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I got the Torch as my first BB, so my thoughts may be a little different than others.
I waited a few weeks before getting mine. Initial runs of anything usually are far worse than later production models. And I still had issues. Those turned out not to be all RIM's fault. Just before I bought the Torch, my area had some pretty intense weather, which took out or degraded multiple towers in the areas where I live, work & travel around. Add to that RIM's self created problems. QC was apparently not the best for early production runs, it would be kind to say that the first release of OS 6 was "immature" (in other words, it stunk). I didn't have the hardware issues that some reported, but most of my "buyer's remorse" period had enough carrier created problems that I really didn't have a fair test period to make a valid decision about the phone in that period of time. But, as the towers were brought back to normal, my reception issues got a lot better. And I'm not afraid of doing OS upgrades. So, those helped a lot, as well. So, here's my take:
1) The Torch is a great phone, but OS6 still has issues. Build .225 was pretty awesome, anything before it not so much.
The leaked .246 got me back the lousy battery life I had with the initial release of OS6. The official AT&T .246 wasn't any better in that respect. Build .284 sounds like it improves some things, but not all. I still haven't seen any comments about battery life (probably too soon). You might need to update OS version, if you decide on the Torch.
2) There have been comments about wiggle & wobble. After two months, if I press down on the very bottom edge of the screen section (on the chrome), I can get a little up & down motion. But come on, guys, it's a slider! Over time, there's going to be some wear. And the motion I mentioned is not related to any normal operation or motion. At least on mine, there's no movement when fully open & none effecting using the screen when it's closed. That said, there may be some loose phones still out there. So, if you decide on the Torch, be prepared for the possibility that you might want to replace the the phone.
3) Closed, the phone is pretty close to the size of the Storm. And, closed, it's thinner than some of the WM phones Ie used with sliding physical keyboards. So, it's pretty pocketable. Open, it's long. But balance is good. I'm mostly a two handed phone user (one to hold, one to use it), but the times I've done something one handed, it didn't seem any more difficult than other portrait keyboard phones I've used or tried.
4) I'm probably a little "more mature" than most, here. So, my eyes appreciate the larger screen real estate. And the resolution is good enough for most things. Although, at least to be more competitive with the rest of the smartphone world, they could have gone with a higher resolution. I'm not big on watching full length movies on my phone. I have computers with larger screens (& a large flatscreen TV at home) for that. Most videos display fine on the Torch, but I don't think I'd want to try Avatar all the way through on the Torch.
5) There's the touchscreen thing.
Most BB "purists" don't see the need. In my case, all of the smartphones I've used had both physical keyboards & touchscreens. How much I rely on each depends on the function. Some things I only use the keyboard, others I rely heavily on touchscreen navigation & input. If the Torch had been minus either, I wouldn't have bought a BB. Once you've gotten used to the ease of using both, you really don't want to go back. But you may want something different than I do, in that respect.
Having said all that, I'll add that I love my Torch. But, if you've noticed, I've tried being as unbiased as possible in giving you the pluses & minuses of the phone. I'm not going to assume that the things that are important to me in choosing a phone are necessarily what helps you choose a phone. But I hope I've given you enough to think about. And, particularly as the holidays approach, you can be sure that, no matter what you buy, there'll be something "bigger & better" within 35 days after you get your phone.
10-23-10 09:02 AM
