The newest Research In Motion phone, the Blackberry Torch 9800, will be released on August 12. Slated for release on the AT and T network on Aug. 12, the Blackberry Torch tries to re-brand the Blackberry as a tool for both businesspeople and consumers. Reviewers don’t seem happy about the new Blackberry Torch 9800, though it does have customers excited.
The Blackberry Torch 9800 basics
The features that Blackberries are loved for are maintained within the Torch 9800. The QWERTY keyboard is housed in a slider-style case. There is updated firmware for messaging and web browsing. The Blackberry Torch 9800 has a similar size and weight as previous models. The full-featured security that Blackberry phones are loved for have also been put in place.
New updates on the Blackberry Torch 9800
The Blackberry 6 operating system has been written for the Blackberry Torch. This update involves many new features on the Blackberry Torch that users have been asking for. There will be built in messaging and social networking. There is also a new web browser based on WebKit that is reportedly more efficient than other browsers when it comes to data usage. Finally, the Blackberry Torch 9800 will come pre-loaded with the Blackberry App Store (and, on AT and T, a separate AT and T app store) to customize the phone with specially developed apps.
Blackberry Torch 9800 reviews and concerns
RIM may well discover itself fighting for market share, even with the Blackberry Torch 9800. The Blackberry is and has always been designed and developed for business and government use — strong security and no-frills interfaces. The Blackberry Torch 9800 seems to be courting more of the consumer market. The new Blackberry Torch 9800 has a tiny screen with low resolution, though, and an email interface that is reportedly very clunky. These together may prove to be the downfall of this Smartphone maker, despite the fact that they really started the Smartphone movement.
