The BlackBerry Torch 9800 still isn’t available here in the Philippines but I heard that some of the telcos will start selling it starting December. As most of you guys know I got my hands on a review unit and I’ve been heavily using the Torch as my primary phone over the long weekend. Allow me to share my findings and my complete review of the unit in this entry.

Full review after the jump!

BLACKBERRY TORCH 9800 SPECS
Size (LxWxD) – Closed: 4.4″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ / 111mm x 62mm x 14.6mm, Open: 5.8″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ / 148mm x 62mm x 14.6mm
Weight – 161.59 g / 5.7 oz (includes battery)
Operating System – BlackBerry 6
CPU Speed – 624 MHz
Memory – 512 MB internal flash memory, 4GB built-in storage memory, 4GB microSD card included, Supports up to 32GB microSD card
Battery – 1270 mAhr removable/rechargeable cryptographic lithium cell
Display – High resolution touch screen, Half-VGA+ display (360 x 480 at 188ppi), 3.2″ (diagonally measured)
Camera – 5.0 MP camera, flash, auto focus, face detection, image stabilization, scene modes, 2X zoom, video recording
Video Camera – Normal Mode: 640 x 480 pixels, MMS Mode: 176 x 144 pixels

To make this review concise and straightforward I’ll just list down key components of a smart phone and share with you guys what I experience and my personal assessment. I’ll then summarize everything in one paragraph and end with a recommendation. That said, let’s get it on!

Slider Phone Design
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is one of the first decent slider phones I’ve seen and used in a long time. Most of the previous sliders had problems with battery life, stability, and functionality. The usual mistake is that the keyboard is so cramped to the point that it’s so hard to use it properly. That’s not the case with the Torch. Out of all the slider-type phones this has got to be one of the best designed and well thought out models. Using the keypad feels so natural and it doesn’t really feel like you’re using a slider. It’s a full BlackBerry keypad without any sacrifices. Popping out the keypad also isn’t a chore. It feels natural and most importantly secure.

Two thumbs up to RIM for this one.

Touch Screen and Display
RIM got rid of the “suretouch” technology which flopped with the BlackBerry Storm and they’re using the standard smart phone touch screen controls. This is definitely great news but the Torch has a rather last-gen display quality. It only has a pixel resolution of 480×360 which just pales in comparison to the iPhone 4′s 960×640. The difference between the display of both phones is as clear as night and day. Hopefully the next Torch model will have a more updated and better display.

Battery Life
One of the biggest pros of having a BlackBerry back then compared to a 3GS or 3G iPhone was the battery life. The advantage is still there. The BlackBerry Torch 9800 lasted me the whole day without the need to recharge. Note that I used it quite heavily since I was tweeting, making calls, sending SMS’s, and even listening to some music throughout the weekend. With a full charge at around 8AM, I only needed to plug it in again for another charge at around 9:00PM.

BlackBerry OS 6
The Torch sports the new BlackBerry OS 6 which literally revolutionizes the way you use your BlackBerry. The feature I love the most is Universal Search. All you have to do is tap the search box, key-in a contact, app, or whatever you’re looking for and the Torch will display everything in the spacious display screen. One tap and then you’re good to go. This feature makes the Torch very user-friendly and I’m puzzled as to why a lot of tech blogs don’t mention how great this is. I’ve been using the Torch for the last few days and it’s the feature I’ve used the most!

The new OS also brings Social and RSS Feeds. This functions as some sort of unified alert system for your messenger applications and social networks. You can also monitor the RSS feeds of the websites you follow.

Here’s RIM’s official announcement trailer for the BlackBerry OS 6. Note that you don’t need to dance to make it work in real life, lol.

Browsing
They say that the Web Kit browser of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is faster than the iPhone 4. I tested it myself on my home network and apparently is really is true. Despite the speed advantage, I still find it a bit hard to browse websites on the BlackBerry Torch compared to the iPhone 4. Chalk it up to the snappier response time, Retina Display, and the bigger screen.

Camera
The Torch’s camera is by far the best camera ever made on a BlackBerry device. The continuous auto-focus will make mobile photography much easier and you can also customize it further by playing around with the settings. My only complaint with the camera of the Torch is that it can’t do HD video recording.

Lock Button
This is probably the most annoying thing about the BlackBerry Torch. They put the lock button on the upper left section of the phone. It’s sooooo easy to accidentally press this before you put it in your pocket. I can’t count how many times I pulled the phone out and see several apps running and random gibberish typed on the screen. This is the one hardware design flaw that I’ve seen with this unit so far.

Summary & Recommendations
If RIM fixed the display, relocated the annoying lock button, and upgrade the processor to make it snappier, the BlackBerry Torch can probably be one of the best smart phones in the market. However the one thing pulling it down more than anything is the app store. Developers are churning out great products for Anroid and Apple. RIM needs to do something to attract the developers over to their side.

Personally I believe that the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is one of the best products that RIM has shipped. I can’t say it’s an iPhone 4 or Android Killer, but it can definitely stand on it’s own. OS 6 has completely modernized how you use BlackBerry phones by making it much easier and enjoyable to use. The slider keypad is also a welcome addition for users who aren’t comfortable typing using the touch screen. In fact, over the weekend I think I used the keypad 80% of the time (this makes me look forward to the BlackBerry Bold 9780).

Looking forward to the official prices from the Telcos on this unit. As soon as I get them I’ll write a follow-up article.