiniCD disks always seem to get jammed or stuck in my computer…so I’m kind of surprised RIM just didn’t spring for the typical 120 mm CD. The one thing that is missing in the box is a holster or case for the BlackBerry. In the past they have always included some type of holster or case with their phones… but this time not.
Design and Build Quality:
The design of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is not all that masculine and the general consensus amongst the women that I showed it to is that they appreciated its subtle curves. These same women actually cooed at the fact of how nice it looked and that it had a touchscreen and a physical keyboard. Unlike many smartphones with the sliding form-factor that have come before it, the overall construction of the device is very solid with its chrome metal casing and rubberized back. It also doesn’t look like this chrome finish will peel, unlike my old BlackBerry Curve 8900 did after lots of use. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard doesn’t feel one bit chintzy or like a toy in comparison to the Pre. In fact, I slid it in and out repeatedly just for the heck of it because it was fun – till it flew out of my hands that is. The form factor is easy to hold in the palm of your hands and feels nice cradling in your sweaty palms.
In the Box:
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 box comes with a polishing cloth, 4GB memory card, hands free 3.5mm stereo headset, charger and USB cable, quickstart and safety and product information booklet. Lastly there is a MiniCD included that has BlackBerry User Tools on it. From past experiences – the MiniCD disks always seem to get jammed or stuck in my computer…so I’m kind of surprised RIM just didn’t spring for the typical 120 mm CD. The one thing that is missing in the box is a holster or case for the BlackBerry. In the past they have always included some type of holster or case with their phones… but this time not.
Design and Build Quality:
The design of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is not all that masculine and the general consensus amongst the women that I showed it to is that they appreciated its subtle curves. These same women actually cooed at the fact of how nice it looked and that it had a touchscreen and a physical keyboard. Unlike many smartphones with the sliding form-factor that have come before it, the overall construction of the device is very solid with its chrome metal casing and rubberized back. It also doesn’t look like this chrome finish will peel, unlike my old BlackBerry Curve 8900 did after lots of use. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard doesn’t feel one bit chintzy or like a toy in comparison to the Pre. In fact, I slid it in and out repeatedly just for the heck of it because it was fun – till it flew out of my hands that is. The form factor is easy to hold in the palm of your hands and feels nice cradling in your sweaty palms.
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