BlackBerry Torch 9810

BLACKBERRY TORCH 9810 REVIEW

The RIM BlackBerry Torch 9810 for T-Mobile is the first Torch handset we've seen for the second largest nationwide GSM carrier. It is essentially the same as the Torch 9810 that was released for AT&T earlier this year, with its 3.2-inch touch-screen display and slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The overall design is very similar to the Torch 9800 from a year ago, and the look and feel of the BlackBerry 7 OS is similar to OS 6 as well. Of course, the Torch 9810 for T-Mobile has a few carrier-specific touches like apps and the support for T-Mobile's HSPA+ network. Unfortunately it does not offer UMA-based Wi-Fi calling like the Curve 9360, or much else that sets it apart from the AT&T version. The 3.2-inch display on the Torch 9810 is very attractive. It boasts a 640x480-pixel resolution, and OS 7 promises a new Liquid Graphics technology that RIM says allows for improved graphics and a more responsive touch screen. Graphics and text look smooth, sharp, and crisp thanks to the improved pixel density. We experienced zero lag when navigating the phone and launching applications, perhaps thanks to the phone's 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor as well. For simple navigation, we thought it was on par with Android smartphones with dual-core processors. The Torch 9810 has a proximity sensor and supports pinch-to-zoom gestures. Located right underneath the display are the Send, Menu, Back, and End/Power keys with BlackBerry's traditional optical touch pad in the middle. While it might seem redundant to have both a touch screen and the optical touch pad, the touch pad allows for finer and more precise control in certain applications. Still, we found that the touch screen alone worked well enough most of the time. In terms of buttons and ports, you’ve got the usual micro USB port on the left side; lock and mute buttons on top; 3.5mm headphone port, volume buttons and camera button on the right side. On the front, directly below the touchscreen, are the menu, back, power buttons and an optical trackpad. One of the key features of the Torch 9810 is that it ships with BlackBerry OS 7. The user interface is the same as OS 6, with the Quick Access area, notification bar, and navigation bar with multiple menu screens. You can collapse and expand each area, and swipe and left to switch categories. Aside from the Liquid Graphics technology we mentioned earlier, OS 7 also adds a voice function to universal search, a revamped BlackBerry browser with HTML 5 video support, 720p HD video recording, and support for augmented reality apps. OS 7 also supports NFC, but the Torch 9810 does not have that. For more on the browser, check out our review of the Torch 9810 for AT&T. The rest of the phone's features are to be expected on a BlackBerry. It has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, visual voice mail, and text and multimedia messaging. You can combine all the messaging systems into a single universal inbox if you like, and it supports threaded conversations and group chat. Inside, you'll find 8GB of internal storage (doubled from 4GB originally) and room for a MicroSD memory card. It's hot-swappable (yay!), but if you're planning on shoving a 32GB card in, you may not need to swap it too often, since you'll have 40GB on your person. Still, it's nice to have the option, and it's something we've hated not having in the past. Over the course of a few days, we found that the 9810 more or less drained after about a day’s usage, on average. What we did find surprising, however, was the terrible standby time. Left sitting on our desk, the 9810 went dead after less than two days, consistently – nowhere close to the supposed 295 hours RIM claims. Oddly enough, it seemed to hold up better when we actually used the thing. Not that the battery actually lasted longer, but the drainage seemed disproportionate to usage (or lack thereof). All-in-all, the battery was OK, but certainly not a main selling point. And that brings me to the biggest difference between this OS and OS 6: performance. Thanks to the 1.2GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, and an improvement in graphics (marketed as Liquid Graphics), the phone is incredibly nimble and renders on-screen menus and animations swiftly. Everything just feels faster and average BlackBerry users will feel the difference immediately, especially in the browser. Pages render quickly, and as Josh said, it finally just feels competitive. It’s a joyous thing to celebrate, but on the other hand, it’s sad that once RIM has caught up to browser performance the mobile world has moved over to robust third-party apps, which the BlackBerry platform doesn’t really offer. I won’t get too heavy into that, but even apps like Twitter blend in with the overall outdated and bland look of the OS. RIM can keep calling them "super apps" but there’s really nothing super about them. Also, the fact that there aren’t Google apps in BlackBerry App World is just downright insane. It’s not hard to download the Java app through the browser, but it is an inconvenience for most in this app store day and age.

SPECIFICATION & FEATURES