[samantharose]

I'm getting a new phone replacing my iPhone 3G. So sick of that.
So I'm debating between the torch or the 9700 bold on AT&T. I want the 9780 but I'm on at&t and it's on t-mobile. :/
sadly.
but which is better, 9800 or 9700? in all features.

[RoseBud68]

Good luck finding the 9700 at AT&T. I have the Torch & love it.

[hectorjr]

Yes.
I hate these ******* posts.

[ivor.berry]

I'm getting a new phone replacing my iPhone 3G. So sick of that.
So I'm debating between the torch or the 9700 bold on AT&T. I want the 9780 but I'm on at&t and it's on t-mobile. :/
sadly.
but which is better, 9800 or 9700? in all features.

As you are used to a touchscreen I would think it was a no-brainer go for the torch as this also has
Latest op system and browser.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ShoshiOne]

I don't think you can just ask "which is better" and get an answer that'll really help you. It relies on what you need or prefer in a phone. Ask which phone is better in this forum and there will probably be a lot of people who will say the Torch is better (I am one of them ). Go to the 9700 forum and ask the same question and you will probably have the majority of them saying the 9700 is the best.

You need to ask yourself what do you want in a phone. Touch screen? Slider? Would you rather a bit bigger keyboard and keys?

Any ideas of what you might want?

Also, you might just want to go into a store and play with the floor models. That way you can get a feel for what they have to offer. You can decided for yourself what is best then.

[samantharose]

To be honest, I want decent battery life to keep me satisfied. And something that doesn't break easily. And decent speed. And something okay for texting. And also good for Twitter. I kind of want the os6. Does anyone think the 9780 will be out by February or the end of January?

[Knuw1]

To be honest, I want decent battery life to keep me satisfied. And something that doesn't break easily. And decent speed. And something okay for texting. And also good for Twitter. I kind of want the os6. Does anyone think the 9780 will be out by February or the end of January?

Torch is a sturdy phone, good build IMO (only had it for a week, so far, so good) and the battery life is pretty good. I think it would be easier for you to transition into the phone easily also, because the touch screen is on the money. If you like a slighty smaller BB QWERTY keyboard, then you're really on to something. Go to any AT&T store or Best Buy and play with the demo and decide for yourself.

[Gomz]

I don't think you can just ask "which is better" and get an answer that'll really help you. It relies on what you need or prefer in a phone. Ask which phone is better in this forum and there will probably be a lot of people who will say the Torch is better (I am one of them ). Go to the 9700 forum and ask the same question and you will probably have the majority of them saying the 9700 is the best.

You need to ask yourself what do you want in a phone. Touch screen? Slider? Would you rather a bit bigger keyboard and keys?

Any ideas of what you might want?

Also, you might just want to go into a store and play with the floor models. That way you can get a feel for what they have to offer. You can decided for yourself what is best then.

+1 for this, and also if you can wait for a month or two for the 9780 att, But if your in a rush of buying and as you've said you want the OS6 then get the torch its pre loaded.

[xDAKx]

I personally like the 9800 over my 9700/80, however oddly enough, I find myself using it like a 9700 with a big screen! Usually open, using the physical keyboard and trackpad, while using the touchscreen to take advantage of some of the OS6 features, however I'd have no issue going back to the 9700 if I absolutely needed too, It's still a great device.

So far my battery life has actually been fairly good, not the greatness of the 9700, but still very good none the less, enough to make it through the day without issue.

[samantharose]

This is odd but would the slider on the 9800 break easily?

[ShoshiOne]

For me, the battery life is wonderful. I can be a pretty heavy user -heavy use on email, text, internet - and it lasts the whole day easily. It can usually go 2 days if I forget to plug it in at night. I know that people get different results with their batteries due to different factors - what programs are running in background, sometimes 3rd party apps can zap battery, etc. But my experience is still great. (And you have to keep in mind that it is now powering a much bigger screen than the other bb phones.)

Speed is good for me. No lagging problems that I really notice or can recall off-hand.

I've only dropped mine once and that was a very short fall, but no trouble here. You can do a forum search for "fall" or "drop". I have read a few of those threads and it seems like the Torch held up fairly well. Do a search and see what you can find.

[xDAKx]

This is odd but would the slider on the 9800 break easily?

Slider phones (or any phones with moving mechanical parts in general, flip phones included) are prone to wear and tear quicker than their "slab" style counterparts, but so far I'm fairly sold on the durability of the slider mechanism that RIM came up with for the Torch.

You can see a picture of the Torch slider mechanism from a few months ago below, It's a piece of CNC machined aluminum, which mounts onto "tracks" on the lower piece (where the keyboard is) and has an elongated hole for the flex-cable(s) to run between the two pieces.

[mark_rivers19]

i'm happy with my Torch which i got since Aug 12..
as a switcher from an iphone 3GS.. i feel the 9800 will suit your needs.

[wirelessgal]

I'm getting the Torch in the coming days. I'm currently using the 9700. Thought about getting the 9780, but want a different form factor. I plan on keeping my 9700, being the Blackberry addict that I am. I played around with my brother's Torch and it's a solid phone. I could get used to the weight of it. The touchscreen is quite nice. The slider is pretty solid. I've owned many many slider phones and over time, it will become a bit loose. Depending on how it's made and materials, some are looser than others. If anyone here have ever owned the Nokia N95, they would know what I'm talking about. As others have suggested, just go into an AT&T or Best Buy store and play around with it. Either way, you can't go wrong. After all, it is a Blackberry.

[Ancestor]

For texting, which a BlackBerry user does most, you're better off with a 9700, the real keyboard as opposed toe the Torch's flat keyboard is much better on the 9700, and the battery life on the 9700 is far more superior.

Coming from an iPhone, you will notice that the Torch's precision is not on par with the iPhone, that said, I think it is time for you to try a BB with a real keyboard rather than a slider which tends to be quite a task to constantly slide the keyboard up and down everytime you wanna text.

[wirelessgal]

"Ancestor" each person's experience with a keyboard is going to be different. The OP needs to test out the Torch and the 9700 for herself to see which one she is more comfortable with. I thought the Torch's keyboard would feel awkward. But after testing it out a few times, it's actually quite nice. The slider is not an issue for me because I have owned several slider phones. I will admit, the candybar form factor is more convenient. But you sacrifice a bit for a larger screen.

[ShoshiOne]

^^^I agree with wirelessgal. People's experiences won't be the same.
I was on an iphone 3gs for a year before the Torch. The change to a slider isn't bothersome for me at all.
Before the the iphone I was on a bb 8300 which had an amazing keyboard. The Torch doesn't have one anything near that quality but the kb is still nice and very usable. It just takes a little time to get used to. Had my Torch since about the end of August and can type on it without many problems --just the usual spelling mistakes I'd make no matter what.

[homer1475]

Never owned a bold in any number, I have however owned a pearl and curve previously before purchasing my torch. No other device even came into my mind when considering a new device. Blackberry's have a niche, either you like them or you hate them.

Each device be it BB, Android, ios, or whatever, has their own quirks, likes, liks and dislikes. I have played with a coworkers Ip4 and feel my torch is on par with the touch screen of that(actually found my torch was more accurate on where I was typing then the ip4). Everyones opinions are subjective, take each one with a grain of salt.

It all boils down to going into the store and test drive each one for a bit, worst case scenario is to buy one and test drive it for a few days, if you don't like it take it back for the other.

[bbboyjr]

I just switched from a 9700 to a 9800 and there's a lot that I miss about the 9700. The big screen on the 9800 is great, but the battery drains very quickly compared to the 9700 and I'm not a fan of the touch screen. I find myself always using the physical keyboard. It seems like it takes longer to do things - simple things like making a call - on the 9800. I'm not a fan of the new browser, but I was always an Opera user, anyway, and Opera Mini works well on the 9800. I don't think the touch screen is functional in Opera but it doesn't matter to me. The phone is just a little thicker and heavier than I'd prefer- I thought the 9700 was just the right size/weight. I'm hoping the 9780 comes out on ATT soon and if it does, I'll swap the Torch for it. If not, I can live with the Torch.