[Shao128]

Just to keep things a little more organized. Post up your stories, first impressions, unboxing pics here!

Tell us what you like about the device and what you dont like....

[Mischief433]

Got mine on Friday, so far i have loved it, such an upgrade from my 9550. The UI seems very fluid and the only time i am seeing the hour glass is when i am attempting to download and install apps at the same time as doing other things.

The device seems solid, we will see how the slider holds up for the next few months.

Some of my fav apps haven't gone to os 7 yet (quicklaunch and poynt) but the universal search and the voice search is really handy.

I am told that the phone will have some sort of bump feature to transfer data between other os 7 devices, so i am wondering if it does indeed have NFC. We'll see though as i've been skeptical about RIM announcing "hardware unlocks in software updates".

Overall i think RIM has done a great job of taking another kick of the can, and i am really glad the 9800's black battery door fits and can replace this shinny one that i really just want to shoot lasers at and see how they reflect.

Flash support would be nice, but i wasn't holding my breath until QNX phones.... On that note let me start the rumour mill, is the torch2/torch touch/bold touch going to be able to upgrade to QNX.... let me guess, QNX needs 1 gb of RAM....

So far so good however!

[TheDeej]

Got mine on Friday and loving it so far. I was so surprised at how cheap Telus had the phone.

Good stuff:
The white looks great as a more feminine option.

Touch screen is fast and responsive.

Lock button is easier to use than my Bold 9700.

I can read web pages again!

Well balanced when keyboard is out.

Love the dual options of touch screen or physical typing.


Quibbles:
The back light on the buttons near the track pad appears a bit blurry so not sure if it's my notoriously bad eyes or the device.

Maybe a little bit cramped for me using the virtual keyboard even in landscape. Again, this could be the tendinitis acting up
While the pinch and zoom is great it doesn't seem to redraw the browser page so it's completely inside the screen. I have to swipe back and forth to read text. Is this normal or am I missing some sort of setting?

[mc90604]

For those who have the white 9810, can you post pictures of the back? Is it the same as the silver, just white?

[TheDeej]

Ta da! As requested.

Ironically taken with my Ipod touch

[kstock]

Got mine on Friday and am loving it also. Moving from the Curve 9300 to the Torch 9810 is a HUGE step forward. I've had no issues at all so far... although the silvery battery door does make it a bit slippery. I got a protective case for it (the AGF case with belt clip) but it makes hitting the top row of keys on the keyboard and using the trackpad tougher.

All in all it seems like an excellent device!

(and according to Poynt, an update to add support for the 9810 is scheduled for later in the week.)

[Bla1ze]

[snackberry26]

Here are my initial impressions of the new Blackberry Torch 9810.

This is my 4th blackberry, after the 8700, Curve 8310, and up until this purchase, the Curve 8900. Note that is my first 3G phone, so my experiences may be old to some (probably most!) users here.

There were two primary reasons for getting the phone, i. the old 8900 was starting to become painfully slow, and ii. my Playbook was so slow when tethered to the 8900 it was useless.

I was thinking of getting either the 9900 or the 8910, but I liked the smaller form factor and the larger screen just slightly more.

If I already had a 3G phone, I might�ve waited until QNX, but I couldn�t wait anymore.

After much excited anticipation, I purchased the Torch2 on Friday, August 12th from the Wireless Wave in Costco (Richmond, BC) location.

Here are my thoughts:

SCREEN PROTECTOR

The first accessory I purchased was a ZAGG Invisishield. I wouldn�t normally buy one these things as I like the �naked� feel, but I might sell it if the QNX phones are that much better (I certainly would not put one of these things on my Playbook). I bought one at the ZAGG kiosk at the mall, and let an experienced person put one of those things on. I have the dexterity of a 5 year old and probably wouldn�t have any luck in installing this product properly. Not sure if I like it. Better to be protected than sorry I guess.

I also ordered the AGF Endo GRT case from Crackberry. Hopefully, it�s not going to add too too much bulk to the device.

EXPERIENCE IN TRANSFERRING DATA FROM CURVE8900 TO TORCH 8910

Walk in the park. Seriously.

Previously, I simply synced my BB with MS Outlook, but manually had to transfer my ringtones, graphics, etc. to the phone. This time, I made a backup of my old BB, and restored the data to my new device. I also moved my 8GB memory card to the 9810. Seamless! Contacts, graphics, ringtones, messages- all on my new device! Things couldn�t get more simple than that.


NAVIGATING THE BB INTERACE

As expected, compared to my 8900, the 9810 is twenty million times faster. Well, maybe not that much, but you get my point.

The Touch Screen certainly makes the navigation of the BB UI EXTREMELY easy. It is great that you can access an application from the home screen by pressing on only one or two icons. I especially like the fact that you can still continue to navigate using the trackpad.

The tactile keyboard of the BB, while much better than the touchpad of any device I�ve used, doesn�t hold a candle to any of the keyboards that I�ve used in my previous Blackberries. I have to say that the 9900 keyboard is probably one of the keyboards I�ve ever used.

Another thing that I�m going to miss is being able to access applications quickly via keyboard shortcuts. I used to hit L, and the calendar would appear. C- I can quickly compose a message. K will lock my keyboard. And I can call any of 25 unique contacts by simply pressing and holding one of the keys. For me, sliding out that keyboard is way too much effort for something as simple as dialing a number! It�s now at least two keystrokes. Call button, and I can assign 9 speed dials on the number button. Life will be tough if you have more than 9 friends!


BROWSING THE WEB

Unsurprisingly, browsing the web is certainly much nicer experience on the Torch2 compared to my older Curves. Compared to my iPod Touch though, I don�t think the experience on the Torch2 is as good as my iPod. If I needed to surf for longer periods of time, I�d use my Playbook!


PLAYBOOK

OK, this is one of the biggest reasons as to why I bought a new phone. I was hoping that the speed of my browser would be good enough such that I have �internet on the go�. On the way home from work today, I pulled into a residential neighbor, and tethered my Playbook to my 9810. I must say that I am EXTREMELY pleased by the performance! (note that it probably doesn�t take much too impress someone with a non 3G phone after all of these years). I loaded a few of my favorite webpages (including crackberry), and the pages loaded in a decent amount of time.

I fired up speedtest.net on my Playbook, and got the following results:

Ping: 199
Download Speed: 1.16Mbps
Upload Speed: 0.54 Mbps

Doesn�t sound like much. But for all intents and purposes, it looks like I can surf the net well on my Playbook away from home/work.

I�ve also noticed that my Playbook no longer drops the connection (or at least it didn�t in the 20 minutes that I was testing out the internet connection).

One thing that I have noticed when tethered is that I can�t seem to access App World. The other apps have no problems accessing the internet.


ANNOYING THINGS / ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED

The most annoying thing is that I can�t get my 9810 to connect to UMA/TalkSpot/Wi-Fi calling. I use this feature frequently (my cell phone is my only phone). I hope Rogers addresses this soon as I don�t like relying on Skype.

I�ve also noticed that when I click on some hyperlinks using the touch screen, they do not open. Curiously, I�m able to open them when I either use the trackpad, or click on hold on the hyperlink, then click OPEN.


CONCLUSION

36 hours later, I�m giving the Blackberry Torch 9810 9 stars out of 10. I�m loving this thing!



Hope this helps!

[Fr3lncr]

I never thought I would try the Torch again after disliking the 9800 but I admit I'm liking the 9810. I thought for sure I would stick with the 9900 but I've got to put myself in with the group that prefers a larger screen. Still would've have been nice to get a new design but I guess that will have to wait for the Torch 3.

[mkweik]

Can we see a couple more pics of the white please ? .

[Gucci33]

Here are my initial impressions of the new Blackberry Torch 9810.

This is my 4th blackberry, after the 8700, Curve 8310, and up until this purchase, the Curve 8900. Note that is my first 3G phone, so my experiences may be old to some (probably most!) users here.

There were two primary reasons for getting the phone, i. the old 8900 was starting to become painfully slow, and ii. my Playbook was so slow when tethered to the 8900 it was useless.

I was thinking of getting either the 9900 or the 8910, but I liked the smaller form factor and the larger screen just slightly more.

If I already had a 3G phone, I might�ve waited until QNX, but I couldn�t wait anymore.

After much excited anticipation, I purchased the Torch2 on Friday, August 12th from the Wireless Wave in Costco (Richmond, BC) location.

Here are my thoughts:

SCREEN PROTECTOR

The first accessory I purchased was a ZAGG Invisishield. I wouldn�t normally buy one these things as I like the �naked� feel, but I might sell it if the QNX phones are that much better (I certainly would not put one of these things on my Playbook). I bought one at the ZAGG kiosk at the mall, and let an experienced person put one of those things on. I have the dexterity of a 5 year old and probably wouldn�t have any luck in installing this product properly. Not sure if I like it. Better to be protected than sorry I guess.

I also ordered the AGF Endo GRT case from Crackberry. Hopefully, it�s not going to add too too much bulk to the device.

EXPERIENCE IN TRANSFERRING DATA FROM CURVE8900 TO TORCH 8910

Walk in the park. Seriously.

Previously, I simply synced my BB with MS Outlook, but manually had to transfer my ringtones, graphics, etc. to the phone. This time, I made a backup of my old BB, and restored the data to my new device. I also moved my 8GB memory card to the 9810. Seamless! Contacts, graphics, ringtones, messages- all on my new device! Things couldn�t get more simple than that.


NAVIGATING THE BB INTERACE

As expected, compared to my 8900, the 9810 is twenty million times faster. Well, maybe not that much, but you get my point.

The Touch Screen certainly makes the navigation of the BB UI EXTREMELY easy. It is great that you can access an application from the home screen by pressing on only one or two icons. I especially like the fact that you can still continue to navigate using the trackpad.

The tactile keyboard of the BB, while much better than the touchpad of any device I�ve used, doesn�t hold a candle to any of the keyboards that I�ve used in my previous Blackberries. I have to say that the 9900 keyboard is probably one of the keyboards I�ve ever used.

Another thing that I�m going to miss is being able to access applications quickly via keyboard shortcuts. I used to hit L, and the calendar would appear. C- I can quickly compose a message. K will lock my keyboard. And I can call any of 25 unique contacts by simply pressing and holding one of the keys. For me, sliding out that keyboard is way too much effort for something as simple as dialing a number! It�s now at least two keystrokes. Call button, and I can assign 9 speed dials on the number button. Life will be tough if you have more than 9 friends!


BROWSING THE WEB

Unsurprisingly, browsing the web is certainly much nicer experience on the Torch2 compared to my older Curves. Compared to my iPod Touch though, I don�t think the experience on the Torch2 is as good as my iPod. If I needed to surf for longer periods of time, I�d use my Playbook!


PLAYBOOK

OK, this is one of the biggest reasons as to why I bought a new phone. I was hoping that the speed of my browser would be good enough such that I have �internet on the go�. On the way home from work today, I pulled into a residential neighbor, and tethered my Playbook to my 9810. I must say that I am EXTREMELY pleased by the performance! (note that it probably doesn�t take much too impress someone with a non 3G phone after all of these years). I loaded a few of my favorite webpages (including crackberry), and the pages loaded in a decent amount of time.

I fired up speedtest.net on my Playbook, and got the following results:

Ping: 199
Download Speed: 1.16Mbps
Upload Speed: 0.54 Mbps

Doesn�t sound like much. But for all intents and purposes, it looks like I can surf the net well on my Playbook away from home/work.

I�ve also noticed that my Playbook no longer drops the connection (or at least it didn�t in the 20 minutes that I was testing out the internet connection).

One thing that I have noticed when tethered is that I can�t seem to access App World. The other apps have no problems accessing the internet.


ANNOYING THINGS / ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED

The most annoying thing is that I can�t get my 9810 to connect to UMA/TalkSpot/Wi-Fi calling. I use this feature frequently (my cell phone is my only phone). I hope Rogers addresses this soon as I don�t like relying on Skype.

I�ve also noticed that when I click on some hyperlinks using the touch screen, they do not open. Curiously, I�m able to open them when I either use the trackpad, or click on hold on the hyperlink, then click OPEN.


CONCLUSION

36 hours later, I�m giving the Blackberry Torch 9810 9 stars out of 10. I�m loving this thing!



Hope this helps!

Thanks for the review!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ibcop]

I too would like to see more white 9810 pics. The more I look at it, the more I like it.....but.....I wonder if AT&T will launch both colors on the 21st.

[mkweik]

I too would like to see more white 9810 pics. The more I look at it, the more I like it.....but.....I wonder if AT&T will launch both colors on the 21st.

I guess take it with a grain of salt but i just got off the phone with Best buy they confirmed the sunday date and both colors, she said she doesnt know quantity though.

[ibcop]

I guess take it with a grain of salt but i just got off the phone with Best buy they confirmed the sunday date and both colors, she said she doesnt know quantity though.

Cool, thanks!

[ibcop]

Here are some more quickly taken with my PlayBook

Looks nice! How is it for dirt and such? Not that I have dirty hands, but from the oils and such and everyday use.

[vincentko]

Here are some more quickly taken with my PlayBook

how much did your total come to?

mine was $401

[barskin]

Looks nice! How is it for dirt and such? Not that I have dirty hands, but from the oils and such and everyday use.

I have a white Torch 9800, and there is no problem with dirt and such. Of course, I guess it depends on your such...

[Mhatham]

Both my wife and I got the Torch from Telus a couple of days ago. Hers was white, mine silver. First impressions were positive regarding the feel and build quality. I did notice that the white torch felt a little more solid; I believe this is partially due to the fact that my silver torch battery door is a little loose towards the bottom.

Didn't have data working until today as my plan was switched through loyalty a few days prior to receiving the phone and it wasn't set for blackberry. Now that it's up and running the phone is all-around fast. The browser is quick, pinch to zoom is great.

No complaints so far; I have been using both the virtual keyboard and physical one. I was using an HTC Diamond prior to this phone, so I was used to that small virtual keyboard.

I see some of you are asking to see pics of the white torch, I will try and post images of the white phone tomorrow.

[snackberry26]

I actually went to Wireless Wave in my local mall to ask them if they could give me a better price then Rogers because I would rather buy from them and when I told them I wanted to buy it off contract they refused to sell it to me.

That's pretty brutal!!

However, in defense of the folks at Wireless Wave... I asked my rep there to contact me when they could sell them, telling her full well that I had intended to buy my phone outright.

She contacted me before she got to work stating that they had just received stock, and that she had reserved one for me.

This is the kind of service that I expect to receive. If the QNX phones are as good as we are anticipating, I plan on picking one up (and renewing my contract) with the same rep. This is what good customer service is all about. Take care of me. I'll take care of you.

[BBBarrieBB]

Went from Nokia E71 to the new 9810 (I know - big jump).

First Impresssions:

The Good:

Very nice user interface. Prettty user friendly. Lightning fast (compared to the E71 and even friends 9800).

The Bad: Never be an early adopter. Have been trying to configure it since Saturday.

BES does not work. Corporate IT would have to upgrade the BES server to support OS 7. Good to know - thanks RIM. Won't happen overnight.

Outlook Web Access does not work. No idea why. IT suspect that Mailbox Name is not being sent correctly. However, it's not even an option in the Email setup screen. Only Account Name (and they aren't the same).

Rogers Wireless (Canadian Carrier): has decided to discontinue web BIS configuration for new BB customers. Was causing them too many support calls for people who forgot how to logon to BIS via a PC browser. So I can't configure my email that way either.

In a nutshell, it is a spiffy phone with no corporate email support. Now I get to pay Rogers for a BES plan with no BES support and I can't even use a third party software to access Outlook because there are only a couple of options and they both don't work on OS 7.

App World: Alot of apps don't work on OS 7. What else should I expect.

My recommendation: For non-corporate email users, it's a nice phone. I'd probably go with something other than Blackberry. (Support sucks). For Corporate email users, I'd wait awhile until all the bugs are worked out. Guess RIM didn't plan the OS 7 launch in advance. Just f---ing put it out there and deal with the problems as they occur.

[Steve Rizla]

Got my 9810. The difference between this and the 9800 is night and day. If they were able to make such an improvement with OS7 and the new GPU, I have good feelings about the transition to QNX.

I also upgraded to a 6GB plan at Bell for an extra $10.
I think Bell, Rogers and Telus are offering the 6GB deal right now if anybody is thinking about getting more data with their plan.

[Cheetablaze]

I'm checking out the unboxing and review from phonedog and phonearena and wow they were not all that thrilled. The more I look at the new 9810 the more I'm loving it. Kinda boo on RIM for being lazy and not shaving any thickness or weight off of the phone. But I really do love the battery cover and how fluid it looks. My 9800 doesn't even operate nearly that smooth when navigating around. Really hard to come to terms... Pay 50 bucks for this or wait and pay 200 for the 9900? I'm wondering if AAFES will get this and waive activation fees? Hmmmmm....

[cellinator]

Kinda boo on RIM for being lazy and not shaving any thickness or weight off of the phone.

Actually, I wouldn't mind the opposite. A little wider would be great!

[ubermanx]

Switched from the Torch 9800 to the silver Torch 9810 today ...

1) Kept the old battery door which I liked better with it's rubbery feel.

2) Blown away by the performance difference. HUGE!

3) REALLY disappointed in the quality of the 9810's plastic enclosure/case/frame. The 9800 seemed to be made of more metal than plastic and is heavier giving it a more robust feel. The case on the 9810 seems like cheap plastic and very light. I am worried about dropping the 9810 and cracking it to bits.

[ubermanx]

BES does not work. Corporate IT would have to upgrade the BES server to support OS 7. Good to know - thanks RIM. Won't happen overnight.

My Torch is working fine with my BES server. I would think this is more an issue with your IT Dept than with OS7. Perhaps they are using an older version of BES?

Corporate email is working, my few personal email accounts that I setup with BIS are working, wireless calendar syncs are working with Exchange and my desktop Outlook ...