[fernandez21]

Ok, I have been an iphone user since launch day of the 3G and right now using the iphone 4 and have never used a blackberry before, I have had a palm pre plus for 3 weeks before returning it (loved webos, but the hardware was meh) and I'm not of fan of android devices. My father needed an upgrade from his blackjack winmo phone, so I went ahead and got him a torch and have been testing out for him. Again, I'm not going to be keeping the phone but give it to my father. Also you will find a lot of comparisons with the iphone since that is my main phone. My impressions so far have been relatively positive.

Build quality: I have so say it feels really good. The device is nice and solid, the slider doesn't wiggle like my old palm pre did and it feels like it can take a drop or two. While my iphone feels more "expensive", it also feels more fragile, and as a portible devise you carry around everywhere more durable is better than more expensive.

Reception/call quality Let me say, reception is great. I'm amazed that I somehow get full bars at my house (-70dB showing in settings) where even my nokia flip phone that I use for phone calls has trouble sometimes, and let's not even get started with the iphones reception (that's why I have my nokia for phone calls). Call quality seems to be good, except for the tinny noise people are talking about, but not as good as the iphone 4(when its not dropping the call) or nokia I use.

OS/features: This is the one area where it seems hit or miss depending on what features are more important to you. Both the text message and e-mail clients are great on the torch, and look more sofisiticated than the child like interface of the iphones clients. The phone dialer is also a step up from the iphone. When it comes to the map, web, and entertainment apps however the iphone is much better, but at least these features available on torch and preforms them well enough to get by. So depending on what features are more important to you you'll either hate it or love it. The OS, while speedy most of time, will get laggy at times and nothing seems "smooth" even when its running full speed. While this won't effect functionality, it does detract from the user expierence.

Physical vs virtual keyboard: Let me say that BlackBerry lived up to hype of having a great keyboard (in fact this whole review was typed up on the torch). The pysical keyboard is incredible, so much better than the pre I had and I like it better than the iphones virtual keyboard. The virtual keyboard on the torch however is pretty lousy to type on in portrait mode and is somewhat usable in landscape, but if your getting the torch its because it still has the physical keyboard.

Screen: quick mention on the screen that people like to complain about. Its not that bad. Is it as nice as my iphone? Heck no, not even close. But its not horrible either and is better than my old 3G. While yes I would love to have the retina display on everything, the screen doesn't detract from the expierence.

Battery: good, after a day of heavy use when I got home it still had 40% battery while my iphone was at 30%. You should be able to get through a full day use easily, and that's what matters to me.

Summery: all week I've seen people criticize and put down the torch as a horrible device, but is not that bad, in fact its quite good and depending on what type of device you're looking for it can even be a great phone. If you're looking for an internet centric devise, with a great web browsing expierence and lots of smooth graphics, video, and gaming, than this phone is not for you. But if you need a good relaible communications device with a great e-mail and texting and can make and receive phone reliably but can also do web,music,and video than the torch is deifinately the phone for you. Even thoguh I would not give up my iphone for this device, it does enough things better than the iphone that if they can close the gap in the other features I would definately consider switching, as a comunications devise it just can't be beat.

[TLD1]

BUT...the real disappointment is that RIM could have built a "great phone" with just a few more things, and a few less as well. They clearly were pushed by AT&T to push out a half-assed device that is only "very good" in the areas that BlackBerry already excelled in.

And...my old iPhone 3G was better than this one.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[fernandez21]

BUT...the real disappointment is that RIM could have built a "great phone" with just a few more things, and a few less as well. They clearly were pushed by AT&T to push out a half-assed device that is only "very good" in the areas that BlackBerry already excelled in.

And...my old iPhone 3G was better than this one.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I agree how disappointing the torch could be if you were expecting a devise that not only excelled at the traditional BB stuff but also the new stuff the competition has been doing. I'll admit that a torch with a high res display, great web browser, faster processor, better graphics, smoother interface, and geater app selection would probably get me to switch right now, that doesn't mean the phone in it current iteration sucks, its not as a good as it could've been, but it sill a good a handset.

[Melven]

Nice to see a fair review from the Iphone Camp. I think I agree with most of what you say.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Ohm_bb]

BUT...the real disappointment is that RIM could have built a "great phone" with just a few more things, and a few less as well. They clearly were pushed by AT&T to push out a half-assed device that is only "very good" in the areas that BlackBerry already excelled in.

And...my old iPhone 3G was better than this one.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Uh ok.... I have owned both and this phone is far better as a phone and email device than the icrap is. AT&T has no influence on RIM other than RIM telling AT&T what to do just like Apple. Stick with your crappy icrap you do not deserve to own a good phone such as the Blackberry.

Sorry for the rant just sick of the icrap fan-boys trying to put down such a great product. Not to mention the same users complaining about not getting a bumper for a spotty engineering problem.... My phone makes phone calls unlike the crappy icrap. Guess what we do not need a free 100 bucks or free anything for getting a device that works unlike the other device (igate!?!!).

Look if you are a fan boy of the iphone why not just stay with it? I suspect you have some reason to try another phone/pda/device because you have an issue with it. I for one love my touch and also "like" the iphone for what it is...a fancy ipod that can not make phone calls or do real enterprise email hence why I gave it to my wife who loves it. Oh ya I can use it as a phone and replace the battery as needed even though I do not as of yet but at least I have a choice unlike your device.

[mark_rivers19]

And...my old iPhone 3G was better than this one.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

i had a 3G for 2 yrs. in what way was the 3G better?i am sure it's not OS 4 because it made the 3G so Damn Slow.

[avt123]

BUT...the real disappointment is that RIM could have built a "great phone" with just a few more things, and a few less as well. They clearly were pushed by AT&T to push out a half-assed device that is only "very good" in the areas that BlackBerry already excelled in.

And...my old iPhone 3G was better than this one.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Pushed by AT&T? What do you mean? This device would have been exactly the same if it wasn't on AT&T.

[TAG1]

Pushed by AT&T? What do you mean? This device would have been exactly the same if it wasn't on AT&T.

Umm... the Torch was orginally a collaboration between AT&T and RIM a couple of years ago. Playing around with it for the last few days it's not bad for what it's intended to do. But do agree that some of specs could have been brought up more to date ie processor, memory, screen resolution.

http://crackberry.com/t-and-rim-disc...rry-torch-9800

[avt123]

Umm... the Torch was orginally a collaboration between AT&T and RIM a couple of years ago. Playing around with it for the last few days it's not bad for what it's intended to do. But do agree that some of specs could have been brought up more to date ie processor, memory, screen resolution.

http://crackberry.com/t-and-rim-disc...rry-torch-9800

Ok, but OS 6 will still be the same and the hardware still would have been the same. It's the same exact hardware as the 9700/9000 (processor wise). This device is the same as the 9780, it's just a touchscreen slider. RIM is known for using the same hardware over and over and over again. I really doubt AT&T made them use a 624Mhz processor instead of using something better. Especially when AT&T has devices that have much better hardware. It makes no sense. This device was designed a few years ago, and that's why it has what it has.

[TLD1]

Uh ok.... I have owned both and this phone is far better as a phone and email device than the icrap is. AT&T has no influence on RIM other than RIM telling AT&T what to do just like Apple. Stick with your crappy icrap you do not deserve to own a good phone such as the Blackberry.

Sorry for the rant just sick of the icrap fan-boys trying to put down such a great product. Not to mention the same users complaining about not getting a bumper for a spotty engineering problem.... My phone makes phone calls unlike the crappy icrap. Guess what we do not need a free 100 bucks or free anything for getting a device that works unlike the other device (igate!?!!).

Look if you are a fan boy of the iphone why not just stay with it? I suspect you have some reason to try another phone/pda/device because you have an issue with it. I for one love my touch and also "like" the iphone for what it is...a fancy ipod that can not make phone calls or do real enterprise email hence why I gave it to my wife who loves it. Oh ya I can use it as a phone and replace the battery as needed even though I do not as of yet but at least I have a choice unlike your device.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Actually, I've probably ownwd and apprecited more BlackBerrys than you have...pretty much every one for the last six years, and have also owned and appreciated every model of iPhone since the first. That pretty much qualifies me to make comparisons and to critisize what is half-*** with either phone. I'm no iPhone fanboy...neither am I a "crackberry" fanatic as you seem to be that can't stand even an idea that your beloved BB might not be perfect. Grow up!

The 9800 doesn't suck. The 9800 is a disappointment. It could have been better, because RIM has the resources and engineering to make it so. They pushed out a device that does all a BB does great, simply because it's a BlackBerry. But, it is far less an effective multimedia device than it could have been...and still have been a great BlackBerry.

The iPhone isn't the greatest thing in the world...but I've gotten used to having my cake and eating it too. The Torch doesn't do a good job of that.

Just my 2-cents. Get over it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Rikter]

A very nice review but I don't think that bb was pushed by at&t to bring out this device. What I've found with RIM is that they'll bring out a device that leaves out some key items and then bring out a phone with those missing items. That way they can make even more sells. Case in point.. the curve that recently released on rogers. They released one without 3g, and now they've released virtually the same one with 3g.

[TLD1]

Just so I don't come off like a BB hater...if the 9780 drops to AT&T with the specs that have been rumored...I'll drop the iPhone and run back to BlackBerry in a heartbeat.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Masahiro]

Guys, guys� Davis is not the original poster. Don't let his single post derail the entire thread. I for one appreciate the balanced review from an iphone user, and I agree with his points. Iphone is a media and entertainment powerhouse as much as BlackBerry is a communication powerhouse.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[gdawg1881]

i think the 9800 is just a phone to grab peoples attention before they release a much more powerful phone for a 4g network. i hate the idea of people buying all these huge droid phones to get locked in a contract when it seems 4g is only a few months away.

[avt123]

i think the 9800 is just a phone to grab peoples attention before they release a much more powerful phone for a 4g network. i hate the idea of people buying all these huge droid phones to get locked in a contract when it seems 4g is only a few months away.

AT&T won't be 4G for at least another year or so, so the 9800 will last a little bit. Verizon is rolling out 4G very soon, but LTE wont be available everywhere so phones right now will still be very relevant.

[SuperTone]

This is a fair and balance review...wanting a communication device is the reason y I choose BB over Iphonie.....

[bmay82]

Nice review I have ordered my torch and have sold my iPhone, in my line of work communication is becoming more and more important.....my iPhone is simply not performing well enough in my area. On my old 9700 I had great reception! Not so much on my 3GS.....while it's a great device I need a change.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[billyblonco]

nice review, my 3gs is faster than my torch but i have a feeling rim/att is going to release an update sooner than later.(hope)

[Ohm_bb]

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Actually, I've probably ownwd and apprecited more BlackBerrys than you have...pretty much every one for the last six years, and have also owned and appreciated every model of iPhone since the first. That pretty much qualifies me to make comparisons and to critisize what is half-*** with either phone.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I read this (OP's post), other post, and came off a bit harsh towards you. As another poster mentioned you are not the OP and I would like to apologize for that. But I still stand as I did before this phone is a better product than most are giving it credit for.

As for your comment on devices...you are right to each his/her own. I am pretty sure from the amount of devices I have laying around for development and testing fails in comparison to your six years. I still have my good ole' 5820 sitting on my desk as a paper weight. Oh wait I forgot about the 957 I have also.

Either way I am happy with my new 9800 and hope other are as well.

Have a great day!

[pattste]

a torch with a high res display, great web browser, faster processor, better graphics, smoother interface, and geater app selection would probably get me to switch right now

A secure iPhone with good reception, a usable keyboard, excellent email capabilities and a battery that lasts through the day would make a great device too, but it doesn't exist.

There is no perfect smartphone. There is always a compromise. I'm preparing to upgrade mine in a month and a half. The iPhone is essentially unobtainium here in Canada, I don't like the virtual keyboard, the email or the battery life. The HTC Desire's battery is a joke and good accessories are non-existent. The Samsung Galaxy S has a better battery than the Desire and soft keyboard than the iPhone but the phone is said to be very unstable and the company not very responsive.

I keep reading on all of these phones and just can't make up my mind, but the Torch is in the lead right now.