[etihan]

I used blackberries for many years. Owned about 4 blackberries in the past and definetly loved it. Then I followed the herd and switched to the Iphone. Hey, this was the best phone I ever owned. Fast, good multimedia easy navigation. But no pysical keyboard. I am 40 years old and dont need all the games and apps. I do more taking notes, sending emails and recording appointments. After being a happy Iphone user for 3 years, I am planning to go back to BB. Bold 9780 is good but its too small. Besides the look hasnt changed for years. Yes it will be a business phone but please, make some major changes on the look. Same thing over and over again. So I decided to get a Torch. But reading all the bad reviews regarding the slider looseness, I dont thing I want to go ahead. As much as I love RIM, I wonder why everytime a new product has to have issues like this. Remember the trackball issue, droped call issues with the previous models etc?
Sorry I dont wanna sound negative but this is what I feel...

[sedalia066]

My Torch is a solid device missing all the loose and faulty parts about which some complain. Other than being a bit small (the 9000 form factor is my fave) this phone nears the best of all worlds. Real keyboard is a requirement for me. With a new theme and QuickLaunch installed and putting the touch to good use the phone is a monster.

Play with your phone in the store. Be sure the physical stuff is OK. My salesman was a BB friek so he knew what I was doing before the sale was even started.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BergerKing]

Beauty and form is in the eye of the beholder in many ways, but remember this, Mercedes Benz is one of the best cars in the world, and has an enormous quantity of 'niggling' complaints. You would be amazed at the number of 'rattle' or 'feels weird' gripes.

You get your 30 'test drive', and can decide for yourself is a good fit. Sounds like the best way to see ig its for you.

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[Masahiro]

My phone wiggles only a tiny bit, and that's only if I force it. During normal operation, it's as solid as a rock.

[anon(1308230)]

I feel that the slider issue is something one person "noticed" and it got blown into paparrazi-like media proportions over the internet. The sheer mechanism of the slider requires some "play"...I haven't seen a report yet of a Torch falling apart, or wiggling right off the track...

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not the biggest fan of this phone- I came from a whole host of Bolds, and I am having trouble adjusting to the touchscreen...but I think that the Torch is a great "transition" phone for any iPhone user wanting to move to Blackberry; it has the touchscreen technology you are used to, and a slide-out (and therefore "optional") physical keyboard to "train" on

[iMiiTH]

I'm pretty sure the reviews all said that the sliding mechanism was one of the best. The internet just seems to love hating BlackBerry right now.

[ArmenianPrincess]

Don't knock it until you try it. Just go use one at the store, or try one out and if you don't like it just return it. You do have a 30 day return period!

[aznlgcy]

My Torch is rock solid no issues with wiggle or any other faulty defects

[grover5]

When did I miss the major change in the iphone look over the last 4 years? Still a rectangular slab with a screen right?

[mikeyg164]

It took me 3 devices to get a solid one. I love my torch and I came from a 9700

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[prashkul]

I have owned Torch for only two weeks but cannot imagine going back to a smaller screen. This is also my first touch-screen device. Like most have said, there is bound to be some 'play', it's got to be there for the slider to function. If this is unacceptable, one shouldn't switch to Torch.

[Elite1]

When did I miss the major change in the iphone look over the last 4 years? Still a rectangular slab with a screen right?

Well, the iPhone 4 has a slightly different look with the squared off metallic sides. But overall, you're absolutely right. Even the iPod Touch 4 still has the form factor of the 3G/3GS, just thinned out a bit.

I do like the look of iPhone 4 personally. It's the first one that I've cared for aesthetically.

[Elite1]

My phone wiggles only a tiny bit, and that's only if I force it. During normal operation, it's as solid as a rock.

This would be representative of mine too. Just a little wiggle, but only if you're intentionally looking for it.
Before my sales rep brought it to my office, I asked him to open a few boxes and test them for sturdiness and lack of wiggle.

I think opening it by pushing on just 1 lower corner to slide open contributes to the wiggle. I push up on both lower corners, or from the middle (which is more awkward).

[jcp007]

OP, you are entitled to your opinion. It is important to make an informed decision for yourself that is based upon actual experience. On balance, feedback has been positive. Some of the negative feedback was fair but a great deal of it came from owners who were not willing to give the device a try and were disappointed that the Torch was not the iPhone or Android killer. Totally unrealisitic. People also get lost in the specs versus other devices. You need to test the device and decide if it meets your needs.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[MikeGomez]

I love the torch it has a great screen and it really fast. I came from the 9700 at first i did not like it but after getting use to it is my fave BB.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[thymaster]

Everyone's responds seem to counteract some of the stuff you mentioned and are very positive. I would like to contribut to the comments and say its an excellent phone. With the new web kit browser and keyboard and large touch screen combo I'm more addicted to my BB then ever. I have a slight loose sliding mechinism on my berry but nothing drastic to be notice or could annoy me. I can replace it but I haven't because I'm happy with what I got. Overall I say give it a try and see if you like it and there always a return policy.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Masahiro]

OP, you are entitled to your opinion. It is important to make an informed decision for yourself that is based upon actual experience. On balance, feedback has been positive. Some of the negative feedback was fair but a great deal of it came from owners who were not willing to give the device a try and were disappointed that the Torch was not the iPhone or Android killer. Totally unrealisitic. People also get lost in the specs versus other devices. You need to test the device and decide if it meets your needs.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Not to mention, a lot of the negative reviews were based on the phone using older software when the phone first came out.

[mataleao]

No problem with mine. No wiggle, no nothing. I've even stupidly dropped mine on the concrete. A little scrape on the corner of the bezel, but still works like a charm... and again, no wiggle.

As for browser speed, I had the fun opportunity to test the browser speed against a friend's Droid X. We both typed in The Official Site of The Los Angeles Dodgers | dodgers.com: Homepage (the full site version), and counted down... 3... 2... 1... GO! The Torch (ATT) started on 2G, his Droid (Verizon) on 3G. I thought it was all over. The Torch then switched over to 3G and we were back in it. The Torch was the first to display a partially rendered page, but his status bar was still way ahead of mine. It was ON! Imagine, two guys in suits and ties, in the Boardroom, waiting for a meeting, staring at our phones, side-by-side. Result? The Torch fully rendered the website 1 second behind the 1Ghz Droid. I counted that as a "win" for the Torch. My friend surely wasn't celebrating.

Next browser test, the IPhone 3G. ;-)

[dfairlite]

I've used 4 bb's total, loved all of them. But the torch is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! it is an amazing device, wobble is minute at most. if you get a decal on the back of the phone (slide out portion) it eliminates all wobble from what I have heard. This thing is amazing!!

[eternalrestt]

All slider phones have some give in the slides, I've owned 4 slider phones in the past and over time the slide gets loose, it's just something you'll have to deal with. Although all the slider phones i've had were LGs, and RIMs devices are obviously alot better in the build quality department..

[ElDuderino2112]

My phone wiggles only a tiny bit, and that's only if I force it. During normal operation, it's as solid as a rock.

Exactly. My torch as well as every other I've seen has a bit of wiggle, but only if forced. None of them rattle when you pick them up and feel like they're going to fall apart. It's a great phone in my opinion. I do not regret switching to this device at all.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Matrix Leader]

Even. 9000 is better than the Torch IMHO, the battery life is half of that on the 9700 and the 9780; and the physical keyboard is so flat for my likng. The BOLD keyboard owns it.

I had the torch for 1 week, I returned it as I couldn't live with that virtual keyboard os virtual keyboard.

Just my 2 cents

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[sleepngbear]

OP: Lots of great info here, as you can see. Just a few more points I'd like to add:
First off, most of the complaints from users, as mentioned, came from the first models with the older OS. Several releases since then have corrected just about all issues and bugs and generally improved the whole user experience.

Most of the panning the Torch got in the press was from what I believe to be unrealistic expectations. I.e., because it's got a larger touch screen, it was expected to be an iPhone- or Android-killer. It isn't, nor was it ever intended to be. But being a current iPhone owner, you're well aware of the differences between and the strengths of each, so no use preaching to the choir here.

As for the physical device itself, there's the infamous wobble issue, for which it seems there are nearly as many remedies as there are complaints. Tape, foam, stick-it notes, naval lint under the slider usually cures it, although it seems as production QC improves, it's been less and less frequent. And battery life, most people find it a non-issue. Mine's at least as good with the Torch as it was with the Bold 9000, and I use the Torch a LOT more than I ever used the Bold.

As the previous poster noted, the physical keyboard is a bit different from earlier BB's, particularly of the Bold variety. It's been over two months for me now, and I still find myself fat-fingering or flat-out missing the intended key. The physical keyboard is simply not as friendly as that of the Bold, and the virtual keyboard for some reason isn't quite as clean as that of the iPhone. They're not bad by any stretch, just not as good as others. I personally find this an acceptable compromise, considering all the other benefits of the form factor and the OS.

If you're a former BB user, I'm pretty sure you'll find it does everything older BB's do just as well, plus a whole lot more. Best bet is to grab one and take the 30-day test drive.

Good luck ...

[homer1475]

Even. 9000 is better than the Torch IMHO, the battery life is half of that on the 9700 and the 9780; and the physical keyboard is so flat for my likng. The BOLD keyboard owns it.

I had the torch for 1 week, I returned it as I couldn't live with that virtual keyboard os virtual keyboard.

Just my 2 cents

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Shall we pull out all the useless threads you started or potsed in...
"The torch is the best BB ever"

"Torch owns the 9700"

so on and so forth... I was to lazy to actually look for the posts, but you get the idea. Anything this guy says should be taken with a grain of salt.

Oh yeah there was also that thread about reselling the 9700 as an unbranded 9780 and making a killing off people that didn't know any better.

I liken you to people like 67trucker, people like you do nothing for these forums, and should be removed with extreme malice.

[Fit24]

I had the privilege of using a friend's 9800 yesterday and it seems like an excellent device. I didn't notice any excessive looseness in the slide or any problems with the OS or operation of the device. Most of all she is completely satisfied with her device and had no complaints.