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Since someone in another thread asked, here is my quick review of the Torch 9850, which I purchased less than 24 hours ago (but have had quite a bit of time to play around with).
Background: The Torch 9850 is actually only my second Blackberry smartphone. I am a convert from the old Motorola Q line, which used Windows Mobile. I considered my Tour at the time a huge step up from my Q9C, and the Torch is a huge step up from the Tour. I decided to purchase the Torch yesterday, as I had found my Tour to be increasingly slow and prone to crashing and other problems as time went on.
Build/Styling: As many others have commented, this is a very sexy Blackberry. Very sleek, but it's somewhat understated at the same time. It feels very solid, and I personally prefer the grip in landscape mode. I do worry about accidentally dropping the Torch, due to it's sleekness. I will be buying a case of some sort very soon (the store I bought from did not have any in yet).
The buttons: A huge issue has been made by some over the raised buttons below the screen. I really don't get what the big deal is. They are not obtrusive, and do their job well. The touchpad is very quick and makes navigation a breeze, though I don't use it much due to the presence of the touch screen. On the other hand, I have found the convenience key on the right hand side to be troublesome. I have only gotten it to respond a couple times. It seems like you really have to push in on it to get it to respond. The volume keys are fine, and I like that they don't stick out much.
Screen: Don't worry about the plastic screen. I find the screen very pleasing to the touch, and very responsive at the same time. It does not feel cheap at all. Frankly, you could tell me this was glass and I would probably believe you. It feels that nice. Video playback is also extremely good. Coincidentally, the audio quality is quite pleasant. I haven't had a chance to try playback via the headphone jack yet.
Keyboard: This is one thing I was pretty worried about. I had gotten very used to having a physical QWERTY keyboard. I'm self-employed, running a business with multiple locations. Consequently, I have to respond to numerous texts and emails throughout the day. So far I have found the virtual keyboard to be very accommodating. I prefer landscape mode on the Torch. Portrait mode's keyboard is a little bit too tight for me. I think I just find holding the Torch in landscape much more comfortable as well. If you own a Playbook like I do, you'll probably be using the Torch's keyboard with little problem.
Camera: I have only played around with the camera a little bit, but am glad they included a flash and auto focus. I didn't use my Tour's camera a lot, but let's face it, sometimes having a camera on your phone is just handier than taking out your digital camera or whipping out the Playbook. Picture quality seems very sharp.
Call quality: I regret to say I did encounter one dropped call already. This happened while I was in my home office, which does occasionally have some reception issues. The other calls I have made have been no problem. Audio quality seems very good. Probably an improvement from the Tour, though that could just be my perception. I also used the Torch in my VW Jetta, which is equipped with a Bluetooth link. Getting the Torch and my car to "recognize" each other was not a problem, and they connected very quickly. The Torch so far has seemed to eliminate an echo which some people told me they heard when I was calling on my Tour, so that is a bonus for me.
OS7: Coming from the Tour 9630, the jump to OS7 has been huge for me, as the Tour was not upgradable from OS5. Using the Torch with this operating system reminds me a lot of using my Blackberry Playbook. The screen and graphics are very smooth and responsive. I have also encountered very little slowdown. Occasionally the "hourglass" clock pops up, but it's usually for no more than a second or two. Downloads via App World are still a bit slower than I would like, but this isn't a huge problem. Rebooting is also MUCH faster than on OS5. It literally only has taken me a couple minutes to do a battery pull, and then be up and running again. On my Tour, this reboot process could literally last up to 10 minutes.
Web browser: This browser is fantastic, and a huge step up for RIM. Pages load quickly, and pinch to zoom and text enlargement seem to work very well. I almost found clicking links to be an easier task than on the Playbook's browser at times. Everything just seems to work, and that's all you can want when browsing on the go. I was also able to easily connect to my home WiFi network, which of course makes browsing much faster.
Battery life: It is what it is. I would say that the battery life is good, but not outstanding. Being on WiFi or browsing media content definitely drains the battery more quickly, but that is to be expected. The battery does seem to recharge with good speed, at least.
Summary: I hope this helps my fellow US Cellular users. It is great to finally have another Blackberry option on the carrier that has the best coverage in my area. If you are looking to upgrade from an older Blackberry, my advice is to go for it. I'm thus far very happy with my purchase.08-27-11 11:04 AMLike 8 -
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Been a Blackberry user for work for many years, and do lots of emails and such. Switched to the new Torch and the touchscreen, hasnt been a problem takes a little bit ofa learning curve but no drawbacks. As fo rapps most of my apps that i had before transferred over and work like they should evne though they don't say OS7 compatiable. Been very surprised and well pleased.....09-01-11 09:15 AMLike 0 -
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Don't hesitate my fellow US Cellularans, this 9850 is excellent I think everyone who DIDN'T switch to droid was reluctant because it lacked a physical QWERTY but take the tome to learn the virtual keyboard and be prepared to be blown away. What do u have to lose, if u don't like it return it before your 30 days are up, they have to give ur money back.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com09-02-11 02:17 AMLike 0 -
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Hi everryone
I have the torch 9850, upgraded to the phone back in Aug when the phone first came out in my area. The op review is about spot on. It does take some time to get used to but the os7 and the phone itself is great. I now have the playbook with the os2 and an aftermarket keyboard. I bridge the torch with the playbook and with the new bridge i can use the torch as a mouse. Pretty cool!!! The torch is well worth the upgrade. I cant wait till the bb10 get released.03-03-12 02:56 PMLike 0 -
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I will chime in since I recently switched from a Bold 9930 to the Torch 9850. (before that having had a Curve 3G and a Tour 9630, all on VZW).
I agree with most everything the OP said.
1. The plastic screen is a non issue. I use it and then use my wife's Bold that has a glass screen and there is no real difference in feel, or quality. Not sure why people were popping their arteries over this one. The screen is very sharp. Very nice.
2. Raised buttons. I like them because it makes the device easier to use. *But* they are very stiff to press. Too stiff. I think if the buttons had that same "pillowy" feel the keyboard does on the Bold 99xx it would be awesome. Imagine that.
3. Trackpad. Feels a bit odd in comparison to the Bold. There's just something a little off -- the balance of the phone when using the trackpad one-handed is not all that natural like the Bold, where it is centered and you have that perfect feel in the hand. Plus my trackpad has just a slight bit of wobble in it. Not enough to really bother me too much. Just something I have noticed. Perhaps it is even just my one device.
4. Virtual keyboard. No complaints. Works great. I also only type on it in landscape mode.. well 99% of the time.
5. Battery life. Really good for me. A day easily if not browsing the web heavily. But with all that extra screen I do find myself browsing a lot more than on the Bold. It is just more fun. So I often to top off the charge early in the evening.
6. Speaker phone volume. This is probably an OS7.1 issue from what I see on the forum here. The max volume is a bit too low.
7. Camera is very good and it is nice to have autofocus again after not having it in the Bold 9930. I was snapping a shot of a serial number sticker on the back of a server PC the other day at an awkward angle. The picture was very sharp when I zoomed in. Nice.
8. Call quality. Great.Last edited by southlander; 03-03-12 at 03:15 PM.
03-03-12 03:12 PMLike 0 -
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I broke down and found one for $150 barely used. No scratches and not stolen. Haven't activated it, but the virtual keyboard didn't scare me as much as I thought. Kudos.03-07-12 01:48 PMLike 0
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My quick review of the Torch 9850
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