Tech Blog

[#1]

In a stunning display of "you couldn't have announced this last week?" RIM has announced the BlackBerry Torch - a sliding BlackBerry touchpad smartphone WITH a hardware keyboard.

It's safe to say that this would have given some iPhone 4 buyers some pause, so it's strange that they couldn't get the news out the door, oh say five days earlier. Yes, I said touchpad - it's unclear right now whether the screen is a touchscreen (there are a lot of reports saying yes) but it's also got a touchpad at the bottom… talk about your kitchen sink design!

Still, the phone looks pretty cool. It's GSM/HSPA and it'll roll out on Telus and Rogers (and Bell, apparently - but I'm not dead sure on it.)

It's rolling fast too - August 12  on AT&T in the US at $199.99 on a two year agreement.

Here's the big bomb: it comes with BlackBerry 6. Honestly RIM? You had 6 in the wings and you waited until FOUR DAYS after the Canadian iPhone launch to tell us? Do you have any idea how infuriating that is? Still, glad to see you got it out the door, it was sorely needed.

The Torch comes with BB6, a webkit browser (finally!), a 5MP camera, Bluetooth, Wifi (including wireless N - I would imagine 2.4GHz), GPS, and 512MB RAM.

I'm concerned about the screen size - at 3.2" and 360x480, it looks positively cramped in comparison to the 3.5" iPhone screen and the massive 4.0" EVO. We'll have to wait and see if BlackBerry 6 optimizes the use of space on the screen, this may be a total non-issue.

I'm happy to see RIM get BB6 out the door, and I'm happy to see the Torch. It looks like a great phone, and will hopefully attract the following it deserves.

[#2]

Interesting announcement, but I'm not sure if this will be that successful based on the fact that it tries to straddle the fence between a business phone and a media phone.

We'll see how it goes, but I think the screen size may be an issue, as well as the lack of ease of its user interface.  I had a Blackberry for brief time about a year ago and did not like the GUI.  That is one thing that I think Apple excels at.

I have niether.  I'm very happy with my (imported) Nokia smartphone.  I could not get past the tiny keyboard on the Blackberrys, nor the all-touch-screen on the iPhone and a lot of the new blackberry features have been on Nokia for awhile now -- including free maps!

[#3]

Darn Graham, look at that.  You get stuck in appointments and that pesky thing called work and you lose out on the good posts!

I hope the Torch is a successful device for RIM.  It provides the best of both the touchscreen and keyboard worlds, but we shall see if users find it enough or not.

[#4]

HOPEFULLY it's a touchscreen

But the App Market disaster will steer Me off it.

Well, the enterprise users get more options I guess.

[#5]

It is a touchscreen device, and true touchscreen.  No more SurePress in this one.

I seriously hope that the app developers take advantage of the higher level of app memory in these new BlackBerry devices and start making apps that look more polished and appealing.  Putting a little more effort into the UI will really help BlackBerry apps compete with those from the other platforms, and with the higher app memory, users will have more space to install these apps.  So, installing a 2-5MB app, won't be the end of the world like it nearly was on the Curve 8330 or Storm 9530, etc.

[#6]

Here's a indepth demo.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_tuAVpEXFg

Sadly no information on Canadian availability....

http://crackberry.com/bell-rogers-virgin-mobile-an d-telus-all-confirm-they-will-have-blackberry-torc ...

A little commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mM_QBdREmc

[#7]

Im hoping the price is similar when it comes to canada. Ive got 10 months on my contract and plan to buy it out $20/month. Most blackberry's are pretty pricey up here for a 2 year or less. I dont want to have to sign up for a 3 year again for a decent phone price.

$200 for 2 year in the US sounds awesome, i understand it will probably be more up here but hopefully not by much

[#8]

So, we get it later and it costs more than in the US . . . pretty crappy deal coming from a CANADIAN company if you ask me

[#9]

The problem isn't the Canadian company.  It's the Canadian carriers.  You can buy it outright for essentially the same price as you would pay in the US.  It's just if you want the carrier subsidized price.

It's pretty normal for pretty much all cell phones in Canada.  And as to timing, you can again chalk that one up to the carriers as they have to approve the final software that the device will launch on, etc.  Generally speaking, the Canadian carrier's like to take longer testing the devices than their American counterparts.

[#10]

It is possible to play with a "demo" of the torch now.  You can download the simulator from the RIM website.  It allows you to get some experience with it without actually having to have one.  The simulators are provided for people who develop software for them, but I have used them for testing purposes myself for work.

[#11]

Well, with my Curve 8900 falling apart slowly, I feel it may be time to upgrade! As much as I like the spaced buttons on the Curve, glitches and not-so-convenient web browser let it down. With the heart-breaking announcement from RIM stating that the Curve series are going to be entry-level devices from now on, it seems I'm going to have to conform to the Bold keypad.

[#12]

Looks like BB is pulling all the shots out now.........to bad they are blanks....!

[#13]

Ad cruel as this may sound, RIM is trying to play catch up about 3 years to late.  They were arrogant about their Blackberry product without seeing what the competition was doing.  As a result they are losing market share on a monthly basis. The company had GOLD, and dropped the ball.  It's time to lay RIM and their blackberry to rest.

[#14]

At only 360x480 they really are trailing behind arent they? I wonder if the price of the higher res AMOLED displays really is so much more that they can afford to lose all that extra business. Thinking ahead I hope the Torch 2 that I'm sure will find its way out in the next year will fix the screen resolution problem. Love my blackberry but thats one heck of a tradeoff. What are other peoples thoughts on this?

[#15]

If it's a touch screen, I'm gonna pull my **bleep** out.........pull my **bleep** out, and bust one on the slide out keyboard.

[#16]

Dear

i think RIM confused what product to launch in current year. That is why its product price dropped in couple of weeks. If we review last 2 years. Rim product models such as 8220-9500-9530-9630-8900 totally flop and no body ready to buy any of these models.

i strongly recommended that RIM need some revolution about their products launch events and time just like as APPLE.

[#17]

The problem is that RIM isn't Apple and everyone needs to stop comparing them to Apple.  That's not to say that RIM doesn't need to make changes, but they are.  They still make top notch business oriented products, and you still can't beat a BlackBerry for many things.  But in terms of the toy/fun factor, Apple and Android do currently have it.  So when picking your device, you should keep that in mind.  What is it that you want to do with it.  And if you follow that and make your selection accordingly, you will likely be happy.

[#18]

Whens it coming out in Canada??

[#19]

We're not entirely sure yet, but it might be sometime this month (from some of the dates I heard being thrown around).

More info should be provided in the next couple of weeks (just a guess, but I'm hopeful).

[#20]

Here's another promo video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8k8NGT7DyU

Here's some test videos of the other product....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7-OBoDFeDY

[#21]

I can't wait for BB6 on my 9700 !

[#22]

This phone looks amazing! Blackberry all the way! This new phone looks like it will beat out any competition.. The new iPhone 4 is set to have more problems then the previous iPhones, so the two should not be compared at all! And if the operating system 6 is such a big problem then this review should not have been written, because that's the only issue and I don't even see it as a problem.. SO I will be first in line at Telus to get the new Blackberry Torch for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( Blackberry forever )

[#23]

I like the layout of the Torch but the specs are just not reasonable for the price.  The processor is the same as the old Bold (slow on OS6?) and the screen resolution is 2004.  RIM is lagging behind these days....

[#24]

Not 2004.  Last year yes, but not 2004.

[#25]

What is sad about this is, that Canadian Company chooses to relase products else where first rather than giving Canadains an edge on hardware and to their defense, what do expect when you have subpar services from like of Rogers, Bell and Telus monopoly and customer choose to accept as such and by 1. The product. 2. Subpar Service.

Remeber people, they only have product because you choose to buy/accept it.

Stop accepting subpar service and waiting for products after rest of world has enjoyed for 6month/1 year before Canadain market sees the likes of it.

I for one will not. I don't have cell phone and woun't by one either.

[#26]

have always been happy with my blackberry's - this one looks awesome.

[#27]

What most of the people seem to miss is that BB is intended for business segment and they are incorporating some multimedia into the device. Having played with iPhone I have to say BB is superior in every aspect when it comes to push email. I could not survive in my business without my BB, iphone just does not cut it.

This will be a great device coming out the revision 2 will be even better. RIM is doing fine they will not retain majority market share when most people by their phone for daily non business related use.

[#28]

It's about time that BB steps up to the touchscreen world. However, it seems it's old tech.  A small 3.2" with the worst resolution 480x360. only a 5 megapixel camera with no front facing cam.  No HDMI like the HTC Evo. It has the smallest 1300 mah battery. It only records in VGA not HD (720p).  I think buying a BB Torch just for the keyboard would be a mistake that most would regret later.  If the HTC Evo were available in Canada I'd already have my new phone.  I guess it's going to be the Iphone 4 for me.

[#29]

Does Futureshop have a release date yet for this?

[#30]

Aargh! I just got my Blackberry Bold 9700 3 days ago! Had I known of the Touch being released.... AAARRGGHH!

[#31]

There is no release date yet, but I'm hearing the end of this month or very beginning of next month at this point in time.

[#32]

They pretty much took the design of the Palm Pre, not impressed BB, not impressed...

[#33]

would it be available to wind customers? or Tmobile?

[#34]

Good question rameel!  I'll see if I can get more info, but at this time, I don't think it will be compatible with the 3G bands used by Wind and TMobile.  You should be able to get 2G (EDGE), but I don't know about a specific model that will work on the different 3G bands.

At this point, I'm going to say that, no, Wind will not carry the Torch (and neither will TMobile in the US given that AT&T has an exclusive on the device), but this doesn't mean it won't come in the future.  But at this point, it looks like it will be Telus, Bell and Rogers only.  If I get any info to change this, I will post it.

[#35]

Will be avail in October......

Has both tough screen & keyborad functions.

[#36]

Yeah, I'm starting to hear rumblings of a September 16th date for Telus.  But that's pure rumor at this point in time.  My guess is all carriers should have it by October.

[#37]

Finally some choices! I've been wanting to upgrade from my Bold 9000 for a year but there was nothing worthy.

Now to decide between the Torch 9800 and the Samsung Galaxy S Captivate...