By Manav Arya
Out of sheer curiosity and boredom, rather than the need, I picked up the new BlackBerry Torch 9860 yesterday. I was feeling the Blackberry withdrawal symptoms especially since the Bold 9900 was such a disappointment and I hadn’t owned the berry since.
Instant impressions were great however I don't understand why RIM chose to name this device 'Torch' especially since it clearly follows the 'Storm' format. Just like the 9900 I was quite happy with the hardware build quality. The buttons on front are a welcome change from the recessed 'soft' touch ones we've gotten in the past. The back was curved and the phone felt great to hold. The phone was quite responsive too, in fact this is what the original 'Storm' should have been, the on-screen keyboard was the best I've ever used on any BlackBerry handheld, but I still would rate the Windows Phone 7 keyboard higher.
The phone comes loaded with the hyped OS7. But if you’re excited about this platform, you will be irritated by the lack of OS7 applications available on the Appstore. Even if you use the apps meant for an older platform, for some strange reason many of them will cause issues with the device.
The screen is great but it gets nowhere near the quality of the iPhone 4. It has all the other standard features/options that a BlackBerry has to offer. Although it is a great device, the price-point (Rs28,490/-) at which its sold puts it into direct competition with the likes of iPhone 4 and flagship Android phones like Optimus 3D and EVO 3D. Unfortunately, that makes the phone look rather lackluster and hence ends up being disappointing. I honestly feel RIM should get its act together (and fast) because being a BlackBerry loyalist over 6 years now the PlayBook, Bold 9900 and now the Torch 9860 have been huge disappointments.
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