The BlackBerry Torch 9850 is the newest BlackBerry smart phone for the Verizon Wireless Network. The Torch 9850 is a full touch screen Smartphone running BlackBerry 7 OS. This is the first touch screen only phone from RIM since the Storm 2 9550. But fear not Surepress haters you will not find it here. Keep reading for the full rundown of the BlackBerry Torch 9850.
The Torch 9850, available since September 8th is a all touch screen BlackBerry that is world phone capable. The 9850 will work in over 220 countries. If you are looking for a all touch screen BlackBerry but sure press left a bad taste in your mouth, fear not, the Torch 9850 does not have it. It is a standard touch with a capacitive screen. With the 7 OS this is a phone that any BlackBerry lover can enjoy.
The 9850 is a candy bar style phone that feels light in the hands. The phone is plastic with a metallic silver trim, similar to that of the Storm series of phones. The battery door is metal with a matte black finish to match the rest of the phone.
The Torch 9850 has a 1.2 GHz single core Qualcomm chip. The OS installed on our test device is 7.0 Bundle 1328 (v 7.0.0.254). For just the phone has a 1230mAh battery good for about 7-12 hours talk time and around 16 days standby. There is 768 MB of RAM. This gives you a decent amount of space to load apps and still have enough left over to keep 7 OS running smoothly.
The BlackBerry Torch 9850 has a 3.7in Transmissive TFT display. The resolution is 480 x 800 and is capable of displaying 16.7 million colors at 24 bit. The screen, while not being overly small was very difficult for me to type on. The virtual keys we close together and I found the phone registering the letter around the one I wanted.. Other than that the Torch has a clear screen that is easy to watch.
The 9850 has a 5MP camera that is capable of taking video’s with a resolution of up to (1280 x 720) 720P HD Video. The camera does have continuous auto focus, facial detection, image stabilization and geo tagging. There is also 0 shutter lag when taking pictures. Once again this is one of the things lagging behind with BB. In a world where most people use their Smartphone for multiple uses, a 8MP camera is almost a must. Don’t get me wrong the Torch camera isn’t a bad camera, it could just be better.
There is 4GB of onboard storage for all of your pictures/ video’s/ music. There is also a microSD slot that is capable of accepting cards up to 32GB in size. The Bold 9850 includes a 16GB card. Once again, while it’s great that a card is preinstalled, a total of 20GB of combined storage can be easily filled with a combination of music and video’s.
The Torch while being completely touch screen also includes a track pad for easy maneuvering through the screens. This makes it easier for clicking icons for app’s if you have larger fingers.
On the right side of the phone is the convenience key that is preset for the camera. This is customizable through the setting to be whatever you want it to be. There is also the 3.5mm headphone jack. The top of the phones has the sleep button. On the left side is the USB jack for charging and data transfer. On the front of the phone below the touch screen is 4 physical keys. The are the answer button, BB menu button, track pad, return button, and call end button.
Other features of the BlackBerry Bold 9930 include Bluetooth v 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 2.4 GHz b/g/n/ and 5GHz a/n, NFC, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a media player that supports multiple codec types.
Once again while nice for a Blackberry this is not a phone that is top of the line in the Smartphone market. Running the 7 OS makes for a snappy and easy to use this OS doesn’t have the apps available for it that the Android or iPhones’ have. My test device listed 41 of my apps from previous BB usage that is not familiar with this device.
The BB Torch is a BlackBerry that just plain works. I know I’ve said this in most of my other BB reviews that that just how it is. I still like the BB platform, and believe there is great room for improvement, it’s nothing that’s going to bring someone new to the BB market. The phone is reliable and I didn’t have any problems while testing the unit. If you’re a BB fan and looking to upgrade to a new BB this may be the choice for you.
The BlackBerry Torch 9850 is available from Verizon Wireless right now for 199.99 with a new 2 year agreement. Head on over today and pick one up for yourself.
Source: VZW
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Related articles
- Verizon to Sell BlackBerry Torch 9850 Sept. 8 for $199 (phonescoop.com)
- Review: BlackBerry Torch 9850 (phonescoop.com)
- BlackBerry Torch 9850 review (engadget.com)
