BlackBerry Torch review

Research In Motion (RIM) has long been a giant in the smartphone game. Your BlackBerry device has long been a staple of the telephony world, occupying a large chunk of the smartphone market since its popularization in the mid-1990s. Lately, RIM has been somewhat quiet on its development front, and it has given way to Apple and Android phones in its dominance of the market, although the BlackBerry Torch appears to be its attempt to fight these two and regain its old title. With the new BlackBerry OS6, the phone promised to bring changes to the BlackBerry lineup and offer stiff competition to Apple and Google, but can an update to the operating system and features of the Torch reaffirm RIM as a leader in the smartphone world? ?

When you first take the torch out of the box, the first thing that strikes you is the sense of appreciation for the change in form factor. Rather than the traditional “all in front” design of the older Blackberries, RIM opted to give the flashlight a slider, giving it a sleeker look more in keeping with the newer Palm devices. The touchscreen is not as large as some of its competitors, such as the HTC Evo, although it works as it should and works well with the redesigned operating system.

The operating system provides a familiar feel to the old BlackBerry operating system, although it is clear that it was designed with a central focus on simplicity. This can be a relief for more casual users of older BlackBerry phones, as the old operating system was not as simple in many respects as it should have been. The physical characteristics of the phone appear to be largely on par with the other phones it competes with. The camera is 5 megapixels, just like the iPhone 4, and the screen resolution, while not as impressive as the Retina display on the iPhone, is similar to other recently released smartphones.

Overall, the Torch may not impress every smartphone fanatic, although for BlackBerry users, this phone will be an absolute boon. Perhaps if RIM were to combine its new operating system with a specifically designed phone with superior features, rather than features equivalent to other phones, it could have great success.